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
• Multi-color plot tips: Suggestions for improving precision of multi-pen plots
• 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 (outline) font based on your handwriting at calligraphr.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 the AxiDraw "EBB" Firmware

For Developers

• EBB Command documentation, for direct control of the EiBotBoard control board that powers the AxiDraw
• 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.
• The simplified "Scratch" API, installed with and implemented by RoboPaint.
• 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. It includes tools for shell-based control as well as python APIs for plotting files and XY movement commands.

Third-party software to drive AxiDraw:

• AxiTurtle: Turtle graphics control of AxiDraw in Processing, based on AxiDraw-Processing.
• 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
• Genau A Processing boilerplate for AxiDraw
• kinect-axidraw, for driving the AxiDraw with Kinect and Processing.
• AxiDraw and Processing Example - for running AxiDraw via the cncserver API
• "Axidraw Processing Client" a Processing based driver for AxiDraw that takes G-code
• axi: Unofficial Python library for working with the AxiDraw
• AxiServer API based on axi

Additional resources of interest to developers

• ln, "The 3D Line Art Engine" is a vector-based 3D renderer written in Go. It is used to produce 2D vector graphics depicting 3D scenes.
• TouchDesigner SOP to SVG pipeline, Targets the process of converting TouchDesigner Surface Operators (SOPs) to SVGs so they can be plotted or laser cut. Handy for use with procedurally generated geometry.
• Pen Plotter Art & Algorithms explores JavaScript workflow with AxiDraw and generative art.

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
• Legacy AxiDraw support: For Pre-2016 AxiDraw models with white plastic chassis
• Contact Form at Evil Mad Scientist for all other queries, including customer service and spare parts.