Digital technologies/Laser cutting/Vector graphics- Intermediate
This article is a continuation of the 'Basics of Vector Graphics' article, which demonstrated how to use Inkscape, a vector graphics editor, to prepare your files before using the laser cutters in the Makerspace.
In 'Vector Graphics Intermediate', you will discover other features of Inkscape that can enhance your design and inspire fresh ideas for your projects.
This can range from using extensions, which are premade features that can be easily incorporated into your design with minimum editing required, or even individually making changes to a design using the node tool.
Inkscape is a limitless platform, and this article aims to help you find these features that are mostly left unused but could bring your design to another level.
Extensions[1] built into Inkscape can make designing easier and add more functionality to the software. There are a diverse number of extensions available in Inkscape for various purposes. For example, if you want to create something round or curved, you can use the Living Hinge extension. An example is shown below:
They can be accessed easily from the Extension toolbar, shown in the picture below, while other extensions created by the Inkscape community can easily be downloaded from Inkscape extension gallery online, here.
Installing an extension
To install an extension, follow the following steps:
1.Download and unpack the archive file from the website
2.Determine the location where to copy these files:
In Inkscape: Edit->Preferences-> System: User Extensions
3.Locate this path on your computer and copy the two files from the download (.inx and .py files)
4.Restart Inkscape, and you should now be able to access it from the Extensions on the toolbar
Extensions in Inkscape
Once downloaded, you can find the extensions in Inkscape, available to use in different projects. A commonly used extension is the living hinge.
Living hinges
A living hinge is a flexible part of an object that allows movement between two segments. It can be attained by creating a series of thin lines that are cut, hence enabling the object to bend without breaking. Instead of creating several lines to be vectored, which can be time-consuming, you can use the available Inkscape extension by going to Extension->Render->Living hinge.
Other extensions
More extensions are available for download here.They range from laser-cut boxes, jigsaws, shapes, gears, calendars and much more.
The node tool allows free manipulation of an object and the elements it comprises of. It is a powerful tool that can adjust individual nodes of an object instead of the object as a whole. The following video will show how the node tool work and its usefulness when designing.
Color of different parts of a design is another factor which contributes to a darker or a lighter engraving. When creating a design, you can use the Fill feature in Inkscape to add color to your design.
Using darker colors such as black will result in a darker and deeper image once rastered compared to using lighter colors. An example is shown below:
The above design comprises of the same text filled with 4 different colors, once rastered, the result obtained is shown below:
The darker colors resulted in a darker engraving compared to the last one, which had a lighter fill. Therefore, for a darker engraving, it is generally recommended to use black as the design color. Another thing to notice is how the first three texts have practically no difference compared to the last one. Since these three had a darker color, they resulted in a similar outcome. It is essential to choose colors that are very different in shade instead of color, for example, black and white, for designs involving a lot of features, to obtain a well-defined image with a good contrast once rastered. Designs that have a lot of details, for example, maps, would require a good contrast to be seen clearly, hence the need to use colors that are very different in shading.
Instead of creating similar shapes repetitively, hence creating a pattern from scratch, you can use the pattern feature found in Inkscape, thus saving you time and contributing to a more refined design.
- Once your design created, navigate to Fill and Stroke->Fill and select the pattern icon (surrounded in yellow in the picture shown below).
Moreover, you can also make a pattern using your preferred images instead of the ones available on Inkscape. To do so, follow the steps below:
- Place the image you would like as a pattern on the canvas. You can also design your own object using the tools present in Inkscape.
- Click on the image, then navigate to Object->Pattern->Objects to Pattern. The pattern will be created and can be found when you go to fill or stroke style and navigate to the pattern icon.
Now, you can create your own patterns and make unique designs for your upcoming projects.
Filters can enhance simple shapes by adding realistic textures and giving more flair to your design. There are a good number of filters available on Inkscape, ranging from lizard skin to pearl effect. The following picture demonstrates where to access filters and some examples.
Customizing text[2]
Using the node tool, you can easily manipulate distinct letters of your text and vary their position, shape and color.
Once you have written something on the document, select the text and go to Path->Object to path and make sure the node tool, found below the Selector tool, on the left is chosen.
Then, you will be able to individually select the nodes present and make adjustments to the text. The following video, demonstrates how to use the node tool:
Put text on path
Instead of having a text on a straight line you can use make a path, and make your text follow that path.
- Draw a path and your text on the same document, select both and navigate to Text, found on the top line.
2.There, select, Put on Path
And your text will follow the path you drew:
Line offset
Dynamic offset for shape outlines
Dynamic offset in Inkscape allows you to offset a path or a shape creating an outline, a border or an inset. The following video demonstrates how to use Dynamic offset in Inkscape and the effect it brings to a design.
To be able to raster an image obtained online, it must first be converted into a Bitmap, that is, turning the image into a map of pixels that the laser head can follow for an engraving. The simpler the image, the better the results will be. There are different main types of detection modes, namely:
1.Brightness Cut-off:
The higher the threshold is, the fewer the number of pixels that will be considered to be “white”, and the image gets darker.
2.Edge Detection:
Produces a bitmap that will look less like the original image compared to Brightness Threshold but will provide curve information.
3.Color Quantization:
Find edges where colors change, even at equal brightness and contrast.
The following video explains how to use the Trace Bitmap feature in Inkscape and the different detection modes that can be employed.
The Trace Bitmap feature can be obtained either by right-clicking on the image and selecting Trace Bitmap, as shown in the video or by going to Path->Trace Bitmap:
Instead of designing something in Inkscape, you can also import a file from a CAD software.
If you are using Onshape, for example, right-click on the sketch and select export as DXF/DWG.
A dialog box will appear where you will be prompted to choose either DXF or DWG. In this example, DXF R14(Release 14) is chosen.
Click on Export once the format chosen.
Open the file on Inkscape, and the following prompt will appear:
Select Read from file to ensure that the design in Inkscape has the exact dimensions as the CAD design. Once this is done, you will be able to edit the stroke width of your design to specify if you want a cut or an engraving.
You can save the file as an SVG for any further editing and finally as a PDF when you are ready to send the file to a laser-cutter.
Alternatively, it is also possible to use an online DXF/DWG to SVG converter to convert a CAD file to an Inkscape-compatible file.
- For SolidWorks drawings, follow the steps in the video below:
- For Fusion 360 to Inkscape, follow the steps in the video below:
References
- ↑ https://www.tutkit.com/en/text-tutorials/6478-discover-the-advanced-features-in-inkscape
- ↑ https://inkscape.org/doc/tutorials/advanced/tutorial-advanced.html