Lightobject.com Support Forum

I've got some artwork created in Adobe Illustrator CC2014 and saved as a .AI file. It was created in RGB colorspace with a 2-inch square artboard.
It has three types of objects on it:

- rectangular and circle shapes in RGB red at 0.01pt line width to be cut out
- graphics and text converted to outlines in RGB black to be engraved
- template and layout guide marks in RGB green and blue to be ignored.

When I save the file as a .AI file (non-compressed) and File->Import it into LaserSoft (installed with Illustrator CC2014 present), nothing shows up at all. The import dialog says there's no data to import.

Any idea what I've missed?

Thanks

-Bob

Save it in Illustrator version V8.0 and give it a try

Marco
(in Japan)

Tech_Marco wrote:Save it in Illustrator version V8.0 and give it a try

Marco
(in Japan)

I don't know how to acquire Illustrator 8.0 or even get it running on a modern computer since it's 20 years old.

I'm sort of puzzled since the LaserSoft documentation lists CS6 and Creative Cloud 2014 as the supported versions of Adobe Illustrator (which are 16.0 and 18.0, respectively) The version I installed for LaserSoft was CC2014. I will try CS6, which is the oldest version of Illustrator that is available anymore.

One thing I did try is saving it in Illustrator CC2014 as a SVG file, which Lasersoft actually did import, but the objects came in as only one layer and had some misaligned elements. Importing an SVG also seems to ignore the 2x2 inch original size if i use the download function to run it locally on the cutter, enlarging the image to fit the entire Z-table.

When you save the file, it allows you to select version to save as , choose very 8.0 is the most stable for most laser controller. We are working with then programmer and hope to get one out to support more update Illustrator.

Marco

Tech_Marco wrote:When you save the file, it allows you to select version to save as , choose very 8.0 is the most stable for most laser controller. We are working with then programmer and hope to get one out to support more update Illustrator.

Marco

Thanks Marco. CC2014 doesn't have an option to SaveAs an older version, maybe CS6 does. I'll try it this evening now that CS6 should be done installing.

PS. I did notice one glitch with the latest LaserSoft release that after installation, the default language was Chinese. I don't have the fonts installed, so it looked a bit amusing. The documentation helped me know where the language setting was in the Help menu to switch it to English, so that's all good.

If ou chosen English and it still showing Chinese. I found that it was caused by the window security. What you need to do is to copy the English language from the installation folder and paste it into the folder that you installed will fix it. It happened not only to Lasersoft but to the LaserCad and Raycam as well.

Marco

I found how to save it as a version 8.0 AI file. It does import but I only get one layer, with everything...black engraving shapes and red cut lines merged together.

I decided to try engraving it anyway as a further test. I set the power on that layer to 40% and clicked start. The laser power on the T9 LCD changes from 80%/80% to 0%/0% while the job is running from the laptop, and it doesn't even make a mark.

Marco, I've saved the .AI from several different versions of Illustrator, saving them in Illustrator 8 format. It's better, but not giving the right results.

The test .AI file has three layers: one for cut lines in red, a second for engrave shapes in black, and a third for positioning guides in blue. Only the red and black layers are intended to enabled in a laser job. This test object is supposed to produce a rectangle shape with a smaller rectangular hole, and a 3mm and 6mm diameter hole, and engraved labels and graphics. I've attached the Illustrator 8 format version if you (or the developers) want to see if you have better luck importing it.

Importing it into LightObject 7.21.9, everything gets collapsed into a single CUT layer. Also, the black fill color isn't translating...it only shows the border on all the converted fonts and the graphic. I'm expecting three layers - an engrave layer to run at a lower power to create the graphic design in relief, the second layer that I can do a multi-pass higher-power cut, and the third guide layer that I can disable in the LightObject application.

Any ideas?

Thanks

-Bob

Bob

Currently I am taking a business trip ( and vacation) to Japan and Hong Kong. So, I can run the file for you. I will forward to your case to my assistant " Master Will" to handle your case.

I will visit the manufacturer in mid July and your case will be in the agenda. We are trying to add and polish some features to make the T9 better

Thank you for your patience with us!


Marco
(In Taiwan)

Hi Marco. Wondering how the meetings went and if you had any luck getting my file to work. I'm really anxious to get going on my projects.

On a whim I tried uploading the project into the T9's memory and running it from the front panel. The results were very odd....

1. Instead of being just a couple inches square, the image the laser traced was enlarged to most of the bed - maybe 6-7 inches.
2. The laser power level got automatically set to zero

So it just went through the motions.

I did a second test after setting the laser power in the T9 menu to manual 30%

1. The laser did fire, and the image was greatly enlarged.
2. On the line art portions, it did a one-pass engraving of just the outline of the graphics, but didn't fill it in like it should
3. On the text portions (Text fonts converted to paths) it actually attempted (and sometimes succeeded) to cut out the letters with multiple passes.
4. The path of the numeral zero (0) came out consistently distorted.
5. The portions where it's supposed to have been cut out (round and elliptical holes) didn't do anything at all.

So it seemed to me that although the Lasersoft didn't create layers for each color in the Illustrator file, when uploaded to the T9 the controller seemed to have interpreted some paths as cuts and others as engraving. Just not the ones I expected and the fill is ignored. There are some paths that don't get interpreted correctly (those zeros).

Then there's a scaling issue. It could be that the M415B's are configured wrong. They are set exactly as they arrived in the T9 kit: UUUddU. The steppers in the engraver are 42BHM34-060-16 on the x axis and ??BHM39-100-22D on the Y (the first two characters are scraped away).

I'll try to scan the erroneous results and post it here.

Did you ever get this figured out?

Bump