I asked this a few months ago but I didn’t really get an answer so I thought I would run it by again. I’m using my cnc to make instrument panels for a B737 simulator. With Estlcam you can’t use text from Adobe Illustrator or any other design program that I know of. You have to use the text editor in Estlcam. The problem is, no matter what font I use, Estlcam makes the text too thick. I’ve even tried using a single line font but Estlcam insists on making several passes to the letters thicker.
Text is differently processed. You have to explode the text in the editors like AutoCAD or FreeCAD, then it works. I don’t know about Illustrator though. Text to outline may be it: Using Adobe Illustrator How to Convert Text to Outlines
In Illustrator you have to convert the text to a path and then it will work in ESTLCam. Use engrave in ESTLCam and make sure it engraves on the inside of the line. That should give you thinner text.
Yes, just as others have mentioned, it is quite possible to design your entire layout in Adobe Illustrator, or any other vector illustration program, and then convert the text to curves, and export as a scalable vector graphics file. Then import that SVG file into ESTLcam. Once in ESTLcam, there are two choices. You can either use the hole+pocketing operation to pocket out the inside of the letters, or you can use the carve function with a V-carve bit.
Optionally you can leave the text editable in Illustrator, and use the export dialog box to export the fonts as curves while outputting your SVG file.
If you have a shape you like in illustrator, I would use a vbit and use carve instead of engrave. But otherwise, I agree with you. SVG is almost as complex as html and many programs “support” it by only reading the paths. Estlcam is like that.
I use an old version of CorelDraw and I always export the files I want to use with Estlcam as PLT files. Never had a problem, I find PLT better to use than DFX or SVG
