AxiDraw

This page is the central documentation site for AxiDraw from Evil Mad Scientist.

Introduction to the AxiDraw

• Purchase AxiDraw at Evil Mad Scientist shop
• axidraw.com, the official site.
• Introducing Axidraw: Announcement article about AxiDraw (V2) at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories
• Introducing Axidraw V3: Announcement about AxiDraw V3 at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories

Getting started with AxiDraw: Essential documentation

• AxiDraw User Guide
• AxiDraw Software installation

Tutorials

Getting started with Inkscape:

• FLOSS Inkscape Manual, from the makers of free manuals for free software
• The unofficial manual, "Inkscape: Guide to a Vector Drawing Program"
• Inkscape Documentation, at Inkscape.org, with links to official and unofficial tutorials and manuals
• A quick guide to Inkscape, from microugly, featuring hints for Illustrator users.
• Inkscape for Adobe Illustrator users
• Inkscape FAQ with many answers about common questions.
• Inkscape Extension Gallery Featuring additional helpful Inkscape plugins

Advanced topics and tips

General Usage

• Pen choices for AxiDraw
• Import formats that Inkscape accepts, from the Inkscape Manual

Typography and Handwriting-like fonts

• Hershey Text, Inkscape extension (included with Inkscape) for drawing single-stroke text. Also includes links to many handwriting-like fonts.
• Make a free font based on your handwriting at myscriptfont.com or paintfont.com
• A compendium of information about single stroke fonts
• A large number of scanned handwriting-like fonts are available for free at vLetter

Advanced design topics

• Tracing images in Inkscape
• StippleGen stippling software
• TSP art, a technique for drawing likenesses of photographic images, based upon the Travelling Salesman Problem
• RapidResizer Tracer - A free online tool that can trace the centerline of drawings or signatures.
• jSignature - A tool to capture your signature as you sign it.
• Inkscape Generator - An extension to auto-replace text in your document with data from a CSV file
• AxiDraw Layer Control: How to specify different pen-down height and printing speed in each layer of your artwork.
• Capturing Handwriting: How to use a graphics tablet or tablet to input handwritten text.

Software

• Using AxiDraw with RoboPaint

Example files

• AxiDraw basic example set

Hardware

• EBB documentation, for the EiBotBoard that powers the AxiDraw
• Updating EBB firmware

For Developers

• GitHub Project, where AxiDraw software is hosted
• AxiDraw-Processing: Examples for driving the AxiDraw from within Processing
• robopaint repository at github. RoboPaint is a stand-alone, Javascript-based application for driving art robots.
• The "CNCserver" API, installed with and implemented by RoboPaint.
• The higher-level "RoboPaint" API, installed with and implemented by RoboPaint.
• EBB Commands documentation, for the EiBotBoard that powers the AxiDraw
• A "stand-alone" CLI version of our python-based AxiDraw control software is now available in private beta for AxiDraw users. Please contact us if you would like to participate.

Third-party software to drive AxiDraw:

• AxiBot - Headless control software for the AxiDraw
• AxiDraw-xy Python code for running AxiDraw via the cncserver API
• AxiDrawProcessing2 - Simple demo of control from within Processing
• AxiDraw and Processing Example - for running AxiDraw via the cncserver API

Support Resources

Places for questions, answers, and sharing experiences:

• Support Forum at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories
• AxiDraw @ Thingiverse where you can share AxiDraw-ready SVG art-- or programs that generate art

Additional support resources:

• Software Issues List @ GitHub, if you have a software bug to report
• Contact Form at Evil Mad Scientist for all other queries, including customer service and spare parts.