Greetings all! Thanks for allowing me to post my first post. New Reprap user here. Have a background in vector graphic programs (CorelDraw, Illustrator). I'm very comfortable creating drawings in those programs, but I've spent no less than 20 hours in the last 3 days trying to get things into something that is 3D and I'm at my wits end and need some guidance.
I was TRYING to use 123 Design. It appears only the online version allows any importing and when I export an SVG file out of Illustrator, it comes into 123D as just one solid block with no geometry. So I downloaded Blender. Can't get my SVG file into Blender either. I went back into Illustrator, exported as a DXF and then imported the DXF in Blender and it was a real mess. It created all kinds of crazy lines running all over the place, making my drawing look like a porcupine. Downloaded FreeCAD and when it imports the file, it messes up the geometry. I drew an object in Illustrator, mirrored it and welded to together. So it's a symmetrical object. When it opens in FreeCAD, it's not even close to being symmetrical. If I import a DXF in FreeCAD, it makes my object a big blob that only roughly has the same shape as the original shape.
I can't believe it's been so difficult to take 1 simple shape and get in into something 3D for printing. Surely there has to be an easy way to take vector graphics and get them done without having to learn Blender (which makes learning Photoshop look easy!).
Any tips, tricks, ideas, suggestions, advice? I'm really excited about the new printer, but I can't help but be extremely frustrated that I can't figure out how to make a flat drawing into 3D with ease.
I apologize if this has been asked and answered many times, but in my searching, it only brought up a few results and none of them seemed to apply.
So what's the easy path for getting out of Illustrator into finished stl file? I'm designing on a Mac if that matters, but the reprap is running on a PC.
Thanks in advance!
I was TRYING to use 123 Design. It appears only the online version allows any importing and when I export an SVG file out of Illustrator, it comes into 123D as just one solid block with no geometry. So I downloaded Blender. Can't get my SVG file into Blender either. I went back into Illustrator, exported as a DXF and then imported the DXF in Blender and it was a real mess. It created all kinds of crazy lines running all over the place, making my drawing look like a porcupine. Downloaded FreeCAD and when it imports the file, it messes up the geometry. I drew an object in Illustrator, mirrored it and welded to together. So it's a symmetrical object. When it opens in FreeCAD, it's not even close to being symmetrical. If I import a DXF in FreeCAD, it makes my object a big blob that only roughly has the same shape as the original shape.
I can't believe it's been so difficult to take 1 simple shape and get in into something 3D for printing. Surely there has to be an easy way to take vector graphics and get them done without having to learn Blender (which makes learning Photoshop look easy!).
Any tips, tricks, ideas, suggestions, advice? I'm really excited about the new printer, but I can't help but be extremely frustrated that I can't figure out how to make a flat drawing into 3D with ease.
I apologize if this has been asked and answered many times, but in my searching, it only brought up a few results and none of them seemed to apply.
So what's the easy path for getting out of Illustrator into finished stl file? I'm designing on a Mac if that matters, but the reprap is running on a PC.
Thanks in advance!