AxiDraw

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

Introduction to the AxiDraw

• Purchase AxiDraw V3 at Evil Mad Scientist shop
• Index of AxiDraw models and Accessories 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:

• Inkscape Beginners Guide
• A quick guide to Inkscape, from microugly, featuring hints for Illustrator users.
• The unofficial manual, "Inkscape: Guide to a Vector Drawing Program"
• FLOSS Inkscape Manual, from the makers of free manuals for free software
• Inkscape Documentation, at Inkscape.org, with links to official and unofficial tutorials and manuals
• 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 AxiDraw software, for drawing single-stroke text.
• 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.
• Generative Hut Cinema4D tutorial - A step by step tutorial on how to use Cinema4D to plot with the Axidraw.

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
• AxiDraw MiniKit, the compact DIY kit version of the AxiDraw

For Developers

• GitHub Project, where AxiDraw software is hosted
• "Stand-alone" CLI version of the AxiDraw software, for command-line or shell use
• AxiDraw Python API for plotting files and XY movement commands
• EBB Command documentation, for direct control of the EiBotBoard control board that powers the AxiDraw
• 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.

Third-party software to drive AxiDraw:

• saxi: Unofficial Scala library + UI for working with the AxiDraw
• axi: Unofficial Python library for working with the AxiDraw
• AxiTurtle: Turtle graphics control of AxiDraw in Processing, based on AxiDraw-Processing.
• AxiBot - Headless control software for the AxiDraw
• AxiDrawJS - High-level javascript based control system for AxiDraw, from Ubilabs
• 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
• AxiServer API based on axi
• fawkes: For driving the AxiDraw with R.
• Figma plugin: Unofficial Figma Plugin for working with the AxiDraw, based on saxi
• Grasshopper Plugin

Generative artwork and 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.
• TurtleToy -- Turtle art creation with SVG output

Support Resources

Places for questions, answers, and sharing experiences:

• Contact Form at Evil Mad Scientist for all other queries, including customer service and spare parts.
• Discord channel -- a chat forum for technical support.
• New plotterfiles.com -- a site for sharing SVG files for plotters

AxiDraw @ Thingiverse where you can share AxiDraw-ready SVG art-- or programs that generate art

Additional support resources:

• AxiDraw Forum at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories
• Software Issues List @ GitHub, if you have a software bug to report
• Legacy AxiDraw support: For Pre-2016 AxiDraw models with white plastic chassis

Translations

Japanese (日本語)

• AxiDraw (日本語トップページ)　(英語ページ)