Photoshop path to Mastercam

[wizz-ard]

Ok, I'm new to the forum, I don't know a thing about cad/cam. I am an illustrator for a company and have an idea that could revolutionize the way we do artwork.

 

I work at a jewlry manufacturing co., the millers use Mastercam and I want to use Photoshop exclusively to draw the outlined image of emblems. I would draw the path in Photoshop and import it somehow into Mastercam. I understand that I would need some kind of converter to do so. The Cad guys do use programs like Corel Draw and Freehand to import but they say the lines are chopped and don't make good "bezier curves" so to speak.

 

Can anyone enlighten me as to what I have option to do. Is there a converter for Photoshop paths or other programs that I could export to?

 

Please write as this could be very important to me.

 

Wizz

[fboike]

What your looking for is a raster to vecter

converter ther is one in the engrave package

called ras2vec or you could use adobe streamline

Im not sure of the cost, if its adobe its probably pricey.

[titleist]

I dont know about photoshop, and i dont think you would be able to make toolpaths out of a drawing such as that anyway. good luck

[Bullines]

Since Photoshop and its ilk (Fireworks, etc) only deal with raster files, you'll need an app that can handle vector images (Corel Draw, Adobe Illustator, Macromedia Freehand, etc). From those, you can export into a vector format such as DWG or DXF and then read that into Mastercam. However, it's been my experience from using Illustrator that this usually doesn't work that smoothly. When in doubt, fboike's suggestion of considering Rast2Vec for Mastercam is a safe bet.

[TeccBoxx]

If you have some examples I am sure a lot of people would be able to help a little more. But I think fboike is on the right track. However Adobe Streamline is at a decent price of around $150 and cheaper, however since you say you already have Corel Draw just use the Corel Trace package that comes withot. Trace has a lot of options that should come in handy. Just save your files as a DXF, DWG and you should be fine.

 

Just a tip if you are designing lets say a logo be sure to watch your gradients, and color variations because it will be a pain to get a good looking conversions with multiple colors especially over 16.

 

Good Luck and keep us informed if we can help you in any other way.

[skeetboy25]

use the rast2vect c-hook in MC to bring your image in, convert to arcs, then select chains and automaticcaly spline, should give a non chopped, if some what imperfect (well, by machinist standards)image.

[Andris Skulte]

If you're looking to make the drawings for Mastercam on an "art" program, Adobe Illustrator and Corel Draw both draw it in "vector format". This means that a line is actually a line from point A to point B, rather than 100's of black pixels on a white background. You'd then save the file as a DXF, which you can import right into mastercam, and usually cut immediately. I do quite a bit of art layout work for some of our dash plaques and trophies, and it works smoothly. The last choice I have is making a raster file, and converting it to vector (Adobe Streamline, Corel Trace), since that tends to make "messy" vector drawings. You can do it right the first time, and it's much faster in the end.

 

Andris Skulte

[wizz-ard]

Wow I can't believe all the response I got, I want to thank you all. There is much helpful information. Thank you for taking the time. I do want to clarify one thing.

 

Photoshop is a raster-based program, however, when you draw with the pen tool and make it a path or clipping path then, and I may be wrong, but it saves it as a temporary Vector path. I don't understand how it does but that path can be exported to Illustrator. From what I am hearing, I can draw in Photoshop (I'm trying to keep it in Phtosp to keep it simple because all the finish work is in Phtosp), and export it to Corel Draw and that should work?

 

Any way I am going to have our CAD guy check out your responses and do some testing.

Thanks again.

Wizz

[2 flute]

[ 07-22-2003, 11:58 AM: Message edited by: 2 flute ]

[Chris Rizzo]

Hey wizz-ard,

 

What kind of jewelery mfg. does your outfit do? I've tinkered around here a bit with some jewelery, and was wondering what other people are doing in that field. The jewelery / fine metalsmithing community seems rather slow at adopting the abilities of machining (esp. CNC). It possibly could be do to the fact that real CNC gear is somewhat cost prohibitive to smaller manufacturers and artisans...I was wondering about jewelers that can afford it, and how so.

thx!

[Dan_AKA_ROY]

Wizz-ard, I have a comment to make:

 

Coral Trace doesn't do a good job. Lines often will still appear jagged in places. Adobe Streamline is superior. Smooth as a bell!

 

If you have a choice, IMHO, there really is no choice. Adobe Streamline is top dog!!

 

Corel Draw v.10 has much improved file converters. Versions 9 and under don't convert to MC well. Corel Draw 10 can be an excellent supplement to MC. But, when you need to trace a raster image, use Adobe Streamline.

[wizz-ard]

CMR,

 

I work at oc tanner in Salt Lake City we are the makers of the 2002 winter olympics medals. We mostly do employee recognition for employees awards at 5yr intervals. Attached to some awards are emblems of the company's logos with jewelling. We also have a retail store that is a completely different market. I am involved in mass producing custom emblems if that makes sense. We have a consistent look for all custom emblems. Currently we go from Freehand to Photoshop to Freehand to Photoshop and I find it redundant. I am trying to find a way to get it all in Photoshop and keep it there until it hits manufacturing who take it into Mastercam.

We are fiddling (nice word huh?) with a way to use stereolitho I believe it's called, you guys all probably know what that is, to make a row of rings instead of the traditional way of producing them. I have to admit much of what you said went over my head, I'm just the artist of the company, I don't know tech stuff.

 

Hope that answers a little.

Wizz I love these little guys

you all must me tired of them but

I plan to use them all

[render]

a "path" in photoshop is a vector...and it can be imported into adobe illustrator.

[render]

The Paths to Illustrator command lets you export Photoshop paths as Adobe Illustrator files. This makes it easier to work with combined Photoshop and Illustrator artwork or to use Photoshop features on Illustrator artwork. For example, you may want to export a pen tool path and stroke it to use as a trap with a Photoshop clipping path you are printing in Illustrator. You can also use this feature to align Illustrator text or objects with Photoshop paths.

 

To use the Paths to Illustrator command:

 

Draw and save a path or convert an existing selection into a path.

Choose File > Export > Paths to Illustrator.

Choose a location for the exported path, and enter a filename.

Click Save.

Open the path in Adobe Illustrator as a new file. You can now manipulate the path or use the path to align Illustrator objects.

Note that the crop marks in Adobe Illustrator reflect the dimensions of the Adobe Photoshop image. The position of the path within the Photoshop image is maintained, provided you don't change the crop marks or move the path.

[render]

this new photoshop trick can be very useful..ie..use the selection tool to select certain colors or parts of a raster image, convert the selection into path, send path to illustrator then into mcam...or....visualize an inlay in photoshop, when your happy, make paths..etc etc

[wizz-ard]

Render,

That worked, I didn't think that exporting path to Illustrator would let me open the path in either Illustrator or Freehand but it did and it was flawless. That, along with all the other usefull ideas that have been posted, paves the way for my idea to progress. There is no stopping me now. I will be able to draw the emblems and rings in Photoshop save the path export to Illustrator and mantain a Vector image. This will allow the CAD guys to convert the paths into some program conversion and import to MC.

 

Thanks to everyone for your reply. It was very helpful.