Routing Large Format Prints using Flexisign Contour?

[Call-Tech]

I am interested in placing my large format prints onto various solid backings such as acrylic, alumilite, wood etc and then use shopbot to contour cut them to make standups.

the question is: Does anyone know how to use the alignment marks created by flexisign for contour cutting and using them to align the x,y starting point? And then somehow take the cut file created for vinyl cutter and make sbp file from it?

Or any way to create similar end result of accurately contour cut 6 foot tall photo on solid backing.

Thanks for any help.

[stickman]

Fred,

A very interesting concept. How do you create the large format prints? What is the software that you use?

Just a start of questions...

[kerrazy]

Fred save your flex file as a DXF and then bring it into Partswizard to do the contour. Seat all and group it then do an offset of .25 and your rady to go.
Dale

[Call-Tech]

In answer to Jay's question, I have a 42" large format printer that I print on vinyl, paper, banners etc... In this case I print with flexisign Software. The contour file is created automatically when I do the print. Flexisign creates two files and prints alignment marks on the large photo. I would normally then place the photo in my large vinyl cutter and the optical alignment system would see the alignment marks and know how to cut within .010" around the edge of the subject in the photo that I want cut out. This gives me a decal in the shape of the image. Very common in sign industry....

Now that I have a shopbot, I wish to do similar. I want to take photo of a person for example and print it life size aprox 6' tall and then apply it to back of acrylic so image is viewed through acrylic and protected. Then use a similar alignment function "hopefully" and cut out the acrylic in the shape of the person with no visible background remaining.

Now this is an easy automatic function between my flexisign software, large format printer and vinyl cutters that are supported by software, If anything I thought maybe Flexi's Enroute software might somehow be the answer in that maybe it would somehow bridge the gap between printer and shopbot???

The big question is, can I get the alignment correct using the same marks and get the shopbot to cut it out without cutting off body parts and destroying $100 sheet of acylic???

Dale, Since the file is created on the fly and is not technically a flexi file, it is a cut file that is sent to the cutter, I am not aware of anyway to convert it to a dxf file... And if there is a way to do that,(tell me please) then I would also need to know how to align it properly.

Thanks for everyones help.

[mikejohn]

Can you create a bit map from your flexy file?
If so, you can take it into AutoCad (and probably most other CAD programs) scale the bitmap accurately using the alignment marks, then simply draw around the outline, offset the cutter diameter and cut your shape to the accuracy of your ShopBot.
If you can't make a bitmap, and have 4 alignment marks, you can take a photograph of your flexisign (as long as its flat) and skew the 4 alignment marks to their exact position in various software packages (Photoshop for instance) and then you have your bitmap.
................Mike

[kerrazy]

Fred call me 613.880.8292

it is easier to walk through it on the phone.
Dale

[Call-Tech]

Dale, I'll try to give you a call sometime this week when I can be in front of flexisign computer. I'm at home right now and would not likely remember everything you told me when I get back to the shop.

[signscad]

I never do large format print on Flexi, mount on Acrylic and use Bot to route the shape, but may be I have to go back the basic Zero X, Zero Y.
This is my imagination proccess:
1/ Print retangle line surounds the pic. in Flexi or Corel 7( It works for me) It will be cut
2/ (Fabricate)Trimp it along the X and Y exactly atleast for using as registration
3/ (Fabricate)Mount along exactly X and Y sides of the Acrylic.
---Align X and Y of the table.
4/Group all and align to bottome left of the page( Flexi).
---In Corel 7, go to Graph Paper Tool Button draw 2, 2(top left under open file icon) boxes.
---Align 4 boxes to center of page. Highlight snap to object and drag vert. and hoz. guidelines snap on center of 4 boxes,
---delete those boxes. Drag the whole sign( contour cutout and regtangle box to 0x,0y of the guidelines
5/ Export .DXF file of the selected black retangle and contour cut of the print you wanna cut
(what ever size is, do not change)to Vector(I use vector at this time)
6/ You see the black line box seating on 0X, 0Y.
Select contour line ONLY to generate to ShopBot.
Do what ever you do like offset, deep before you generate to the Bot's file
7/More accuracy at the bit center at 0 x, 0 y of the table close cut result you gonna get.
I hope this is help.
Uncle Hai

[Call-Tech]

Thanks everyone, I have done several photos on sintra this week and it worked great. I printed photos with angle registration marks in corners. I create contour cut line 1/4 the diameter of my cutter outside the object in photo I wish to cut out. I then export contour cut line and reg marks as DXF file. Import DXF file into partwizard or Artcam and toolpath cut on vector. Adhere photo to sintra and manually register shopbot to reg marks on print. I used a 1/4" endmill-10,000rpm-2ips, by setting the contour line 1/16" outside my object in photo causes cutter to remove about 1/16" of object so no background shows. Worked great each time I tried it, except the time when I forgot to square print with x axis. Duh...

Sincerely, Fred