Tag: inkscape

Prelude to Protractors

I was flipping through my smaller notebook and remembered I’d already posted about a credit card sized design for a protractor and ruler.  I decided to connect this to my recent other design and turn it into a short series.  This design predates the one I most recently made and shared on this site, thus the title.

While I posted a writeup to Instagram, for some reason I didn’t put anything here?!  Other websites go away over time and even if mine doesn’t last forever, well, at least it’s still mine.  Thus, here’s the photos:

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And, just in case1 Instagram completely evaporates, here’s the writeup I posted:

A DIY protractor / ruler / template card.

I needed a quick and convenient way to make straight (ish) lines and angles that I could keep in my small notebook.

The little card is about the size of a playing card and acts like a 5mm increment ruler, 10 degree protractor, and can make it easy to draw a grid.

This all started because I was working on an electronics project, needed some resistors and haven’t memorized the color chart, decided to draw a color chart in my notebook, needed a grid / ruler, decided to design my own after seeing a neat metal one on Kickstarter.

OpenSCAD -> Inkscape -> Print -> tape to card -> craft knife -> drawing

Now I have a little template measuring tool that will let me draw circles, angles, lines, grids, and dots. I’m very happy with this. :)

I may try to lasercut one from a thin sheet of plastic

Enjoy!

Small Rulers and Protractors
  1. Inkscape Protractor and Rulers
  2. Prelude to Protractors
  1. God willing [↩]

Inkscape Protractor and Rulers

Over the last week I’d tried making a set of small rulers and straight edges I could keep in notebooks of various sizes.  I’ve got a big heavy sketchbook, a thin college rule composition notebook with several DIY augments, and a very small sketchbook about 4″ square.

Just four notebooks
Just four notebooks

My idea was to make small credit card / ID card sized rulers, print them on paper, and then laminate them to keep in one or more notebooks.  My first attempt a few days ago was serviceable1 – but lacking in aesthetics and functionality. (I’ll show some pictures below…)

This morning I saw a Mastodon post by @concretedog234 demonstrating his use of a homebrew lasercut protractor.

@concretedog's lasercut protractor
@concretedog’s lasercut protractor

Inspired by @concretedog’s work, I embarked upon building my own in Inkscape, using some printable ruler I found online.  A few design progress pics:

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The basic process I used was:

  • A few concentric circles for the overall protractor outline and semi-circle cutouts
  • A longer 10 degree increment rotated 18 times (since it was a line at the top and bottom), a medium 5 degree increment rotated 36 times, and a short 1 degree increment rotated 180 times
    • Edit -> Clone -> Create Tiled Clones
      • Symmetry:  P1: simple translation
      • Shift:  make sure the exponent is “0”
      • Rotation:
        • Angle row/column:  0, 5 degrees
        • Rows/columns:  1 x 18
  • Then added the rulers minus the numbers (just looked cleaner)
  • Three clones of the result, printed on paper, cut one out, cut out the semi-circle windows and center, laminated, then cut out the semi-circle windows and center again, ran it through the laminator for good luck

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In an ideal world, I would also have created the ruler marks using @concretedog’s guide … I just hadn’t seen it until I got around to finishing this project. :)

Small Rulers and Protractors
  1. Inkscape Protractor and Rulers
  2. Prelude to Protractors
  1. built from PrintableRulers.net [↩]
  2. Someone I’ve been following for years and have come to think of as a parasocial friend [↩]
  3. Is following a fellow maker a parasocial relationship if you interact with them? [↩]
  4. Parasocial could be pre-friendship? [↩]

What’s the best toolpath for SVG to OpenSCAD?

While I have one selfish motive for wanting a reliable toolpath for going from an SVG to OpenSCAD, I’d also like to do a tutorial on this. 1 2.

  • I can export an SVG from Inkscape to a DXF.
  • I can import that same DXF into OpenSCAD.
  • I can’t render the DXF or extrude it into a solid.

I just can’t seem to make OpenSCAD make heads or tails of that DXF.  Is this a problem with the DXF files produced by Inkscape?  A little bit of Googling tells me that Inkscape v0.48 (the one I’m using) exports in DXF R13 format which includes features that are not well supported by OpenSCAD.  My attempts at finding plugins that will successfully allow Inkscape to expert to DXF R12 format have not been fruitful.

  1. 3D Models with OpenSCAD on Make uses a toolpath that isn’t available in my version of Inkscape
  2. DXF R12 exporter, didn’t work for me
  3. DXF R12 exporter, didn’t work for me either
  4. Yet another DXF R12 exporter that did not work for me
  5. Link suggesting that something called “pstoedit” might be helpful in converting SVG’s to DXF R12’s.
  6. From Photo to Inkscape to DXF to OpenSCAD to MakerBot to Costume Jewelry is an excellent tutorial on the exact toolpath I would like to get working

After MUCH fiddling around I have discovered that the only DXF exporting plugin I can get to work is the one called “Better DXF Output”, NOT to be confused with “Better Better DXF Output.”  Unfortunately, I’ve installed so many of these little plugins I no longer recall exactly which combination of them might actually be working for me.  I’ll do a little investigation and post a short tutorial on how it’s worked for me.

Edit: I’m 85% certain this is the plugin that worked for me.  http://www.bobcookdev.com/inkscape/inkscape-dxf.html

  1. Selfish as in I already have an idea for how I would use this knowledge to make something cool. [↩]
  2. What could it be?  Hint:  It’s related to something that rhymes with “Doctor Who” [↩]