I have been trying to process a coloring book drawing jpeg  of Arial the mermaid

From what I have been reading in various threads is to use a cad program to DXF or DWG then to Lcam
and then to generate gcode.  Lcam has import for jpg or bmp but when I try to load it asks to v drill
or raster or image trace/raster. choosing the last option seems the only one that even looks like the drawing.
Now when I generate the gcode to Mach looks like a straight line.

Is there a way of bringing in the jpg to Lcam and adjusting it and then creating gcode for Mach

I have been reading everything I can and might be missing something.
Andy help is appreciated.

dragon

jpg import into l-cam is pretty much a waste of time no future there. look for the free inkscape download,get a copy of that. scan your drawing in the tiff file format,works pretty good.
turn the tiff into a dxf then import into l-cam. when you turn it into a dxf save it as ver-12 dxf it works better with l-cam. good luck!

bill

Dragon,
 You will not find any info on importing a picture into LazyCam in the manual because it is not covered.
There are ways of doing conversions, all of which leave much to be deisired in my opinion.

You can bring the picture into CAD and draw over it and then export the dwg out as a DXF. It's fast amd is
my preferred method. You can also use Copycat ( there is a manual for it in the Members Docs ) and it will generate the Gcode but requires a web camera and a license.

I would stick with tracing it in CAD and exporting it. This way you have full control over the outcome.

RICH

I opened the jpeg and changed it to a tiff.  Then imort it to inkscape. Path to trace bitmap. save the new image as DXF.
can't find a DXF ver12 option.  I tried to open in Lcam and get a couple little colored squares and then Freezes up
I have also tried with solidedge 2D but when I open it in Lcam I get the comments areas and no drwing.
I have just saved as SVG and tried to open with Lcam and It actually made the drawing and looks sort of the way I
think it should. Now post the gcode. When I open it in Mach I get some lines of code and a dot in centre of screen.
Run code and stops at N25 M23   Then run again and takes all of 1/2 a second to run  Code looks like this
N5 (File Name = Arial to Gcode22 on Tuesday, October 20, 2009)
N10 (Default Mill Post)
N15  G91.1
N20 G0  Z1.0000
N25 M3
N30  X214.0435  Y-837.8944
N35  Z0.1000
N40 G1  Z0.0000  F60.00
N45  X205.7770  Y-826.2947   
N50  X198.4865  Y-814.1104   
N55  X185.3445  Y-814.9769   
N60  X174.6621  Y-810.6772   
N65  X166.8946  Y-808.6840   
N70  X166.8106  Y-790.5737   
N75  X160.7762  Y-805.3282   
N80  X151.7482  Y-812.6604   
N85  X160.3540  Y-828.3821   
N90  X170.4164  Y-826.4590   
N95  X178.7603  Y-819.4200   
N100  X196.7063  Y-833.0103   
N105  X191.0817  Y-840.5558   
N110  X187.5466  Y-826.9887   
N115  X174.3452  Y-829.7004   
N120  X165.2389  Y-830.2530   
N125  X154.8555  Y-825.4159   
N130  X168.9876  Y-835.3786   
N135  X173.1294  Y-836.2745   
N140  X183.4583  Y-841.4343   
N145  X186.0235  Y-857.2973   
N150  X184.0402  Y-869.1853   
N155  X180.4634  Y-864.2923   
N160  X182.4872  Y-847.0793   
N165  X174.4688  Y-841.0860   
N170  X168.4485  Y-837.5550   
N175  X159.6266  Y-827.5041   
N180  X162.1617  Y-842.8182   
N185  X162.1883  Y-851.1288   
N190  X147.1162  Y-862.5991   
N195  X156.5106  Y-867.5166   
N200  X165.5293  Y-872.9882   
N205  X167.2250  Y-887.7918   
N210  X165.9957  Y-898.2693   
N215  X165.4791  Y-907.7336   
N220  X167.9883  Y-925.0697   
N225  X164.9581  Y-928.6828   
N230  X165.1872  Y-928.4846   
N235  X166.7999  Y-927.3085   
N240  Y-927.3086   
N245  X49.0271  Y-928.4633   
N250  X41.0637  Y-927.6776   
I may be doing something wrong.??
I am only trying to dry run in Mach no Machine setup.
When I bring in the roadrunner it looks like the roadrunner.
Any ideas
Thanks

I have been trying some more and still cannot bring a dxf into Lcam properly
I import a Gif or jpg into Inkscape and trace to edges on a couple different images.
Lcam
11:48:17 --- Loading file entities
11:48:20 --- Loading complete
11:48:20 --- Applying options filters
11:48:20 --- Duplicate entity removal

Now Lcam is frozen again. this happens most of the time.
I have even gone as far as reinstalling Lcam.
Must be an easy way as I am sure others have done similar to what I would like to do.
I will keep plugging along, Don;t want to give up.

The coloring book images are various types jpg, bmp and gif
I downloaded them for my Grandaughter to color from coloring book sites.
She is into the mermaid s and gson is into Cars. I like Doc Hudson
Thought a couple would look good as a plaque

Post the JPEG image and also the DXF file of that image.

Don't know anything about Inkedge or have ever used it. Most raster to vector image conversion programs, suck, that's just my opinion. As DXF's go, have a look at the LazyTurn manual Appendix "C" as that will give you some insight into why a version 12 DXF. They are not all created equaly.!

If you want to a workable DXF see the Manual for LazyCam as i have posted them there and they are used for the tutorials.

RICH

Dragon

upload your dxf so we can take a look at it.  bet it is a pretty large file. dont believe l-cam is locking up. it is just having a hard time trying to swallow it.
when doing a file in this manner it generates excessive amounts of entities. if you wait long enough it might load. post the file.

bill

I waited for awhile as the chains were developing in Lcam and it processed quite a few and then it froze.
Saw a large rectangle on the screen. waited @ 5 more minutes and just shut it down.
That was last night.
Here is a jpg of the mermaid and a DXF as well.
When I view the DXF in solidworks viewer it looks a bit like it should.
Have tried a couple different  jpg gif tif

I used to have Adobe photoshop and was able to find edges etc quite well in that but after a system rebuild I lost it and can't find the disc now.
Have tried coreldraw 10 but I don't think I am using it correctly as it is new to me.

OWMBO (one who must be obeyed) says I am on the cmptr too much lately and the painting is not getting done (snicker)

So if you fellows can figure it out and send me in a better direction I will be quite happy.

Forgot a DXF
Have 2 they are different sizes
Thanks

Dragon

i forgot that inkscape does not save as v12 it saves as its own v13. to get it as a usable v12 that works with l-cam i filter it through cambam. download the free version.
just open the file with camban then export to dxf. then it will load in l-cam where you can work with it. attached is your arial dxf that i filtered with cambam. l-cam has a good bit of power but not much polish.
so you have to put some effort into the dxf. attached is trace2 file that i did from your jpg to inkscape to cambam to dxf. trace3 is a dxf generated from filtering trace2 through cadstd lite to make a better dxf.

bill