Is there a way to auto nest multiple objects inside one shape?

[Pat Whatley]

I'm working on a project where I'll have 30-40 simple one color icons but I need to have them fit inside a specific shape (simple house, car, boat, star, etc.)

I can do it manually but with 20 of these to do and 30-40 icons per shape I'd rather not deal with that if theres a way to do it with software.

I've got Flexisign which will nest rectangles but that's now what I need.

Anybody know how this can be done?

 

[VinylLab]

Clipping mask

I use Illustrator so I'm sure it's not the same as Flexisign, but are you able to make a clipping mask? You can space out all the icons how you want, then add the shape you want over all of the icons and make a clipping mask. I'm not sure if Flexisign can do that, however.

 

[graphicwarning]

If you happen to have a copy of Corel around, and purchase the eCut plug-in... it will allow you to nest shapes inside of any shaped container. I've never really had the need, but in playing around with it to test out the plug-in, it worked quite well.

 

[GAC05]

If you happen to have a copy of Corel around, and purchase the eCut plug-in... it will allow you to nest shapes inside of any shaped container. I've never really had the need, but in playing around with it to test out the plug-in, it worked quite well.

I think this is your best bet.

They have a stand alone that works with ai files



You just have to see if you want to take a chance sending $24.00 to Russia.......
(looks like they take PayPal)

wayne k
guam usa

 

[graphicwarning]

You just have to see if you want to take a chance sending $24.00 to Russia.......
(looks like they take PayPal)

wayne k
guam usa

I have exchanged a lot of emails with the developer of eCut over the last year and though he's a bit rough in the english department, he is incredibly helpful, and a standup guy!

If you are worried about the direct purchase, I believe it can still be purchased at macromonster.com also...

 

[GAC05]

I have exchanged a lot of emails with the developer of eCut over the last year and though he's a bit rough in the english department, he is incredibly helpful, and a standup guy!

If you are worried about the direct purchase, I believe it can still be purchased at macromonster.com also...

I don't think I'd really be worried - I just had to throw that in because it Saturday here.
(as broke as I am, if someone high-jacked my CC info they might feel bad enough to send me money)

wayne k
guam usa

 

[graphicwarning]

(as broke as I am, if someone high-jacked my CC info they might feel bad enough to send me money)

Haha I feel your pain, believe me!

 

[Pat Whatley]

You can space out all the icons how you want

I'm trying to avoid having to do that 6000 times.

 

[mrugen]

Treu Shape Nesting in FlexiSIGN

Try This in Flexi Pro:

 

[Pat Whatley]

That's perfect! I had to compound out the outline to get it to work but that's exactly what I was after. Thanks!

 

[signwizz]

i just tried and all it does is line it up like the first pic am i missing something lol

 

[Pat Whatley]

i just tried and all it does is line it up like the first pic am i missing something lol

Replace the first step with this....

Take the shape you want everything to fit into.

Outline it with .125".

Separate outline.

Compound original shape and outline.

Now go to step two.

 

[signwizz]

brilliant thanks pat that will come in handy
shane

 

[kheebl]

I am going to try this out. Might be useful someday.

 

[bob]

This has to sweep the upcoming competitions for the most obscure feature ever implemented in a graphics package.

 

[FrankW]

This has to sweep the upcoming competitions for the most obscure feature ever implemented in a graphics package.

True Shape nesting is a very useful tool not mainly for designing, but for production, for example to safe a maximum amount of media during cutting, printing and routing. What is shown in this thread is just a side effect. Flexi is not only a design software, but a production tool. Buying this option (is standard in Flexi Pro only) will cost hundreds of Dollars.

 

[bob]

True Shape nesting is a very useful tool not mainly for designing, but for production, for example to safe a maximum amount of media during cutting, printing and routing. What is shown in this thread is just a side effect. Flexi is not only a design software, but a production tool. Buying this option (is standard in Flexi Pro only) will cost hundreds of Dollars.

Regardless of the above rationalization, this remains the most obscure feature yet encountered in a long and checkered life.

If one were cutting sheets of gold or platinum or something perhaps worrying about this sort of thing might be productive. This is vinyl, by orders of magnitude the cheapest part of any job and seldom, if ever, worth fretting over. Moreover, the additional time spent weeding and dealing with the results of cutting such a monstrosity would far outweigh the negligible savings in media.

 

[J Hill Designs]

Regardless of the above rationalization, this remains the most obscure feature yet encountered in a long and checkered life.

If one were cutting sheets of gold or platinum or something perhaps worrying about this sort of thing might be productive. This is vinyl, by orders of magnitude the cheapest part of any job and seldom, if ever, worth fretting over. Moreover, the additional time spent weeding and dealing with the results of cutting such a monstrosity would far outweigh the negligible savings in media.

why assume its vinyl? this type of nesting to cut, say, 1/2" aluminum or acrylic, would be quite helpful for material savings.

 

[bob]

why assume its vinyl? this type of nesting to cut, say, 1/2" aluminum or acrylic, would be quite helpful for material savings.

Why? Because as far as I know, which may not be very far, Flexi drives vinyl cutters and engravers. If it does drive CNC machines then you have a point. Does it?

 

[Doc Savage]

Why? Because as far as I know, which may not be very far, Flexi drives vinyl cutters and engravers. If it does drive CNC machines then you have a point. Does it?

Look at the software package Enroute. The company I work for uses Flexi-Sign because it is directly compatible with Enroute. Which is the software package this was supplied with our first router.

 

[GB2]

So out of curiosity, I was poking around in Illustrator to see if it could be done there. You can use Envelope/Envelope Distort to nest objects in a shape like that but it distorts all the objects to fit. Since there is a plug-in for Illustrator that will do that properly, I figure there must be a way to do it manually without distortion but I can't seem to find it. Does anyone have any clue about doing it in Illustrator?