Creating Scroll Saw Patterns using CorelDraw X5

[sjwilson57]

I have CorelDraw X5. It does a great job creating vector drawing from bitmaps with just a button click, but what I want to do is make the open areas that one would cutout on a scroll saw as the carve region within Carvewright designer.

Example. I imported a scroll saw pattern into CorelDraw. I then select trace image (line art), it traces nicely, but I need the areas that get cut out as the traced segments so that when it is imported as a DFX into Designer, I can make a pierced cut out. Currently the parts that I don't want cut out are selected in Designer.

I hope this is clearer than mud.

Has anyone created scroll saw patterns using CorelDraw?

Thanks,

Steve

[bergerud]

Can you post an example?

[mtylerfl]

I have CorelDraw X5. It does a great job creating vector drawing from bitmaps with just a button click, but what I want to do is make the open areas that one would cutout on a scroll saw as the carve region within Carvewright designer.

Example. I imported a scroll saw pattern into CorelDraw. I then select trace image (line art), it traces nicely, but I need the areas that get cut out as the traced segments so that when it is imported as a DFX into Designer, I can make a pierced cut out. Currently the parts that I don't want cut out are selected in Designer.

I hope this is clearer than mud.

Has anyone created scroll saw patterns using CorelDraw?

Thanks,

Steve

Hi Steve,

I'll share a little trick with you that I have used frequently when tracing drawings that have "voids"...

First, I print out the drawing if it is one I didn't create myself.
Second, I manually (and carefully) color in the "void" areas with a Black Sharpie marker
Third, I scan my colored drawing with my flatbed scanner and save it as either a TIF or PNG filetype
Fourth, I import it into CorelDRAW and use the auto-trace, cleaning up any goofy vectors (i.e. node edit)
Fifth, I export the result as DXF for use with CarveWright software or EPS for use with other software.

This method is a simple way to fairly easily "vectorize" the "void" areas you want to cut out (with a scrollsaw or CNC).