[Noisebridge-discuss] Laser Cutter Here

Wed Feb 23 08:37:38 UTC 2011

Actually, just one more software flag to wave here a bit.

Its more than just the laser that needs to run the software. When you do
your design, its best/easiest to do it in the same software that you'll be
laser-ing it from. This is especially true for more complicated designs.
Typically, exact line widths are lost in pretty much every translation I've
seen between software formats. So, if you've got a design that has both
raster stuff (greater than 0.01" line widths) and vector stuff (0.01" or
less line widths), it takes a bunch of time to go through and make sure
every single one of your lines is still the correct width in software before
you go burning through some material.

So, the reason I bring this up is that if we have the laser use Illustrator,
than it will be much easier if everyone does their design in Illustrator. If
we have the laser use Corel, then everyone should do their design in Corel.
To me, this is a big pro for Inkscape (because it is free, so everyone could
theoretically do their designs in Inkscape, or at least convert their
designs to Inkscape without chewing up a whole bunch of time doing this on
the actual lasering computer).

What do peeps think? Depending on how the laser is setup (does it just have
a printer driver?) we could theoretically have any software we could get our
mitts on installed on the laser computer so peeps have their choice. If we
have to pick just one software package though, it could be worth thinking
about this for a bitsies.

Sean

On Wed, Feb 23, 2011 at 12:24 AM, Taylor Alexander <tlalexander at gmail.com>wrote:

> Hey all,
> So glad we got the laser! Ill have to come check it out!
> As far as illustrator goes, an old friend of mine works at adobe and has an
> allowance of a few ~$60 copies of illustrator every year. Ill ask him if
> he's got one for Noisebridge!
> -Taylor
>  On Feb 22, 2011 11:50 PM, "Sean Cusack" <sean.p.cusack at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Although I love the idea of Illustrator (*ducks*), and used to use it a
> lot
> > myself, I started realizing that I have a problem paying $750 for a piece
> of
> > software that doesn't feed me individually washed grapes while I'm
> working
> > on it...or vibrate...or give me an individually shrink wrapped shot of
> > whiskey inside the jewel case.
> >
> > I still fall on my Illustrator crutch every once and awhile, but I'm now
> > doing my darndest to learn Inkscape, and it really is pretty decent for
> many
> > non-pro artists just looking to do some basic vector work. Its free, and
> > unlike 1 bum I encountered outside of Techshop this evening, it will not
> > smack you upside the head with a bag full of shoes if you haven't donated
> to
> > its cause yet.
> >
> > Felipe, do you know if any good demos that teach Inkscape to an
> Illustrator
> > user to make things a little easier? I've been looking for one of
> these...
> >
> > Sean
> >
> > On Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 8:33 PM, meredith scheff <satiredun at gmail.com
> >wrote:
> >
> >> I'd love it to use Illustrator. It's design standard and imports may
> other
> >> types of files well. I could install it on whatever computer.
> >> M
> >>
> >>
> >> On Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 7:16 PM, Corey McGuire <coreyfro at coreyfro.com
> >wrote:
> >>
> >>> Inkscape will work. Vector (cutting) operations on some machines are
> >>> represented by 0.01" lines, everything else will be treated as raster
> >>> operations. This, is common and it would stand to reason that this
> machine
> >>> will opperate the same way, but I don't know.
> >>>
> >>> The reason Corel Draw is recommended is because it has a "hair line"
> (or
> >>> some such) description of 0.01" lines (vector/cutting) which makes the
> >>> operation a bit more intuitive. In Inkscape, if one scales an object
> after
> >>> assigning a value to the line width, it may scale the line width as
> well.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 6:03 PM, rachel lyra hospodar <
> >>> rachelyra at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Super awesome! Any thoughts on software? My understanding is that
> corel
> >>>> draw is something of a standard, weird I know but I guess its printer
> >>>> handling dovetails well with the lasers. I'd throw down another $5 for
> >>>> purchasing a license if there aren't better options. Also I have fans
> we can
> >>>> use for exhaust! Someone bug me mercilessly till I find them & bring
> them
> >>>> in.
> >>>>
> >>>> mediumreality.com
> >>>> On Feb 22, 2011 5:44 PM, "Shannon Lee" <shannon at scatter.com> wrote:
> >>>> > That'd be awesome.
> >>>> >
> >>>> > --S
> >>>> >
> >>>> > On Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 5:36 PM, Dr. Jesus <j at hug.gs> wrote:
> >>>> >
> >>>> >> Do you already have a machine to run it, or should I bring one of
> the
> >>>> >> low power machines from the noisecloud pile?
> >>>> >>
> >>>> >> On Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 5:13 PM, Shannon Lee <shannon at scatter.com>
> >>>> wrote:
> >>>> >> > Looks like we found a ride; I'll see you all at Noisebridge this
> >>>> evening.
> >>>> >> > Somebody who knows how these damn things work would be most
> welcome
> >>>> as
> >>>> >> we
> >>>> >> > set it up ;)
> >>>> >> > --S
> >>>> >> >
> >>>> >> > On Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 4:40 PM, Shannon Lee <
> shannon at scatter.com>
> >>>> >> wrote:
> >>>> >> >>
> >>>> >> >> Hi All,
> >>>> >> >> The Laser Cutter has arrived! It's currently sitting in my
> office
> >>>> at
> >>>> >> 2nd
> >>>> >> >> and Howard, in downtown SF. I am working on getting it from here
> to
> >>>> >> >> Noisebridge this evening; if you can help out with such, please
> let
> >>>> me
> >>>> >> know!
> >>>> >> >> --S
> >>>> >> >>
> >>>> >> >> --
> >>>> >> >> Shannon Lee
> >>>> >> >> (503) 539-3700
> >>>> >> >>
> >>>> >> >> "Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from
> >>>> science."
> >>>> >> >
> >>>> >> >
> >>>> >> >
> >>>> >> > --
> >>>> >> > Shannon Lee
> >>>> >> > (503) 539-3700
> >>>> >> >
> >>>> >> > "Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from
> science."
> >>>> >> >
> >>>> >> > _______________________________________________
> >>>> >> > Noisebridge-discuss mailing list
> >>>> >> > Noisebridge-discuss at lists.noisebridge.net
> >>>> >> > https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss
> >>>> >> >
> >>>> >> >
> >>>> >>
> >>>> >
> >>>> >
> >>>> >
> >>>> > --
> >>>> > Shannon Lee
> >>>> > (503) 539-3700
> >>>> >
> >>>> > "Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from science."
> >>>>
> >>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>> Noisebridge-discuss mailing list
> >>>> Noisebridge-discuss at lists.noisebridge.net
> >>>> https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> Noisebridge-discuss mailing list
> >>> Noisebridge-discuss at lists.noisebridge.net
> >>> https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >>
> >> Ladycartoonist.com
> >>
> >> ___________
> >>
> >> A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion,
> butcher
> >> a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts,
> >> build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders,
> >> cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch
> manure,
> >> program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly.
> >> Specialization is for insects.
> >>
> >> -Robert A. Heinlein
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> Noisebridge-discuss mailing list
> >> Noisebridge-discuss at lists.noisebridge.net
> >> https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss
> >>
> >>
>
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