Hi,

I am in need of good advice/help about how to use a svg created in Inkscape in a CAD program. My first problem is I don't know the correct terminology so I will try my best to describe what I am trying to do.

I import a png and trace to bitmap. When I open in the file in the CAD program and put the cursor on it to select the outline it only will select a small section of the outline (I'm guessing this has to do with the nodes. I've tried selecting them all and using the join selected nodes in Inkscape but it doesn't fix my issue). I need to be able to select the entire outline. I am wanting to use the sweep feature in my CAD program around the graphic outline.

Thanks!

More details will be helpful, plus an example Inkscape svg file.

If you can attach your SVG file for others including myself to examine, the solution will be more easily determined.

You can try this SVG in your CAD. I´d like to see how it handles the upper middle part:

@polygon, consider to zip your image file to attach it. In its current state, it's presenting not as an SVG and becomes problematic for the OP.

What? Simply drag it out of the browser window to your desktop or where ever you like or make a right-click to tell "save image to....".

Yes, that did work, thanks

The OP's sweep dialog may include a "chain segments" option that needs to be selected.

Thank you all for responding. Sorry it has taken so long to reply but life got in the way for a bit, but figuring this out is very important to me.

I will read though the responses and try anything suggested and I will attach my original heart.png and the .svg file that I created.

Here are the steps I took…

I imported it into Inkscape.

Path - Trace Bitmap…

Deleted the original .png file.

Fill off, Stroke Paint on.

Resized it to 20mm x 20mm.

It won’t let me use the Sweep feature in my CAD program to go around the entire outline. It will only sweep a small segment (between two of nodes?). I’ve tried union, combine and join nodes in different orders. I just don’t know where I am going wrong.

Thank you all again.

Have  you tried the SVG file from reply#4 already?

Please describe the version of Inkscape and system info.

Please describe which cad program is being used.

Please attach an example Inkscape svg file that has the problem and the bitmap artwork used. 

@Polygon It crashes my program. It won't even open it. Instant crash. Maybe my program isn't good enough and it is time for me to learn another program. The strange thing is that I can create a star in Inkscape and save as .svg and open it in my program and it will allow me to sweep around the entire object but if I import a .png and convert it to a .svg in Inkscape it only will sweep a small section. I don't understand why. I don't understand the difference. I also tried loading your graphic into FreeCAD and still shows it being in segments.

@TylerDurden  My Inkscape version is 1.1. My .png file and my .svg files are attached to my #9 message.

I notice the sketch has some duplicated nodes. I'd remove those and try path simplify.

@TylerDurden, how does one determine an overlapped node? I was able to locate a single overlap and removed it, but used a different program from the standpoint of convenience. I opened the original in Inkscape 0.92 and was not able to find the overlapping node. Is there a feature in the pull-down menus that provide for this identification?

There might be some extensions that find short paths, but I usually see them as tiny grey nodes when all nodes are selected (single nodes are blue).

That's curious, as there are no grey nodes in v0.92 when all are selected, only blue.

Ja that's weird, but the doubled nodes are smaller than normal nodes, when unselected.

Yes, that's the one that stood out like a sore thumb drive in the other program. Perhaps the OP will remove it and find all is well.

This is the repaired version for the benefit of OP.

That doesn´t make any sense, especially the crashing: Where´s the difference between my Inkscape SVG and the corrected autotraced above aside from mine is cleaner by using a minimum of nodes. Wether you´re using B-Splines or Bézier curves in an SVG FreeCAD will always find segments when loading "SVG as geometry". And there´s a function that will sweep along segment-by-segment.

So, the question remains, why does the star (reportedly) work? I did not see a chain-segments option in FC.

I still have a copy of the old 123D CAD program that I am using. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the chain-segments option. And yes, I know that I need to learn a better CAD program. I find that it is just the right level of complex for my brain to handle. And, I still have a dinosaur of a 3D printer that I refuse to let go of too. Lol.

Anyways, when I draw a star in Inkscape and export it as a plain .svg the entire outline can be swept but the heart .png converted to .svg in Inkscape does not work. Makes no sense. I'm baffled. I'll attach a photo and the file as proof of this.

I did notice that strange little node and delete it when I was trying to figure this out yesterday and it didn't help. I'll download the fixed file above and give it a go again. I'm going to try converting some other .png files to see if it is the same with all of them.

Thanks for all the help.

TylerDurden

I did not see a chain-segments option in FC.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE4gNifVemc

Saw that already. That video does not show chaining of segments, which will sweep the entire path in one go.

As I said: It will go segment by segment. Maybe because it can´t handle curvatures in another way. I don´t know. Here it crashes after the third or fourth selected curve.

FC may be crashing on sweeps with very tight curves. Sharp corner nodes may behave better... this is the case in Fusion.

@acouchy, As you are aware, 123D was discontinued in 2016.

Autodesk (parent of 123D) offers Fusion 360 for free, to personal users on Mac or Windows. It is pretty easy to learn for operations found in 123D.  

I struggle a bit with FreeCad, but I have not taken the time to learn it.