Corel Draw: centering at conversion

[kit.schweitzer@juno.com]

For some reason Corel makes the center of the page the lower left hand corner of the shopbot file. That is in, letter format(8.5x11) 4.25 (half of 8.5)and 5.5(half of 11)is the zero point of a shopbot file converted from dxf,from corel. So I set up two guidelines and move my drawing where I want it in relation to the center of the page.
Hope this helps
Kit

[garbob]

I usually just set up a drawing size in corel 4 times larger than what I want. If it is a 4 by 8 foot piece of material that I want to cut I set up the corel file page layout as a landscape page that is 192" wide by 96" high and set the guidelines and / or zero point at the exact center of the page. Save this file as a template and your good to go next time you need it.

This doesn't seem to happen if you import dxf files from corel into a cad package. Go figure.

[Curt Bartel]

I have just started to practice conversions from CORELDRAW 10 to vector to shopbot. I don't have the machine yet(should arrive this week) but I have a problem when I run the program in preview mode. The object in preview mode gets drawn off the main field. The x coordinates are alright but the y-coordinates are all negative. In preview mode the cuts all happen under the main field.

Also, I would like suggestions on how to go from a CORELDRAW10 picture to vector to a shopbot file in the quickest way.

One more thing, if i wanted to print a name on a square board and leave the letters raised, routing the wood around the letters how would I do this.

[ssanda@nvbell.net]

HA! What a coincidence- I'm waiting for my machine too and was experimenting with the same thing yesterday! We're getting pretty good at the basic file loading and preview keystrokes in SB, aren't we?

I just got Modelmill so went in to work, exported a simple house sign in DXF from Draw 7, imported it into Modelmill, applied the tool paths, exported as a DXF and imported into SB and ran the file. It looks perfect (even the alignment with 0,0) as far as I can tell with my limited experience. Since I'm very familiar with CorelDraw, the whole process only took about 15 min.

I realize that Modelmill is overkill just to use for toolpaths, but at least it's fast and easy right off the bat and hopefully I can explore it's other features as time goes on and crank out signs now.

Is there a way to clear the preview screen (in Shopbot) so when you load and run the file again it dosen't draw over the previous one?

[dan@burningimpressions.ca]

Curt, I make my page in corel 48x96 then I run it off the screen if need be. You can make raised letters many ways in corel. Draw a line from left
to right, as long as you need for material removal. go to your outline tool make it the size
of your bit,"wysiwyg" up top in "tools"then "options" -vertical your tool size
for duplication down the page."this is the way your tool will cut then. I have mine set up for red cut lines.. now select all you cut lines "go up top to arrange and select all"..now type your
text off to the side and make it the size and font
you want, nowselect your font then use "control&T" on the keyboard then spacing set from 10 to 40 %. Then go up top select "effects" then "contour" to the outside, "you may have to play with this to get a clean contour because of size", when this is done, you can separate and remove the inside lines, separate,ungroup then combine the text which is now just lines, move it to where you want it, "leave it highlited" select
trim from "arrange trim" then trim by pickin your
cut lines.. the other method is to draw a box the size of your material removal..with the same process.. now export as a dxf.file and you can covert with the shopbot coverter, "but" I use a program that makes the cuts more effecient,you will probably be getting "vector" you can use it to reorganize the cut..what happens if you don't
is that it cuts from left to right then deadheads
back making the cut much longer than it should..
Hope this helps..
Dan H

[bill.young]

Rick,

You can clear the preview screen by typing SP, the same command that gets you into preview mode.

Bill

[sven]

When converting Corel Draw 8 CDR-DXF-SBP the drawing is centered.(0,0 is in the center of the drawing. I recently (inadvertantly) converted so that the drawing was at 0,0 in both the CDR and SBP, just where you want it. There must therefore be a known way to do this, please share, it would be most helpful.