How to get text outline converted to filled text for laser engraving

[hans.billiet]

Hello,

I'm using the free version of Fusion 360 as a hobbyist.

I'm making an instrument panel in plexi-glass. I first cut it with my CNC and then spray-paint it. Once the paint is dry, I want to cut out the characters with my laser-tool (both CNC and laser are Snapmaker 2.0 A350). This will cut out the characters, and allow me to use backlighting.

I have my characters in a Fusion 360 sketch. But now I have 2 issues:

1) These characters are only showing the surrounding of them, but they need to be filled in black.

2) I need to be able to export this in *.svg, *.png, *.jpg, *.jpeg, *.bmp or *.dxf, but afraid that none of them exists in the free version 😞

Really stuck here. Can somebody give me some advice?

Thanks,

Hans

[g-andresen]

Hi,

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@hans.billiet wrote:

H

I have my characters in a Fusion 360 sketch. But now I have 2 issues:

1) These characters are only showing the surrounding of them, but they need to be filled in black.

extrude the profiles for about 1/10 mm

2) I need to be able to export this in *.svg, *.png, *.jpg, *.jpeg, *.bmp or *.dxf, but afraid that none of them exists in the free version 😞

from the sketch (right click ) you can export DXF

---

günther

[WyzeOwl · Accepted solution]

Inkscape is a free svg editing/creation app and should work well for this engraving application, just takes some time figuring out how to get the text the way you want it. YouTube has many good instruction videos that can help with that task.



Cheers
Chris Westerby
647 393 8030

[hans.billiet]

Hello Guenther,

Thanks for your answer, but unfortunately not useful for me.

1) I did use extrusion (0.1mm to 0.2mm) for engraving. That works more or less (still need to find the correct carving bit - I think that pyramid carving bit works best). But for laser engraving, I need to have the characters filled black (or at least a dark color) and not only the perimeter of the characters. That's not what extrusion is doing.

2) Would indeed be obvious to export to dxf. Unfortunately, my free license doesn't allow me. So I guess it stops there.

[hans.billiet]

Hello @WyzeOwl 

Thanks for your answer. "Plan B" is indeed to use another external application.

If I google it, then I read "Inkscape is professional quality vector graphics software which runs on Linux, Mac OS X and Windows desktop computers." Not sure if I could use this, because I need my characters to be filled. But I will certainly have a look at your suggestion.

Next to that, the positioning of the characters should be perfectly matching with my sketch in Fusion 360. So I hope that Inkscape can import one of the exported fusion 360 file formats which are included in the free license (and dxf is not one of them). And next to that, I also hope that with Inkscape, I can draw other things like arrows or circles, because I need those to be laser engraved as well.

I will have a look at your suggestion for sure.

Hans

[g-andresen]

Hi,

---

@hans.billiet wrote:

2) Would indeed be obvious to export to dxf. Unfortunately, my free license doesn't allow me. So I guess it stops there.

---

Rightclick sketch > save as DXF !!

günther

[hans.billiet]

@g-andresen 

Oops, me bad. Sorry, you are right. That works.

Not sure if you will be able to help me with the next question (like usual, a solution brings always a few other problems...). I exported my sketch to dxf, and now loaded it in my laser engraving software (Snapmaker Luban). But it seems that the size was shrinked. No worries, I can scale it up, and because I know the exact size of my sketch, I can type in the exact dimensions. But now it seems that my dxf file is surrounded with some extra border, and unfortunately, that border is taken in the dimensions. That means that my real drawing is slightly smaller, and I don't know exactly how much (otherwise I could use some math).

See picture attached. The dimensions are marked in yellow (right side), but I show in the picture in red what that dimension represents.

Is this a setting in Fusion? Or is this an issue in Snapmaker Luban?

Thanks,

Hans