Ptownkid said:
Has anybody actually had the DXF export work?
When you say "export" that's an extra cost option from FPD. If you mean import, not successfully. I've spent hours trying permutations and gotten nerve-rackingly close, but no cigar. I'm having extreme troubles getting illustrator DXF exports to come into FPD on the Mac. If I shrink the incoming DXF to the size I want it, the outlines just don't appear in FPD, they disappear. I'm sure if FPD could read EPS (Illustrator's native format) it would not be a problem, but DXF is a very cludgey format at this point, it's ancient. Everyone except FPD understands postscript!
The command in FPD for import I'm using is "Insert/Free Contour". Is there any other?
If the drawing is about 2-3 times the intended size (hundreds to thousands of mm. large) then it will show up as outlines in FPD. I've tried all kinds of options in Illustrator, stroke, fill, you name it, to no avail. FPD does seem to want an outlined object (for example, a rectangle( that's at least a few points wide. The fill in Illustrator doesn't seem to matter, only the outline. The size of the stroke doesn't seem to matter, only the size of the object. But no matter what size I start with and no matter what scaling I choose to use on the export or import side, as soon as it comes close to the intended size in FPD---the outlines disappear. When I get close (300% though I want about 100%) and if I set the FPD chisel to 1 mm., I can still see the outlines in FPD's preview, but if I shrink it further in the preview window or in the FPD main window, the outlines disappear! This is for a simple volume control hashing. The text outlines in Illustrator aren't importing at all, FPD doesn't accept them but I'll live with the hash marks and insert my own numbers. If anyone has any success with this, please report.
It seems that Corel Draw (PC only) may be the only way to get legit DXF into FPD.
Thanks,
BK
