New to AxiDraw - issues with SVGs

lisbokt

I got our AxiDraw this week. It was pretty easy to get moving. We draw everything in Illustrator. I imported my design (which is all path objects, not text) and separated it out into layers to number them and then I go into hatch and I get this error:

Warning: unable to draw object <{http://www.w3.org/2000/svg}WCB>, please convert it to a path first.

I did some digging and did select all in all layers - path object to path. No go. I tried selecting each individual object and did path - union. This originally fixed the object in the layer I was working on, but I think it may have been luck.

When I attempt to draw with it, it does some objects fine and then others it draws in the shape, out of the shape, leaving gaps and coloring outside of the intended area. I am lost, I do not use Inkscape regularly (and at this point, after attempting to get this working for a solid 6 hours, I think I hate it). My shapes are all paths that I generated and they are all closed. I have used this original file on other CNC machines and it has no issue so I am unsure why Inkscape and the Axidraw do.

Any suggestions would be helpful.

Windell Oskay

On the "unable to draw object" issue: 

You seem to have found a bug that no one has ever reported before. I think that I can see how that can happen by looking at the source code. I will create a formal bug report for it, and it will be fixed in the next release of the software (hopefully sometime this month). 

In the mean time, please select the objects that you would like to fill before using the Hatch Fill command. (You can use the Edit > Select all in all layers command to select the objects that need to be filled, if you would like to fill everything.)

We have generally found that the method of previewing paths in the document (Section 10.2 of the user guide, "visualizing paths in your document") to give a reasonable preview of what will actually print. If you find that using this method does not give you a reasonable preview -- that is, if the machine is doing something significantly different than what you see there -- please contact customer support directly, and send us a copy of the SVG file that you're trying to print. We may be able to help identify the issue. 

I understand what you are saying about using Inkscape when you are used to Illustrator. I personally feel the same way when I use Illustrator or CorelDraw-- and we have (a surprising number of) other users who love Corel, and tell us the same thing when they have to use Inkscape or Illustrator.