Any Mac Illustrator Tutorials?

[aimitup]

I have Illustrator 10 for my MacBook Pro and trying to save SVG files from that rather than get Inkscape.
When I import the SVG files into SCAL it is a blank image on cutting matte.

Are there any tutorials on how to save Illus files to work with SCAL?

Thanks!

[shelby]

Hello!

What kind of file are you starting with in Illustrator? If it is anything other than SVG you will still have to trace it. Whenever you first open the file in illustrator you should see the "live trace" option at the top. Adjust your threshold and presets to get the image to look how you want it to look, and then save then file as an SVG. Make sure you import the file into SCAL and it should be there.

That's my super simplified version, so if you are already doing all of that let me know and I will try and help.

HTH!

[aimitup]

Hi Shelby - thanks for your help - I am starting with a vector file off a clip art disk. It is basically an outline of an image - very simple. I put a stroke on the outline and no fill. There are a bunch of different options when saving the SVG file & I just went with the standard settings - maybe that is where my issue is.

[firstcut]

aim,
The rules that apply to Inkscape as far as the image itself also apply in Illustrator. Namely, ungroup everything, convert everything to paths, all paths have to be closed, no intersecting lines (use pathfinder to unite or whatever), no clipping paths, everything within the boundaries of the art board, etc.
Then, when you go to save as SVG, make sure you uncheck the button that says keep editable in Illustrator. That should do it. Keep another copy in AI format for editing purposes.
-Kay

[talanhart]

I use Illustrator. You don't want stroke, you want fill. Your strokes will have to be outlined for them to work in SCAL.

[shelby]

Another thing you can try is Object -> Expand and then View -> outline. The outline view will show you exactly what is going to import into SCAL. Expand will expand the path out to where you did the stroke.. i think. Whenever something isn't working for me in Illustrator, I just set it to outline mode and mess around with stuff until it works! Very scientific!

[talanhart]

I love Illustrator and I have been using it for years. I do find for some reason and that I haven't taken the time to figure out why is some of my artworks are completely blank when I import the SVG files into SCAL or try to reopen them in Illustrator. It is the strangest thing. Today I had an artwork that when I saved it as an SVG showed some kind of stroke in the stroke box even though nothing was stroked. When I saved the file as an SVG, it was blank in SCAl. When I removed whatever stroke that was in the stroke box and resaved as an SVG, it opened in SCAL. Too Strange.

[firstcut]

Talan,
Are you saying that Illustrator is just like Inkscape, in that strokes and fills are ignored and only outlines matter, or are you saying that you should set everything to no stroke in Illustrator? Want to make sure I understand as I don't work too much in Illustrator so might not have noticed this. THX.
-Kay

[talanhart]

Things that are stroked don't seem to show up unless they are outlined or expanded. SCAL doesn't really care if you fill your artwork or not. It's the outline vectors it needs to cut.

[firstcut]

Ok, so let me see if I follow. Stroke is ignored (unless process analogous to convert to path is done) but object must have fill to show up.