Fast Way to "Centreline" many complex outlined paths?

[Stephen Marsh]

Gents,

Please find attached a file I have received from one of my clients.

It is comprised of shapes and not lines, If I open this in a CAD program I either get just solid hatches with no outline or if I save it as an Illustrator file and then import it, I get lines but unfortunately they are as I mentioned in earlier posts just the outlines of the lines i.e rectangles.

As it is they are about as much use as a Kamikaze reunion party!

The original file with artwork was created in Illustrator CC but saved as a PDF Version 1.3, if that helps.

Have a look and let me know what you think.

Cheers,

Dahzee

Dahzee, please find attached two sample PDF files of auto trace results: one from Adobe Illustrator CS6 Image Trace at default settings (technical drawing). The other sample is from Arden ImpactDesigner 2013, again at default settings. The original trace image was a 300ppi TIFF rasterized from the sample PDF, where the coloured lines were all made dark grey for tracing. Both results are single paths that can be run through to a cutting/sample making table. Obviously, as the original art had broken lines, the cutter’s crease tool would simply follow these lines. One would have to redraw the folds as single paths in a different spot colour so that they could be assigned to a different tool at the plotter/cutter.

One trace is clearly superior to the other. Both will require manual fix ups for plotting. It can be easier to sometimes simply bite the bullet and redraw from scratch. Other times, one can save a lot of work and use a good auto trace as a starting point.

Obviously, educating the customer and having the correct single path artwork supplied up front is the ideal workflow. If you are supplied less than ideal drawings, then you probably have two choices - reject it or find a workable solution to fix it that is not going to take too much time.


Stephen Marsh