Simple vector paths in AutoCAD :How TO

[sirsumm]

I thought I would share with you how I am using AuoCAD with the Designer software. So here is what is required...AutoCAD(or any cad package capeable of creating a .DWG format), Adobe Illustrator, ai2mpc(allcw.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?p=860), and of course Designer.

First come up with a 2d scale drawing in AutoCAD.(see pic #1)

Next open the pic in Adobe Illustrator, and save as an Illustrator 8 file.(see pic #2) It is helpful to save the .ai file you just created in the same directory that you have the ai2mpc program saved.

Now comes the tricky part for people not DOS savvy. You need to get into the command line (Start, run, CMD). Navigate to the ai2mpc directory and type in the following command ai2mpc (yourfilename).ai (yourfilename).mpc. (see pic #3)

If you have done all of this correctly, you should be able to open the file in designer to the correct scale. (see pic #4) (as you can see in this example, I did not set my scale correctly, I intended to make two 9" boards and glue them together, so it will not fit as an 18" board in designer.)

Now all you have to do is assign a tool and depth to the paths, I can't seem to use the cut path feature when I create vectors this way, so you have to take into consideration the tool diameter when creating the original drawing. (see pic#4) The center of the tip of the tool will follow the paths exactly rather than offset like the cut path option does.

Hope this helps, it works for me.

Jason