Hi Everyone,

I am posting this question here in another thread, since this seems to be a somewhat different topic than before. Hope I am going about this correctly =)

Earlier I asked about extruding cartoons and hand-drawn images in MoI. Many wonderful contributions, but somewhere along the lines, I missed out on the basic steps of how to get MoI usable files such as EPS. I'm still learning MoI. I know how to extrude MoI created solids but am unsure about how to handle "outside created" stuff.

Can someone help explain step-by-step, or link me, to a summary of how to get MoI supported files to extrude?

-Brent (OCGee)

I am not sure to understand the question :)
Just File / import/ example.pdf inside Moi
You obtain some lines curves (here very simple indeed)
Just select it and extrude it as you want (Distance, Dir, Path)
or any functions

Hi Brent, do you have an example EPS file that you could post? Then I can show you some steps for how to work with that particular file.

- Michael

Brent.
(following on from your other thread about what I did about Steves bird)
Basically it was much like making the pdf file as suggested using that WinTop programme.
With Steves image I increased contrast in Photoshop and then in Illustrator did a Live Trace, saving that as the pdf for MoI.
I am lucky to be given usage of the whole top of the line AdobeCS3 Suite--very spoilt!

Here a tiger format PDF from example inside Inkscape

The same in Moi after a simple extrude

Of course if you want the real volume you must select each curves between them and make some different extrude loft blend etc...

Hello Michael, Frenchy and Brian. Cool, I get it now for PDF files! Thanks gang.

Frenchy's I used your nice Tiger PDF and pulled an awesome extrusion. I'm still giddy and dizzy with joy.

Michael, my EPS files didn't seem to show up at all in MoI. I'll gladly take you up on your offer at a later time. First, I'll recheck my files to make sure all is well on that side. Second, I may need to have a smaller file 'cause my EPS file was well over 24 MB. . . Also, have to get back to regular teacher life (busy, busy grading papers and all.)

Thanks everyone, you are the coolest bunch! Look forward to talking to you next weekend. Will even post a few successful efforts for those interested. Until later. Best wishes and take care!

-Brent, fan and friend.

Hi Brent, EPS files can be more difficult for MoI to read - to really do a fully proper job of reading them requires doing a full implementation of the Postscript programming language. MoI doesn't do that and instead just tries to grab out some of the most common things from them.

If you can use PDF or AI files instead of EPS, those tend to be more reliable because their content is narrowed down to a more set structure rather than just being potentially a bunch of Postscript program code which can be inside of EPS.

But if you can send me an example EPS file that does not work, I may be able to tune things up to handle it. You can e-mail that to me at moi@moi3d.com, but it would be nice if you could create an example smaller than 24 MB?

Also one other thing is that it is possible for an EPS (or PDF too) to contain within it pixel bitmap data instead of vector outline curves. MoI will only read vector curve data from these types of files.

- Michael

It's why I suggest support SVG as well.

All moi would care about in a SVG is <path> elements.... :)

Hi Crusoe, I definitely will get to SVG at some point, I'm not quite sure exactly when. Probably I'll do an exporter first, importers are always much more difficult than exporters.

- Michael