FreeHand MX & Illustrator SVG Scale Factor

Swizl

Swizl

0
FreeHand MX & Illustrator SVG Scale Factor

I've been confused about why when I import a pdf from FreeHand with Cheetah3D's preference set to 1.0 that the sizes imported were wrong. I set a 1 inch x 1 inch square and then imported it. Doing the math using the ruler tool, the unit of measure is 72 C3D units = 1 inch. So setting the scale factor in the preferences to .0139 (1/72) will import the vector art to the correct size set from the graphics app. Incidentally 72pt = 1 inch also, but I don't know if that was where the unit comes from in Cheetah or not. I can't get any pdf files to open made from Illustrator CS4 in Cheetah, but I did get an svg from CS4 to open and it has the same scale factor as a pdf from FreeHand MX. Anyway, I thought this might help people that import vectors into Cheetah to not have to rescale the spline art.
 
Hi Frank,

Thanks for suggesting it. I didn't try those methods before, so I just did. None of the other methods are working either though unfortunately. I printed to pdf using the standard OS X "print to pdf" dialog which didn't work. I also printed to postscript and distilled a pdf and it still doesn't import correctly into C3D. Not sure why? I am on a G5 iMac though and Illustrator CS4 doesn't run very well on it. It uses 500mb of RAM at idle according to Activity Viewer! Anyway, my pdf ppd selection hasn't worked in a few years either. I don't think that would have anything to do with it though. It's not to big of a deal though as I have other methods for now.

Has anybody else had problems importing CS4 pdf's into C3D?

Thanks!
 
Just because you mentioned Freehand. These are the setings that worked for me.
FreehandPDFImportSettings.jpeg

Cheers
Frank
 
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Thanks for the metric conversion Frank!

I do work in millimeters a lot as some of our products are made in metric while others are in imperial. I usually convert to inches as I'm a little more familiar with it and it's the standard here in the US.

Your conversion makes perfect sense though.
Just for anyone that wants to see the math.
1" = 2,54cm (25,4mm) = 72 C3d Units
so
2,54cm / 72 = .0352 (.352 for those working in millimeters)

Correction - Anyone using Metric would be better off using Franks percentage of .03535. My conversion didn't carry the decimal out far enough in my Imperial to Metric conversion, so it's not as accurate.
 
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OK, I read at the top of my SVG file exported from Illustrator: width="595.28px" height="841.89px"

Why is the conversion factor not simply 210/595.28 = 0.3527751646

Or working from the vertical 297/841.89 = 0.3527776788

Where does the 0.3535 come from?
 
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