Cadding images

[pigpenguin]

Basically it has come time to make a cad model of our logo. So I know you can import an image and sketch over it. But I have a vector file of the logo is there any easy way to pipe that into cad and just use it as a sketch? Thanks ahead of time,
Ethan Rooke

[R.C.]

Originally Posted by pigpenguin

Basically it has come time to make a cad model of our logo. So I know you can import an image and sketch over it. But I have a vector file of the logo is there any easy way to pipe that into cad and just use it as a sketch? Thanks ahead of time,
Ethan Rooke

Which CAD Package? Solidworks? Inventor? Pro.E?

-RC

[pigpenguin]

inventor

[KennyLives]

Originally Posted by pigpenguin

inventor

What format of image? Also, I find Solidworks IS better at this.

[pigpenguin]

I have it in a vector format (adobe illustrator) but can save it as any type. I would think inventor would have a way to import paths from a vector but I could be wrong.

[crazyStone]

The easiest way to insert a logo into inventor is to save it as a bitmap (.bmp) yes i know it kills the quality out of adobe. then you go to "insert" tab once you open a sketch on the surface you want the logo, then click "decal" under the "modify" tab and place the image as a decal on that surface. Hope this helps, we did this an our logo turned out decently.

[pigpenguin]

Yeah we have done that as well, we actually were asked to get it cadded so it could be machined. I worked out how to do it from the illustrator side of things; you can just export it to a dwg and then work with it in inventor. So we got that working but I still find it odd that inventor does not have the feature to work with paths in .svg files and such.

[msimon785]

Hey, Ethan.
Sorry it took me a while to get back to this thread, but I checked Illustrator, and it turns out CS5 can convert directly to Autodesk .dwg and .dxf files, both of which can be opened in Inventor and run on a CNC. (Goto File>Export and select .dxf or .dwg).
In other words, do the conversion in Illustrator instead of in Inventor

[DampRobot]

When we want machine our logo, we turn it directly into a dwg, and import it into our CAM package, BobCAD. Them we create gcode and machine. Just letting you know, you don't necesarily need to go through inventor.

As to how we get our logo as a dwg, I'm afraid I can't be of much help.

[inventor_phild]

All,

This is an example of identifying the function of the data output. In this case it appears that it is machining a logo, so a DWG or DXF will meet the needs of the CNC machine shop.

Inventor could be used, but as highlighted by msimon785, the source software of the image can output as DWG or DXF.

Good discussion.