Hi Colin, also do you happen to know what particular software they are using to read in the DXF files?

- Michael

Hi Colin

Line & Arc is the best output in 2d DXF for 2d CNC (ie laser). Splines should be avoided unless you have talked with your cutting services and the tell you that they can work with splines.

If they can take a dxf file with splines, it probably gets converted to lines and arcs before it goes to the cnc machine. Even now, very few CNC machines process spline toolpaths.

You can open the dxf with lines and arcs file that you make to compare it to the original to see how the conversion went. If you don't generate the dxf with lines and arcs yourself, you always run the risk of ending up with something that does not match what you started with. Thats because the spline to arc conversion typically needs some type of tolerance value or "optimization", and this can differ between various applications.

Thanks Michael & Chris,

Micheal, the Laser Cutting mob isn't back until the middle of January, so I'll find out more from them then.
In between, I'll put some test samples together from MoI, in preparation to see which works better for them.

After nearly a 20yr retirement, I've returned to building some Tattoo Machines again.
Because I've designed all the model & it's components using MoI, obviously I'd prefer to use MoI for their DXF files too.

http://colincreedtattoomachines.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/machine-buildinga-new-phase.html

I'm currently in the process of finishing off the prototype for what's going to be an Aussie Tattoo Legends Tribute Machine.
Decided to built a complete 3D model so I could then do some renders & show the 70yr old gentleman concerned.
Here's one of those renders, as well as two different stages of the prototype Frame which was laser cut in mild steel.

regards Colin

Hi Colin, that's cool that you're "unretiring" !

> http://colincreedtattoomachines.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/machine-buildinga-new-phase.html

Cool sequence there showing the design and rendering and physical end result!

- Michael

nice work Colin