Problem Cannot import image into Trace

[JSAbrahamson]

Good morning fellow framers,

Wow, what a great resource! I heard about this site many moons ago, but forgot all about it. And, as luck would have it, I ran across it again this morning as a result of doing a google search for an issue I'm having.

Onward. I've been framing for ~17 years and I'm dangerously familiar with "Path Trace", which I'm sure you know Wizard changed to "Trace" within the last few years. Anyhow, over the years I've used Trace to design a few things - the latest being a very large USAF Chief, E9, chevron (a time consuming and royal pain). Yesterday I was asked to do a mat opening for a Colonel's Eagle, and not only one, but three, for upcoming retirements. I asked them for a .dxf file, which they eventually provided, but it will not import into Trace - I just get a blank screen. They previously provided a dxf for the E9 chevron that worked, even though I had to entirely redesign it. I can only assume the eagle file was saved as a version of .dxf that the Trace program does not recognize.

I took the image home last night, opened it in Photoshop and cleaned it up. I resized it to what I need and then saved it as a jpeg. Is there a file format that Trace will recognize other than .dxf that will get me started? All I need is the silhouette as I'm going to be placing a US Flag underneath it (See E9 chevron example) I am really under a time crunch and it's going to take me forever just to trace it for cutting. The eagle will be 13 x 26.

I appreciate any help/guidance that anybody can provide.

Jeff

 

[Rick Hennen]

I work in a different program since my machine is a CNC Router but it is the same principle. When this happens I usually find that the file sent to me is so large it is scaled beyond my work area so it doesn't appear on the screen. When I shrink it down it appears. If that's not the case I try changing the format to an svg or an eps. I am surprised that the software will not allow you to import the jpg. and trace around it.

 

[JSAbrahamson]

Thanks for the quick reply Rick. I tried zooming in/out to see if that was the issue given I've experienced that before; it wasn't. Within the last hour I was able to convert my jpg to .dxf and get it into Trace. It was larger than the preview area so I had to zoom out. After all that, the .dxf conversion program created so many plotter points that the Wizard will not cut it. The machine snapped the blade. We're in the process of having a sign company look into the possibility of cutting them. Thanks again.

 

[Rick Granick]

Out of curiosity, how did you convert your .jpg to a .dxf?
Rick

 

[Rick Hennen]

The software I use to design for the CNC Router allows me to import jpg files which it then traces around. They are then in a vector format which I can alter to fit my needs, usually adjusting (like converting curved sections to bezier curves with fewer nodes) and removing other excess nodes to ensure a much cleaner cut. Once the cleanup is complete I can export the file in any number of formats, eps, svg, dxf, or ai.

 

[JSAbrahamson]

Out of curiosity, how did you convert your .jpg to a .dxf?
Rick

I went to this site: https://cad.online-convert.com/convert-to-dxf DXF CAD converter, uploaded the image and downloaded the completed file. I'm sure if I had the time/patience I could have fixed the resultant .dxf to make it useable, but the Trace program within the Wizard software is not the most user friendly. It really is a program that requires frequent use to gain proficiency/expediency. I'm losing money by staring at the screen and fumbling my way through the process.

 

[JSAbrahamson]

The software I use to design for the CNC Router allows me to import jpg files which it then traces around. They are then in a vector format which I can alter to fit my needs, usually adjusting (like converting curved sections to bezier curves with fewer nodes) and removing other excess nodes to ensure a much cleaner cut. Once the cleanup is complete I can export the file in any number of formats, eps, svg, dxf, or ai.

Wizard's Trace program is not user friendly. I would have thought I could import a .jpg and go through the vector/conversion process, but it was not possible, as far as I can tell. The online program I used created sooo many nodes I would have had to entirely redesign the graphic to make it useable on our Wizard 9000.

 

[Mike Labbe]

There are a bunch of Path Trace (the older program discontinued about 7 years ago), and Trace (the current software) videos here:

https://www.youtube.com/@WizardInternational/videos

 

[Rick Hennen]

Wizard's Trace program is not user friendly. I would have thought I could import a .jpg and go through the vector/conversion process, but it was not possible, as far as I can tell. The online program I used created sooo many nodes I would have had to entirely redesign the graphic to make it useable on our Wizard 9000.

If you care to send me the jpg I can impprt it into my program and do a tracing to see if it converts any differently.

 

[Rick Granick]

There are a bunch of Path Trace (the older program discontinued about 7 years ago), and Trace (the current software) videos here:

https://www.youtube.com/@WizardInternational/videos

Also, if you are a member of the Wizard users group on Facebook, Troy Veluz has some good PathTrace videos on there. His method involves tracing around an imported jpeg using a fairly small number of node points joined by straight lines, and then stretching those lines into curves as needed.
Rick