Front Panel Designer Woes.. help?

SO.. of the 4 GSSLs I am making right now, 1 (possibly 2) are going to be made to look as original as possible. for my on use.

So here is the dilemma. the 2 logos that are in-filled on the original (because they are silk screened) are comming out as outlined in FPD.

I imported a big full picture of the whole Xlogic unit into CorelDraw. overwhich I re-drew the logos and other graphics. Looks great in Corel, (the "X" of XLogic is close enough but not on the money.. and the font of "COMPRESSOR) is a little different, but most will not notice.

Original S_S_L logo



that logo in FPD


original X_LOGIC logo



that logo in FPD



So How can i get these to be Filled-In like the original? do i have to do it some othe way in Corel?



(Also having issues with Corel 10 not having an Arial font....can anyone help with providing one?)

You must use the "Contour" "To center" function.
I once have translated the Schaeffer howto, which describes this:
http://www.nrgrecording.de/html/schaeffer.html (Scroll down to the end)

Great. I should have looked there.. the mecca of Front Panel land...


one thing.. i have heard that there are problems in any other version other than Corel 8. i am using version 10.

i have been frustrated, so i have started trying it in Adobe Illustrator 10. At least Illustrator has Arial fonts... i wonder how i will be able to expor from Illustrator to Corel to FPD.. hmm well lots of Save-As and Exports until iget it right.

like Steffen was once told. If it looks great in FPD it will look great in real life.

i just have to pull out half of my hair to get to that point.. :grin:

I usually do the basic design in InDesign, then export as .eps to corel 10 then export as .plt to front panel designer. This works quite well, as described on Frank's webpage. I use corel to fill the shapes and fonts using the contour 'to center' function as well, no problems.

I think you'd get better results, if you convert your original scans directly to a vector graphics format, instead of "rebuilding" it with replacement fonts.

Is there anything that will allow me to import a .fpd (other than Front Panel designer) so that I can just take the scales from one of those that are already posted on Franks site?

[quote author="BladeSG"]Is there anything that will allow me to import a .fpd (other than Front Panel designer) so that I can just take the scales from one of those that are already posted on Franks site?[/quote]

I don't think so, but you can use the wonderful scale making software here to make your own scales and import them into whatever software you're using:

http://stiftsbogtrykkeriet.dk/~mcs/Scale.html

I've done all of my panels using this software and it works perfectly.

Cheers,
--
Don

[quote author="BladeSG"]Is there anything that will allow me to import a .fpd (other than Front Panel designer) so that I can just take the scales from one of those that are already posted on Franks site?[/quote]

Here is a Gyraf adapted version of Gyraf GSSL.
The scales and labels are exactly like the real McCoy...
The file is an AutoCAD 2000 DXF file, i guess you can import it in corel.
The distance between rotative switch holes is 49mm (i hope it should work)

dxf file: www.studio21.ch/diy/forumfiles/gssl.dxf
pdf file: www.studio21.ch/diy/forumfiles/gssl.pdf

the meter hole fits the Sifam PPM-14 and the compressor (in/out) switch is a EAO 01 Series and scales fits 15mm knobs.

I hope it helps...

Hey Neeno,

i tried opening the dxf file, but it translated all crazy (the Dot-Sclaes were very far offest from the words they wnet with..) i will try again and attempt to re allign the dot-scales....


will post the file when done. (making true original with Autofade)


Nenno. any pics of this GSSL that you have made?

Hey Neeno.. do you have the Arial Font.. or whichever fonts you used. could you email them to me in a ZIP or SIT file?

[quote author="quadwould"]Hey Neeno,

i tried opening the dxf file, but it translated all crazy (the Dot-Sclaes were very far offest from the words they wnet with..) i will try again and attempt to re allign the dot-scales....


will post the file when done. (making true original with Autofade)


Nenno. any pics of this GSSL that you have made?[/quote]

Hi quadwould, the DXF should look exactly like the PDF file.
Wich program did you used to open/import it ?

Here you can download the Arial.ttf font:
http://www.webpagepublicity.com/free-fonts/a/Arial.ttf

Sorry, but no pictures yet... :sad:

Thanks idylldon and Neeno. I'll give it a go.

using Corel Draw 10. does not look the same.

importing the dxf and trying Automatic, Metric, and Engllish measurement scaling options..... doesnt work. (always importing curves as curves. should i import as lines?)


i think Corel Draw 10 has issues with Arial.... (but i dont have Corel Draw8 in which it is ok.)
also i cannot seem to find where the Corel Font library is. i do already have Arial fonts in the system folder... and i thought that Corel found those specifically through the use of Bitstream (a font manager/finder).. maybe i am wrong

btw..
original ssl font is not Arial .. it's Optima

[quote author="BladeSG"]Is there anything that will allow me to import a .fpd (other than Front Panel designer) so that I can just take the scales from one of those that are already posted on Franks site?[/quote]

Install a Apple Laserprinter II printer and enable printing to a file.
Install the Front Panel designer, open the fpd and print to the Apple printer. Then it asks you to save a file. This file is a postscript file and can be imported in most of the vector graphic programs (CorelDraw, Illustrator, Freehand).

Kruz.
Indeed you are right.. at least for the XLogic and the Soild_State_Logic bits.... Optima Bold Italic for the XLogic and just plain Bold for the S_S_L
Optima Reg for "G S E R I E S" and "C O M P R E S S O R"... Note the single spaces inbetween each of the leters in those 2. Tricky move SSL Graphic Design Guys.....

I will post the logos if any one is interested.

It seems that they did the layout in Adobe Illustrator.

the Arial font is for the controls. (THRESHOLD, RATIO etc...) i tried every other font (with a very large picture of the Original unit below) and Arial fits over the letters the best.

[quote author="Michael Krusch"][quote author="BladeSG"]Is there anything that will allow me to import a .fpd (other than Front Panel designer) so that I can just take the scales from one of those that are already posted on Franks site?[/quote]

Install a Apple Laserprinter II printer and enable printing to a file.
Install the Front Panel designer, open the fpd and print to the Apple printer. Then it asks you to save a file. This file is a postscript file and can be imported in most of the vector graphic programs (CorelDraw, Illustrator, Freehand).[/quote]

Thanks for that Micheal.

I'm assuming that the Apple laserprinter II is software.....?

@quadwould- Sorry for the hijack

[quote author="Michael Krusch"][quote author="BladeSG"]Is there anything that will allow me to import a .fpd (other than Front Panel designer) so that I can just take the scales from one of those that are already posted on Franks site?[/quote]

Install a Apple Laserprinter II printer and enable printing to a file.
Install the Front Panel designer, open the fpd and print to the Apple printer. Then it asks you to save a file. This file is a postscript file and can be imported in most of the vector graphic programs (CorelDraw, Illustrator, Freehand).[/quote]

Same goes for the PC.Add printer/local/use the following port:FILErint to file/choose HP laser Jet 4/4PS...Corel works(import).

Blade,

No worries mate.


this is the FPD Woes thread. So anyone can post anything about FPD in here.

this information (although based around the subgect of the G_S_S_L design, can be applied to any design work. and from what i have learned in the past 2 days i will definately be refering to for future designs.

[quote author="BladeSG"]

Thanks for that Micheal.

I'm assuming that the Apple laserprinter II is software.....?

@quadwould- Sorry for the hijack[/quote]

Yes, only the driver, no printer needed. :grin:

Thanks Michael, I give that a go t'row.