Hey all! I have an SVG file that is a plain hexagon that I want to cut out. When I load it into the program it says bitmap files can only be engraved but it is saved as an SVG. Help!
THanks!
Your hexagon must be a bitmap image. Only vector images can be cut or scored.
Try going through the tutorials that popped up when you finished your setup (https://glowforge.com/support/topic/first-three-prints/welcome-to-the-glowforge-app-and-your-first-prints) – they’ll help you with the basics and prevent a lot of frustration as you go forward!
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I have tried it that way. Still only lets me engrave. I have tried PNG, SVG, PDF nothing works to cut.
PNG is a bitmap format. SVG and PDF are container files – they can contain either bitmap or vector images. Your hexagon is a bitmap, so it’s not going to cut no matter what kind of file you put it in.
Like I said, take some time to go through the tutorials; they’ll help you understand the concepts you need for using your GF.
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I Have done those before. And I have used it a bunch to cut. It just seems to being acting stupid now. I need to get this cut and i am ready to toss it out a window. I just need a dang hexagon lol
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how the hell. mine saved in the exact same format!
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Like I said…SVG is just a container format. What’s inside can still be a bitmap.
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It may help to think of it as a language. Bitmap is French and vector is Chinese. SVG is a book that may contain pages in both French and Chinese, together or separately.
In your case, the program that was used to develop the hexagon encoded the shape data as a bitmap, similar to the pixels on your screen, where the image is a color and position for each bit, or dot, in the image. A vector image is encoded as length and direction. This means that the laser can get direction and distance information from a vector but not from a bitmap.
You will need to look into the program that was used to develop the shape to determine if it can create vector images or only bitmap.
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Also, you’re welcome. 
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Thanks, @geek2nurse, for the help here! And thanks @ben1 for the great explanation. I hope this helped you get cutting. For just a little more clarity, in order to be used for something other than engraving, the SVG or PDF file needs to contain lines called “strokes”, which are turned into cuts. If your original SVG hexagon did not include strokes, you would not have seen the option to cut.
Since it looks like you were able to get help for this, I’m going to close this thread now. If you run into any other trouble, please start a new thread or email us at support@glowforge.com.