pdoCutter

A tool to prepare pdf files exported from Pepakura for cutting machines.

Full documentation is on the way. Meanwhile, here are the basics:

Features

• Creates full PDF files with registration marks which can be printed at once
• While meant for PDFs exported from Pepakura, this should work with any PDF file with vector cutlines
• Take advantage of automatic registration marks reading with Silhouette cutting machines (something not reliable enough in Pepakura viewer for Silhouette Cameo), producing accurate cuts with no manual adjustment nonsense

TODOs

• Allow users to change general settings:
  • Output folder
  • Path appearance
  • File output options
• Create registration marks directly, making templates optional

Requirements

• Pepakura Viewer or Designer
• Any decent PDF Printer
• Adobe Illustrator (tested with CC 2014, but should work with CS6)
• Silhouette Connect is not needed, but strongly suggested to take full advantage of the workflow

Installation

1. Download the latest release
2. Copy the project files into your Adobe Illustrator Scripts preset folder. For example, for Illustrator CC 2014 (english version) these would be the paths:

• OSX: /Applications/Adobe Illustrator CC 2014/Presets.localized/en_US/Scripts/
• Windows: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator CC 2014\Presets\en_US\Scripts\

3. Restart Adobe illustrator
4. Go to File -> Scripts -> pdoCutter -> pdoCutter

Alternatively, you can avoid installation and use File -> Scripts -> Other Script... to launch pdoCutter.jsxdirectly.

Usage

2. Configure Pepakura to print vector lines:
3. Go to File -> Print and Paper settings
4. Activate the print lines clearly (vector) option
5. Disable fold lines.
6. Print your model and select the PDF printer
7. Launch pdoCutter
8. Select the generated PDF file
9. Select a registration marks template
10. Specify a page range
11. Press start and wait for the process to end. A silhouettefolder should be created.
12. Print the silhouette/print.pdf file
13. If you have Silhouette Connect installed, open the corresponding silhouette/cut/<page number>.aifile and send the file to Silhouette Connect as usual.