snigel79

Use transfertape to get the alignment of the letters correct, or the serialnumbers on the fins. What 3D-printing machine are you using?

I have tried "Gold mask" and find that it's reasonably sticky and flexible for canopymasks but is too easily distorted when the mask get much larger or intricate. It sticks to the backingpaper too much for masking the ID-letters on 1/48-scale RAF fighters for example unless a transferfilm is used. The smallest circles are not cut cleanly enough by the machine (maybe it is a speedsetting issue) so the smaller cirlcles are better cut by other means. It tends to curl very easily making placement difficult and gunks up the blade quicker than Oracal 810. I'd say using a transferfilm is a must when using Goldmask unless you're masking a canopy, nosecone or something like that. It will stick to compound curves almost as good as paint though. Is it a good maskingmaterial? It depends on what you're masking.

I have traced RAF WW2 aircraft code/serial fonts in Silhouette Studio (basic edition) and want to upload it. The software does not allow me to save it in any other format than Silhouettes own format, is it OK for me to upload it anyways despite it being for Silhouette only? If anyone with the higher tiers of the software would be willing to convert it for me to a more universal format like DFX or something that other cutters can use I would appreciate it.

Turns out at least "Goldmask" is too malleable to use in the way that I suggested in a previous post. It is also too flexible and sticky, low tack enough, but super-sticky as well somehow. And the machine made the circles less than perfect in that material. Have to try cutting at lower speed to see if the precision increases. It may be very good for things like canopy-masks or entire camouflage-patterns but for chochards, crosses and the likes; not so much as far as I can tell so far. And aligning the second mask with the first one turned out to be much easier said than done, mostly because of the properties of the material, it curls up as soon as it's lifted from the backing, sticks to pretty much everything it comes in contact with and is then promptly distorted... Might even get distorted getting it off the backing material. Does the oracal stuff come in rolls that fit the silhouette cameo 4? Or do I have to cut it up into peices to fit the machine? How does it compare cost-wise to artools maskingmaterials?

Some dude on RCuniverse.com I think it was typed in MS Powerpoint and exported it as a bitmap image and used the trace function in Silhouette studio. I tried that after exporting the font-file as a bitmap but it turned out to be quite a low resolution. Typing in powerpoint lets me use like 216 pt letters that results in quite smooth letters that can be reduced to the size I actually want. Otherwise the letters might look jagged because of pixles. At this point I just want to beat the software into submission, not work overtime to get around a problem that is specific to just silhouette (Ok, the problem with these fonts also occurs in iOS)

Its the RAF and RCAF fonts found here https://volareproducts.com/blog/?page_id=2343 and here http://www.l8ter.com/?p=896 They are the same fileformat as any other font in Windows though I don't know about all the various settings with "unicode" etc The AmarilloUSAF, USAFstencils and Blochschrift für flugzeuge works just fine for some reason, as does the General Aviation fonts. Does anyone here know how to create your own *.ttf files so I can "make" a font that will actually show up in silhouette or convert fonts to DFX or other vector-images that Silhouette Studios can read?

I did try it on my Mac, it too had problems with the exact same font-files, thouhg Windows/Offcie can use the font-files in question the Mac cannot use them at all. They seem to be corrupted somehow.

Does anyone here know how to FORCE Silhouette studio to recognise fonts that ALL other software on my PC recognises as installed? I cannot tell what makes one font compatible with Windows while not being compatible with Silhouette studio and another one to be. As usual, the ones who makes the software, both the people behind Windows as well as Silhouette Studio are no help at all, refering to a folder in Windows that simply is not there at all on my system. How I wish there was a way for me to point out the font-file for Silhouette Studio instead of relying on Windows to work as advertised. Maybe I should try my luck with Mac instead...

It might help to use a transferfilm and have the black and the white areas as seperate masks. By that I mean you create a mask that is actually two masks, one for the black and one for the white but both are transfered concurrently from the backingsheet to the substrate by means of a vinyl transferfilm to maintain alignment. After the black portion has been painted that mask is placed again aligning it with the "white" mask and the "white" mask is then removed, and so on. Either that or make sure that you make the masking stickers identical in size (outside dimension) smaller than the tailfins etc so that you can use one with the larger swastika to paint the white and then use the outer perimiters of this "background" mask as registration marks to place the "foreground" mask right on top of it. Thereby working your way from the outside in, if that makes sense. As an example, painting a RAF chochard (from out-side in blue, white and red); start with a square that has a large hole cut in its center for the blue, then an equal size square with a hole for the white etc. All you need to do is make sure each square is precisely aligned on top of the previous square. You actually only need to keep the very first one in place for the subsequent squares/colours. This gets more complex if you insist on painting lighter colours first as a dogmatic rule. Then again, I have been proven wrong on these kind of things many times, often by myself putting the ideas to the test. I might have to build more models so that I can try out more of my ideas.

I managed to find a manual in english in the folder where the swedish manual was located. Thanks anyways. It turns out the "Layers" function is not in the "Basic" tier of the software, it begins showing up in "Designer"

I think I need screenshots as the installation of the software is in swedish and I don't know what they have decided to call the "Layers Panel" or if I even have the right version or tier of the software to have that panel at all. They really should allow the user to switch language as desired/needed. Haven't seen a language setting anywhere in the software. I don't even know if I can force an installation in english to take advantage of community support, it forced a swedish installation on me because that is where I am or because that is the language of my OS install. In either case, it is quite difficult to use the software and slogg through tutorials when none of the fraises used are applicable to what I have to work with. I really need to get the manual for the software in english so I know what other users are talking about when they do their best to help me, feels like Silhouette does its best to stop people getting anywhere without asking them directly.

Is there a way to use an image as a canvas as it seems impossible to use "send to background", I have tried that several times but it never works. If I'm not very careful I risk selecting the "canvas" and move it instead of what ever it is that I actually want to move. Should I just give up and invest in Adobe Ilustrator instead?

Sorry about the angry tone of my post. I was very frustrated with the software. Some times when I tried to import an image to use as a background to draw over the images ended up outside of the work surface, being unmoveable and I could not select it so I could "send it to background". The procedure for doing the same thing in Fusion 360 seemed much simpler and I could tell the software that the image was in no way part of the design, just a template to get started. The people writing the manuals for the Silhouette studio software should have started describing the "Help" menue and point out the tutorials in the software before going over any of the other features in the software. In fact, they could have made the manual into a tutorial instead of having a screenshot of the software with vague descriptions of what each button do. I tried to draw a simple line, but I didn't see any line and it's not like there is an intuitive way to tell the software that I am done drawing. There seemed to be an oblject there that I could edit, it just was not where I wanted it to be and in a colour that stood out from the background. Again, comparing it to Fusion 360 where I get to click where I want the nodes to be and the software just draw new lines between the nodes until I tell it I am done. Is there some kind of description of what settings to use for different masking materials? What settings do you use for Artool Ultramask, Createx art-mask, Tamiya masking sheets etc Do I have to change these settings if I use the matt? I understand the machine compensates for the matt with regards to cutting depth, but do I have to change "pressure", passes and speed.

Can someone who have successfully used silhouette studios software to make masks please supply us with a step by step guide as to how to even draw a simple line, import a scan of a decal sheet to use as background, maybe even use the trace feature etc that do not SKIP 90% of the steps involved. I see a lot of tutorials that do not even get anywhere near explaining what button to push, what mouseclick does what. "You just do this and that, I am too lazy to explain the 4000 houres of cursing, blood-curdling frustration and screaming at the screen, or I just enjoy knowing that someone else is having to go through all that before they can even draw a simple shape" I know; read the effing manual! But that manual is not very well structured when it comes to teaching anyone who is a total newbee in the art of image creation/editing. It talks breafly about all sorts of features etc. It is NOT very helpful with exercises to get you into it gradually. For a total newbee it seems like it talks about the features like you've already outgrown Adobe ilustrator. I feel that if I am lucky I get to use the same command twice with the same outcome. How do I change the language of the effing software so that what I am seeing on my screen is litterarily the same as what some english-speaking fellow trying to help me is seeing on his/her screen? An example; "tracing" in swedish is "kalkera", but does the manual for the software call it that? NO, it does NOT; it calls it "spårning" wich would be an appropriate word if "tracing" was used in the context of tracing a phonecall, not in the context of tracing an image. Why call it "kalkera" in the software itself but "spårning" in the manual? Is the writing of the manual outsourced to someone who does not know the software, the language? Or in the most likely scenario, niether? Why does all the tutorials I see assume I am a seasoned user of image-editing software, an avid user of CAD/CAM and not someone who am just tired of effing up the decals? How do I import an image to use as a background with any grid added ON TOP OF said image. All I ever gett is an image that seem to be part of the design, sometimes I can move it around in relation to the "work surface" or what ever it is called. Should I just invest in Fusion 360 since that software actually allows me to draw lines and curves on top of an image while not getting confused which is used as just a reference and what is my actual work? I need someone to point at the screen in front of me to tell me what button to push, that is not going to happen so the next best thing is places like this. But no-one is showing their work, I am every bit like the hard-ass math-teacher in that way. I do not care about your awesome results, show me how you achieved them and do not skip anything (you don't have to account for every breath and heartbeat) I happened upon one "tutorial" on youtube that "explained" that most all national insignias was awailable on wikipedia as vectored images etc. No mention at all what other steps was involved to get a cut piece of tape to apply to the substrate! Imagine this; the USAF puts a pilot through some training in the T-38, just to check that they can fly something a littel faster without killing themselves. After that they'd hand them a booklet describing the features of the F-16, not on how and when to use them mind you. Would you expect a pilot with that kind of traing to be useful for anything more than target-practice for the F-15 and SAM community ? It is sort of the same with this; you somehow managed to register your machine on-line, now you are assume to be an expert user that have NOTHING to learn from anyone. In closing of this rant, if anyone have actually come to read this far into it; What I am looking for is tutorials for people that can barely scan a picture to have as a file on the computer. A tutorial that takes any idiot, myself especially from the point of being that computer-illitirate to having a paintmask ready to apply. I know the Skyraider was sketched on a cocktail-napking, that was harldy the only thing the factoryworkers had to go on when they built the thinga. Why is it that all we have for tutorials are "cocktail-napkings"