Vision MaxPro, Operation Manual

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Operations 163
© 2006 Vision Engraving Systems
Raster images need to be converted into a vector type format before it can be engraved.
The MaxPro engraves scanned images by placing a cutter down and drawing a line from
point A to point B. This means that the image must consist of lines (vectors) to be able to
render the image. While raster engraving is possible on a rotary engraving system, it would
be very time consuming on this type of device. Vision Pro has the necessary tools to
convert a raster image created with a desktop scanner into a vector image suitable for direct
engraving.
This lesson will illustrate the steps required to get artwork from your scanner and convert it
into a form that can be engraved on your Vision engraving system. It will show the
procedure in a numbered step-by-step format to show you how the process flows from
beginning to end.
The basic procedure required to scan and engrave logos with Vision Pro is shown below.
These will be discussed in greater detail in this chapter.
1) Scan the image from Vision Pro to get a bitmap file.
2) Use the AccuScan feature in Vision Pro to trace outlines around the bitmap so you have
vectors to work with.
3) Clean up the vectors as required with Vision Pro's editing commands.
4) Size the logo to the size intended when engraving and locate the artwork in the layout.
5) Fill the logo with the desired cutting tool if required.
6) Complete the rest of the layout and engrave the job.
Step 1 – Scanning the Image
Start Vision Pro. Use the Acquire Image command under the File menu to start your
scanning software. (
File / Acquire Image / Acquire
). While the specific steps that are
required to scan the image depend on your brand of scanner and cannot be listed here, the
steps are common for most scanners. From the scanner software, select
Preview Scan .
The artwork will be scanned into the screen. Drag a box around the area that you would like
to scan and select Scan. The object will be placed into the Vision Pro software.
When you scan the image, the resulting bitmap will be inserted into the Vision Pro
workspace, usually at the lower left corner of the sign blank. You can drag the bitmap file to
a blank area of the workspace to make it easier to run the trace. The bitmap does not need
to be in the sign blank, since it will be deleted when we complete the trace to obtain a vector
image to fill and/or engrave.
Step 2 - Tracing the Bitmap Image
Double click the bitmap image to start the AccuScan module of tracing tools.
After double clicking the bitmap image, the Tracing tools will appear below the main program
menu. All the available options and features are displayed in this custom toolbar, including
basic bitmap editing tools and the trace options. Normally, the first thing you will want to do
is select the Trace Setup option (just to the left of the field labeled “Current Settings” in the
example below. Remember that you can see what each icon does by placing the mouse
over the icon for a few seconds and see the balloon help label appear for that icon.