i could see some benefits of being able to tell the GFUI to place a cut line around any available pixels in a bitmap. jpgs would get a square or rectangle around them, PNGs would get cut lines around transparency areas. How the coding to make that happen would work, or if it even could work, is way beyond me though.
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I have to get to an appointment so haven’t read the entire thread so don’t know exactly what you are trying to do. But I have a very good image to vector converter and just have enough time to run your image thru it on the default settings before I head off.
Here is the result:
Mermaid 2.svg.zip (156.2 KB)
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Thank you. Do you mind me asking what you use?
Hi,
I’ve been reading this and working on my black belt illustrator too.
I don’t know what timtsuga uses but maybe you can work with vextractor like I do.
Regards,
Matt
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Thank you! I actually walked away and came back to it and after following jbv’s instructions I was able to figure it out!
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Vectric VCarve. It’s used primarily to produce GCode for CNC machining so it incorporates CAD vector design tools, capability to handle STL files, raster image registration and conversion to vectors, tool path generation and simulation to “view before you cut”. A very power software package. It always seems to “just work”, which is kind of unusual for software!!! 
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I have Vcarve! I actually started with my cnc but use the carvewright software now. The GF adds a nice touch to my carvings for personalization purposes.
I just had it barf some g-code for a Shopbot project (an oak cheese board with marble tile insert and pocketed cheese iconography) last night. I was doing a test run in MDF and when it went to pocket out around the personalization name the g-code dropped the mill through the MDF, through the waste board and almost into the aluminum t-track bed before I got it stopped. Checked the VCarve file and it was set to start at 0 (top surface) and go down .33" in 3 passes. Dunno what the problem was. Recalculated the paths and reran it with my fingers ready to hit the stop but it just zipped along fine.
But it wasn’t my $10/lf oak board it wasted. So good reinforcement to “test every design at least once”.
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Yikes. I always test mine with poplar since pine shreds too much for me to tell when I’m carving fine detail. I mostly make boxes and I carve the lids. I also make military plaques so nothing super difficult but it does require a lot of small details. My motor went out on my machine last week mid carve and ruined a $50 piece of wood. I was pretty upset.
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That is great news that you have VCarve!!!
I’m not familiar with Carvewright but would be interested in why you “abandoned” VCarve for Carvewright!
The cutting path simulator in VCarve is outstanding.
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I have never had a “runaway” happen with VCarve and with my current CNC machine, but have with other software and previous machines.
This usually happened when I was pushing the bit thru the wood at a really fast pace.
If you figure out what happened, I would like to know. As you know it is really scary to have a 24,000 rpm router try and escape the confines of a garage!
Did you run that file thru the simulator and see if it worked before you ran it?
I have read that ShopBot’s electronics are prone to interference. Don’t know it that is true, but could that be the cause of your runaway?
Why kind of projects do your carve? I will attach a photo of my next project. Probably should have used the photo output from VCarve instead of just shooting my monitor screen with my iPhone camera.
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Yeah. Fortunately it’s got the enclosure so if a mill ever snaps it’s going to get stopped (or slowed down). I always run the simulator because I almost always have to switch dimensions - I’ll test in 1/2" MDF but run for real in 1" (3/4") oak or maple. I also like being able to grab a screencap of the result so I can stash it with the design file on the PC so I know what it should look like when I’m viewing the directory.
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