If I have a complex vector graphic, but I just want the GF to cut it out… if I set it to cut, will it try to cut anywhere there is a path, or will it just cut the image out?
For example, if I had a vector of mickey mouse - with his eyes, face, etc… but all I wanted to cut out of the piece of wood was the shape of him, with his ears, face, body, etc… but nothing else… is that something I would do in the GFUI or in my vector program?
If I had to do it in the vector program, would I turn stroke and fill both to the same color and then just hit CUT in the GFUI?
I’m on my phone right now but almost sure someone has. Most likely @Jules, anyway look in the hints and tips section. There is a matrix there of good tutorials.
When you are working with vectors - any path that has a stroke color assigned to it will be cut. (Or scored if you change it to Score in the GFUI.)
What you want to do is create just one path that runs around the outside of all of the shapes and ignores the interior paths, right?
For that, you would select everything, give the parts the same fill color and stroke color, and then merge the shapes together. (There are tutorials in the Matrix for doing that in whichever drawing program you are using - line 43 here: Matrix 2D Design Tutorials.)
Then you can remove the fill color, and you are left with the outline as a stroke, and that will cut around the edges of the shape without cutting out shapes on the inside.
If you want to use the inside shapes for engraving, make a copy before you join them, and just line the outline up around it when you’re done.
You could print out the graphic on paper and outline it with a good black marker. The Glowforge can trace around that after you put it into the bed and scan it.
@ntl, it’s been a little while since I’ve heard back from you. I hope that’s because everything worked out! If not, just let me know and we’ll get it solved.
