khlick / gcode-converter

This project was created to support hobbyists and professionals in laser engraving, providing an easy way to convert common file formats to G-code.

Laser Engraving G-code Generation Tools

This repository contains tools for converting SVG and PNG images to G-code for use with laser engravers. This project was created to support hobbyists and professionals in laser engraving, providing an easy way to convert common file formats to G-code.

svg_to_gcode.py

Converts SVG paths to G-code.

Usage

python svg_to_gcode.py <svg_file_path> <output_gcode_path> --power=<laser_power> --feed_rate=<engraving_speed> --longest_side=<max_length_of_cut> --center_offset=<X_offset,Y_offset>

• <svg_file_path>: Path to the input SVG file.
• <output_gcode_path>: Path to save the generated G-code.
• --power: Laser power setting (default 1000).
• --feed_rate: Feed rate (speed) for engraving (default 1000).
• --longest_side: Optional. Length of the longest side of the engraving in millimeters.
• --center_offset: Optional. X and Y offset in millimeters to center the cut.

image_to_gcode.py

Converts PNG images to G-code by tracing the image contours.

Usage

python image_to_gcode.py <image_path> <output_gcode_path> --power=<laser_power> --feed_rate=<engraving_speed> --longest_side=<max_length_of_cut> --center_offset=<X_offset,Y_offset> --threshold=<threshold_level>

• <image_path>: Path to the input .png image file.
• <output_gcode_path>: Path to save the generated G-code.
• --power: Laser power setting (default 1000).
• --feed_rate: Feed rate (speed) for engraving (default 1000).
• --longest_side: Optional. Length of the longest side of the engraving in millimeters.
• --center_offset: Optional. Center offset (X, Y) in millimeters to align the center of the scaled cut.
• --threshold: Optional. Thresholding level for processing the image (default uses adaptiveThresholding).

Installation and Environment Setup

Clone the repository and navigate to the repository directory:

git clone https://github.com/Khlick/gcode-converter.git
cd gcode-converter

To use these tools, we recommend creating a Python environment using venv or conda. Activate the environment and install the required Python packages.

Using venv

python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows use `venv\Scripts\activate`
pip install -r requirements.txt

Using conda

conda create --name myenv python=3.8
conda activate myenv
conda install --file requirements.txt

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Examples

Converting an SVG to G-code

Produce a cut of the following svg:

python svg_to_gcode.py img/example.svg gcode/example1.gcode --power 1000 --feed_rate 600 --longest_side 45 --center_offset (40,40)

Produces the following gcode (read into LaserGRBL v5.7.0):

Converting a PNG image to G-code

Produce a cut of the following svg:

python image_to_gcode.py img/example2.png gcode/example2.gcode --power 1000 --feed_rate 600 --longest_side 50 --center_offset(20,20)

Produces the following gcode (read into LaserGRBL v5.7.0):

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Dependencies

• Python (3.12.0): A high-level, interpreted programming language known for its ease of use.

Installed Packages

• OpenCV-Python: A library of Python bindings designed to solve computer vision problems.
• Matplotlib: A comprehensive library for creating static, animated, and interactive visualizations in Python.
• Numpy: A fundamental package for scientific computing with Python.
• svgpathtools: A collection of tools for manipulating and analyzing SVG Path objects and Bezier curves.

To install these dependencies, run the following command:

pip install opencv-python matplotlib numpy svgpathtools

Alternatively, you can use the provided requirements.txt file with the following command:

pip install -r requirements.txt

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References

For more information on the usage and capabilities of the tools used, please refer to the official documentation:

• Python Documentation
• OpenCV Documentation
• Matplotlib Documentation
• Numpy Documentation
• svgpathtools Documentation

Please ensure you have the correct version of Python installed and the above packages updated to their latest versions to avoid compatibility issues.

License

This project is open-sourced under the MIT License (see LICENSE for details).