Lessons Learned
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When working on projects that need DXF (Drawing Exchange Format) files, like CNC and 3D printing, I found it tedious to
go into CorelDraw to trace images I wanted to work with. This also seemed to be a sentiment held by one
of my professors when 3D printing Loras merchandise, so I started work on this program. I found it difficult to account
for the variety of detail in various photos, so instead I made it really easy to use guess and check. This was one of my first projects
in Python that utilized a GUI. Some problems are just easier (and occasionally more efficient) if you find ways to ignore them.
Below is the simple GUI that the application uses.
The application's GUI
Then a simple example using a very clear image of a smiley face,
A simple smiley face drawing
The preview the application gives
Viewing the resulting DXF file using an online tool
To showcase a more complex use case I've used the photo of me and the mannequin from my time testing AI enabled movement at Deere,
A photo of me and a mannequin
The preview the application gives
Viewing the resulting DXF file using an online tool
While there is some obvious room for improvement (me missing my face) much of that can be handled by fine-tuning the tolerances used. This tool has saved at least one person from having to hand (mouse?) draw vectors and I call that a success!