Difference between revisions of "Framing and Pen Centering"

Revision as of 10:36, 22 December 2010

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Centering

Warning: This discussion assumes that you are using v2.1.0 or later of the Eggbot Control extension. You can check which version you are running by selecting the "*" tab of the Eggbot Control extension.

1. The first step in centering your drawing on your egg is to center your drawing relative to the top and bottom edges of your drawing page. You can either do this manually or by using Inkscape's alignment tools. In either case, begin by selecting everything in your drawing with the "Select All in All Layers" item of the "Edit" menu. To then manually center, select the "Selection" tool from the left edge of the Inkscape window. That's the tool whose icon is a pointer; it should be the top most tool in the vertical stack of tools along the left edge. With that tool selected, then click in your drawing page and then while holding the mouse button down, drag the selection to center it. To instead center using the alignment tools, choose the "Align and Distribute" item of the "Object" menu. An alignment window will appear along the right edge of the Inkscape window. In the "Relative to" field of that window, select "Page". Next, check the "Treat selection as group" checkbox. Finally, click on the vertical centering icon: that's the third from the left icon in the second row of icons.

2. In the Eggbot Control extension, go to the "Options" tab. Ensure that the "Start with pen centered" checkbox is checked. If it is not checked, then check it and then click the "Apply" button. The "Start with pen centered" option tells the Eggbot that where the pen is positioned when you begin your plot is the point in the center of your Inkscape drawing page. Specifically, if your Inkscape drawing page has the dimensions width × height then the pen is positioned at the (x, y) point (width / 2, height / 2).

3. After you have loaded your egg or other object into the Eggbot, center the pen at a point half way between the egg's poles. You are here telling the Eggbot that you've positioned the pen at the midpoint of the egg's height.

4. From the "Plot" or "Layers" tab, click the "Apply" button to begin a new plot. Your drawing should be well centered on your egg.

Framing

Are you instead having problems with your drawing extending too far to either end of your egg? If so, then here's some framing tips.