SVG Import Scale

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ericschimel
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SVG Import Scale

Post by ericschimel »

Hey all, I'm having an odd issue dealing with SVGs into, and out of VCarve/Aspire.

I've created some designs in VCarve and then I export them as SVG and bring them into Illustrator CC (latest version) and they are also the correct scale, IE the size in Illustrator perfectly matches the size they were drawn in VCarve.

I'm bringing the designs into Illustrator because I need to add some fill colors that you cannot do in VCarve. I do however want to use these SVGs in VCarve later on.

Here's where the issue is: When I open the SVG that I've altered in Illustrator in VCarve, the scale is too small. .25" holes come in at about .2001".

Every other program I open the SVG in shows it at the correct scale, just not VCarve. I've tried just about every combination of Illustrator settings I can come up with and they're all producing the same results.

Has anyone else had this issue?

jonnylbluejeans
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Re: SVG Import Scale

Post by jonnylbluejeans »

Check the svg spec you are using, also have you tried a different vector format?

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martin54
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Re: SVG Import Scale

Post by martin54 »

As has already been said have you tried a different vector format ? Try using EPS rather than SVG, I have found EPS to be about the best cross platform vector format over the years :lol: :lol:

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mtylerfl
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Re: SVG Import Scale

Post by mtylerfl »

I've seen the same Scaling issue as you have. Seems to differ from program to program. CorelDraw often scales a modified and imported SVG file to the limits of the page size, for some reason.

I don't know much about the SVG format, but I think it was primarily intended for web page graphics rather than other "standard" vector formats I'm more familiar with.

I prefer EPS mostly, but will use DXF format if I want arcs to be retained (as in a circle).
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adze_cnc
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Re: SVG Import Scale

Post by adze_cnc »

SVG is indeed for screen viewing and animations and as such can behave oddly. With Macs using 72 DPI as a base for measuring screen resolution and Windows using 96 DPI I can see scaling problems cropping up.

If you absolutely must use SVG (why when native AI files are supported?) in Vcarve try "Save as" rather than "Export". Also, for SVG options make sure that "Responsive" is not checked.

twedlake
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Re: SVG Import Scale

Post by twedlake »

I'm going to resurrect this topic as I honestly cannot believe as big as Vectric is, this is still an issue dating back to 2018 and they don't care enough to resolve. :-?

I've been a super-happy VCarve Pro user for many years but never had a need for precision when it comes to imports. As is the case with most of you, I either create within VCarve or import some graphic file purchased or downloaded and manipulate as needed. Never had a need for accuracy upon imports until this past week when an architect sent me 215 files to be cut on CNC and Laser for a project model.


Please note that I am not 1-bit interested in which file format is best, that is NOT what this discussion is about. It's about a company the size of VECTRIC doing imports of specific file formats very specific to VECTRIC software when every other company out there, including other software, are doing it correctly. So why import at 90DPI when the rest of the world is importing at 96DPI? :?

here is an example: (note-rename from .ai to .svg)
The attached file (SVG - and I don't care about SVG vs DXF vs AI, etc. opinions) opens in AI, PS, EZCAD, LB perfectly sized at 36"
Not so with Vcarve Pro. it opens at 28.8" and if I wouldn't have noticed this by importing into LB laser software first I would have cut a lot of files incorrectly. So my only option was to import into LB, see the true size of the cut, then import into VCarve, resize to correct size and create my toolpaths, then cut.
Attachments
1 - Copy.svg.ai
(577 Bytes) Downloaded 5 times

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dealguy11
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Re: SVG Import Scale

Post by dealguy11 »

Send your issue to support@vectric.com. No one here can help you with it, and complaining here won't accomplish much.
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twedlake
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Re: SVG Import Scale

Post by twedlake »

dealguy11 wrote:
Mon Sep 25, 2023 5:01 pm
Send your issue to support@vectric.com. No one here can help you with it, and complaining here won't accomplish much.
not complaining moron.. just trying to get to the bottom of why Vectric does this differently than everyone else does and if there is a legitimate resolve for it!

And for the record, a ticket was submitted several days ago to which responses from their support team are useless at best.

"I must admit that I do not know the exact reasoning behind this, though it is not common to see this
discrepancy because in the vast majority of cases the units are specified within the file itself so it doesn't
fall back to DPI. Unfortunately though I could not say why the .SVG file in this case does not include units
though this may be controlled through the export options in the source software"



to which I say HOGWASH! All other apps work fine, it's only VCARVE

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adze_cnc
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Re: SVG Import Scale

Post by adze_cnc »

Again, SVG is screen-based and will have problems as long as Apple is using 72ppi for their measurements and Windows is using 96ppi and exporting programs using one of these rather than the SVG standard "dpi".

How big a company do you think Vectric is? From my understanding it was a single-owner company that was sold to the employees.

Do a web search for "svg file imports at wrong size" and you will find many complaints about the interoperability of SVG files between computer platforms and software packages.
twedlake wrote:
Mon Sep 25, 2023 5:10 pm
to which I say HOGWASH! All other apps work fine, it's only VCARVE
Even massive companies such as Adobe and AutoDesk are not immune.

Other packages such as:
  • Light-burn
  • Inkscape
  • Blender
  • Inventables
Will appear in the search results. Ultimately, it is the exporting software's responsibility to properly handle SVG's underlying measurement system and not use the operating system's PPI values.

I have exported SVG files from VCarve for use in laser-cutting and they have never exhibited size problems so VCarve knows how to export files properly and I would expect that given a properly specified file it imports properly.

The only problem SVGs I've had have been from students exporting from a macOS version of a program and those are fixed by scaling them from 72ppi to 96ppi (i.e., scaling them up 133.3333%).
Last edited by adze_cnc on Mon Sep 25, 2023 5:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Adrian
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Re: SVG Import Scale

Post by Adrian »

twedlake wrote:
Mon Sep 25, 2023 5:10 pm
not complaining moron.. just trying to get to the bottom of why Vectric does this differently than everyone else does and if there is a legitimate resolve for it!
No need to be offensive. At the end of the day we're all users just like you. The only people who can give you the definitive answer are Vectric. If you don't like that answer then there's nothing anyone here can do other than explain, as has been done more than once, that Vectric aren't the only ones doing the imports like that.

For what it's worth my opinion is that any program that creates SVG files for CAD purposes should be using units other than points as Vectric say.

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