Homebrew PCBs

Check out KellyCAM and Mach 3 at ArtSoft.

I know that Mach 3 will load DXF files and cut them but only certain 
linetypes.

Hugh

pork_u_pine2000 wrote:
> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "gus_452000" <angus@...> wrote:
>> Hi I have a nice simple homebrew PCB mill and it works very well, the 
>> problem is at present I scan the artwork onto my PC and redarw this 
>> with a CAD package (by hand!) save as a DXF file and then run it 
>> through ACEconverter which generates the G codes needed by the milling 
>> machine.
>> Does anyone know a simpler method of changing the artwork/layout say 
>> out of a book/magazine into the G codes?
>> I have tried WinTopo but this does not do it correctly as the machine 
>> simly does not follow the traces it simply goes back and forth doing a 
>> dot here and there until the whole artwork is done but in a very large 
>> amount of time.
>> So anyone know how to tyake simple artwork, scan change from BMP to 
>> DXF, to G codes in a better way than redrawing by hand?
>> many thanks 
>> regards
>> Gus M0IKB
>>
> 
> A while ago I looked for a good bitmap to vector conversion program
> but did not find anything that worked for me in the open source world.
>  My search was not exhaustive and I may have missed something.  
> 
> In the end it seemed worthwhile to upgrade an old copy of the Corel
> Draw Suite I owned just to get the Corel Trace module.  The graphics
> software world is very competitive so Corel's upgrade terms were very
> liberal (my old package was *ancient*).  I got all the other vector
> drawing, bitmap editor, lots of format conversion possibilities, etc.
> in the deal.
> 
> While I really prefer to use (& support) open source and small
> shareware vendors whenever possible, sometimes there is no really good
> alternative.
> 
> -- Dave
> 
> 
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