Scan a shape from an image - is this possible?

[fractured]

I wondered if it was possible to create a shape from an image?

I would normally draw things out as best I can to allow me to edit the drawing but my thoughts are that sometimes the work involved in the drawing would be wasted if its a one-off item. My friend is into his music and as he is my "friendly mechanic" I would like to make him a badge/coaster with the logo of the bands he likes on them. It could possibly also allow me to try printing in two colours on my single model Prusa - I have watched a video that shows you can split the model on a particular layer and change to a different filament for the upper layers.

Thanks for your help.

Mick

I will add a couple of images showing what I want to use.

 

[ajlelectronics]

Yes, you just extrude the flat model to whatever height you wish, as long as you can get the image into your CAD program.

 

[tommullin]

you can probably do that in inkscape if you just want to get a dxf file for cad

https://inkscape.org/ is free

 

[Agroshield]

There is a jpg to svg converter here: https://convertio.co/jpg-svg/

There is an svg to stl converter here: https://svg2stl.com/

The first one at least seems to behave if you run it through them in succession.

 

[Johnnybravo]

Mastercam has a raster to vector converter that works pretty well for things like that.

 

[outofthefire]

I've just done your two images with inkscape, if they work they took less than 5 minutes

 

[Dev]

Lightburn has a brilliant image tracing tool, better than inkscapes in my experience.

 

[fractured]

Wow, thanks folks.

I will certainly look at downloading one of the software packages, though it looks light Lightburn is for laser cutters/engravers.

I have traced over photos before in AutoCAD but it takes a while and you end up editing it to get it right, so this has saved me hours.

You folks are so talented and kind - again my thanks!

I will see if I can get one to work now on the printer!!

 

[bigegg]

My "silhouette" vinyl cutter software will scan a bitmap drawing and convert it to a SVG for use in 3d modelling software.

The software is free, and will work without buying the vinyl cutter.

 

[Dev]

My "silhouette" vinyl cutter software will scan a bitmap drawing and convert it to a SVG for use in 3d modelling software.

The software is free, and will work without buying the vinyl cutter.

Their website says SVG export is only in the Business version, not free.

 

[julianthegypsy]

My "silhouette" vinyl cutter software will scan a bitmap drawing and convert it to a SVG for use in 3d modelling software.

The software is free, and will work without buying the vinyl cutter.

Would that work for scanning something 3mm thick? I've been given a weird bracket and asked to cut another one on the plasma table. It's a pig to measure so it would be brilliant if I could scan it into svg, or jpeg, or whatever that I could do a bitmap trace from in inkscape to dump into sheetcam

 

[bigegg]

Would that work for scanning something 3mm thick? I've been given a weird bracket and asked to cut another one on the plasma table. It's a pig to measure so it would be brilliant if I could scan it into svg, or jpeg, or whatever that I could do a bitmap trace from in inkscape to dump into sheetcam

I don't see why not

 

[bigegg]

Their website says SVG export is only in the Business version, not free.

Oh.
I must have bought the business version at some point - or I'm running an old version before the functionality was removed.

 

[Agroshield]

I've been given a weird bracket and asked to cut another one on the plasma table. It's a pig to measure...

Old school method: buy a sheet of graph paper with 1mm squares. Trace around the part and write down the coordinates where the outline crosses a line on the graph paper. You can easily get within 1/2mm. If 1mm increments are unnecessary or too tedious, use 2mm or 5mm graph paper.

 

[Dev]

Would that work for scanning something 3mm thick? I've been given a weird bracket and asked to cut another one on the plasma table. It's a pig to measure so it would be brilliant if I could scan it into svg, or jpeg, or whatever that I could do a bitmap trace from in inkscape to dump into sheetcam

Lightburn has a 28 day trial and it has a trace image tool that will produce a dxf.

LightBurn Software

LightBurn laser engraving and cutting software for personal and professional laser cutters.

lightburnsoftware.com

 

[outofthefire]

Would that work for scanning something 3mm thick? I've been given a weird bracket and asked to cut another one on the plasma table. It's a pig to measure so it would be brilliant if I could scan it into svg, or jpeg, or whatever that I could do a bitmap trace from in inkscape to dump into sheetcam

can't you just use a scanner?

 

[bigegg]

can't you just use a scanner?

Its the converting the scanned picture into a file that can be used to generate the toolpath [1] that is the stumbling block.


[1] hark at me knowing the buzzwords. Only had my CNC a couple of days.

 

[outofthefire]

Its the converting the scanned picture into a file that can be used to generate the toolpath [1] that is the stumbling block.


[1] hark at me knowing the buzzwords. Only had my CNC a couple of days.

Isn't that what I did further up the thread, tracing the bitmap (jpg) with Inkscape then saving it as an .svg

 

[bigegg]

Isn't that what I did further up the thread, tracing the bitmap (jpg) with Inkscape then saving it as an .svg

So you did

I missed it

In my defence: I'm doped up on painkillers, cos I've done my back + shoulder again.

 

[outofthefire]

So you did

I missed it

In my defence: I'm doped up on painkillers, cos I've done my back + shoulder again.

Wasn't having a go, I know less than you and wasn't sure.