# Need help converting Cameo Studio file to SVG



## concrete5 (Apr 8, 2015)

My wife has a cameo studio silhouette cutter & software, & we are helping her mom make personalized aprons as xmas presents. My wife had version 1.9 of the software, but it made her upgrade when she bought an image to cut. 

The cutter is somewhere in storage, so we decided to get the vinyl cut by a nearby company. Problem is that they can't use the .Studio file or .gsp file. After googling how to convert to a vector file, I've read that it can't be done with versions 2.0 or later...but easily done with version 1.9 or earlier. D'oh!!

Can anyone with software 1.9 or earlier please help us convert a studio file to a vector file so we can get this image cut? My MIL is stressing about these aprons and is calling us every day!!


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## AngelicEndeavour (Aug 12, 2013)

I'd like to know too! I created a design in Silhouette software, and then decided to order plastisol transfers instead, which required the design to be vectorized. I wound up recreating it in PowerPoint, and created a photo (.jpg) -- someone here on the boards was nice enough to vectorize it for me.

I will be watching this thread carefully... Hopefully there's a way, and someone knows how.


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## dcbevins (Jul 31, 2011)

I have no experience with Silhouette Studio. I feel your disgust that the newer version doesn't do something needed that the older version did.

I have read about and conversed with people about Silhouette Studio. From what I gather most of the shapes are simple shapes as one would expect going to a cutter.

Having said that, and since you have an xmas deadline approaching soon, I will suggest a less than optimal solution that might work out just fine.

You would need to save the file as a raster or bitmap image, say .bmp, .jpg or .png, or failing that you could just use the print screen button on your keyboard to copy a snapshot of the screen to the clipboard of the art and use a raster program, (like gimp or paint,) to paste into, crop, (if needed,) and save. You could also just use a screen capture program. Then you could use Inkscape, (a free vector program,) to attempt an auto-trace of the image. For simple shapes, Inkscape's auto-trace often does well.

Note you have to open/import the raster image into Inksape then use the trace bitmap option. Failing to use the trace bitmap option and just saving will produce an svg file with an embedded bitmap unsuitable for cutting, with no vector objects. You must do the trace.

Also, the trace result will most likely be on top of the original imported bitmap. You have to delete the bitmap, leaving just the traced result before saving as svg. As the results of the trace is right on top of the bitmap, you may have to move it to the side a bit to see underneath, otherwise it might not seem like anything happened. You could also lower it to a position on the page underneath the bitmap. With an object highlighted in Inkscape, the status message at the bottom will tell if it is a bitmap or a vector object or group of objects.

Just hit the trace button once and try moving it to the side. Spamming the trace button can cause grief. You can always use undo to go back a step and fiddle with the parameters.


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## dcbevins (Jul 31, 2011)

AngelicEndeavour said:


> I wound up recreating it in PowerPoint, and created a photo (.jpg) -- someone here on the boards was nice enough to vectorize it for me.\


Inkscape is, for all practical purposes, all there is in free vector 2d graphics. If you recreated it in Inkscape instead of PowerPoint, it would already be vector. It's worth a look. If your using Silhouette Studio Designer Edition which can import SVG, then it is a no-brainer, unless you go commercial. Being free, it is still very capable, even beats the commercial ones in an area or three.

As I understand, Silhouette Studio Designer Edition vs the normal edition can import svg files. That is a big reason to upgrade. I understand also it has nesting, which saves material, and some rhinestone abilities.


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## AngelicEndeavour (Aug 12, 2013)

dcbevins said:


> Inkscape is, for all practical purposes, all there is in free vector 2d graphics. If you recreated it in Inkscape instead of PowerPoint, it would already be vector. It's worth a look. If your using Silhouette Studio Designer Edition which can import SVG, then it is a no-brainer, unless you go commercial. Being free, it is still very capable, even beats the commercial ones in an area or three.
> 
> As I understand, Silhouette Studio Designer Edition vs the normal edition can import svg files. That is a big reason to upgrade. I understand also it has nesting, which saves material, and some rhinestone abilities.


I actually do have the Designer Edition. But if the design was in Silhouette DE first, then you would have to export it, not import it, no? Could you describe what you mean, step by step?


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## Dekzion (May 18, 2015)

My Studio prompts me every now and then to upgrade but I always decline. Did it once and promptly rolled it back! 
Use your search tool to find the original image and copy it to somewhere you can find it. even if you find it in the studio you can 'save as' by highlighting it.
Once you have it just drag it from window to window onto the studio. works every time and saves third party pennies. 
The Cameo is fantastic but the company just try and monetize everything. un-install the upgrade and re-install the original.
@trevor, pm me and I'll deal with the image.


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## dcbevins (Jul 31, 2011)

AngelicEndeavour said:


> I actually do have the Designer Edition. But if the design was in Silhouette DE first, then you would have to export it, not import it, no? Could you describe what you mean, step by step?


Doing all your design's in Inkscape would mean they were all vector based and you would have access to a range of new features. I was suggesting to you, switch to Inkscape for your designs. Switching to Inkscape would only make sense if you can import svg into your cutting software. It would make no sense to design in a format, (svg,) that your cutting software can't import. Inkscape's native save format is svg. I am saying consider switching to Inkscape, but more broadly consider switching to any Vector based package, Inkscape just being a free choice. Vector has benefits in this field of endeavour, beyond just dealing with a cutter. I use Corel Draw primarily, but it is far from free. I use cutting software that mostly just cuts and doesn't do design.

In my reply to you I was addressing just trying Inkscape and your previous problem with having to use PowerPoint, not the other problem Trevor was having of converting. If you had tried the auto-trace in Inkscape, you could have avoided the need to recreate in PowerPoint, so it is the same in that regard. However, designing in Inkscape to begin with, means it is already vector, with no need to vectorize.

The auto-trace in Inkscape method in my response to Trever could possible give him a solution. If the Silhouette software could export svg there would be no need to search for another solution. If it could export svg, that would make it a Vector based graphic program. The internal workings of the Silhouette software must be vector based to drive a cutter, but with no svg, eps, ai or other such vector export ability, it is not truly vector based for many applications. So you are right about export in that regard.

It really and truly STINKS that what the company is doing is holding people hostage to their software. It is, like I said, obviously doing vector graphics internally. They are limiting export and import options to keep you hostage to their software by crippling important functions. Plus you need the software to drive the cutter, this also is hostage taking. This has been about ways to free the hostages.


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## kheebl (Nov 26, 2014)

Can you upload your image here and someone could probably vectorize it for you. If you send me it I would be more than happy to do it for you.


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## concrete5 (Apr 8, 2015)

kheebl said:


> Can you upload your image here and someone could probably vectorize it for you. If you send me it I would be more than happy to do it for you.


Attached is the zip file of the daffodil image we are looking for in a Vector file format. We would really appreciate it if you (or anyone else) could help us out!!

Thanks!


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## concrete5 (Apr 8, 2015)

Dekzion said:


> @trevor, pm me and I'll deal with the image.





kheebl said:


> Can you upload your image here and someone could probably vectorize it for you. If you send me it I would be more than happy to do it for you.


The vector has been uploaded in my previous post. I have also sent a PM to Kekzion. 

If anyone could help asap, I would greatly appreciate it. If the uploaded zip in the previous post doesn't work, send me a PM with your e-mail address and I will forward you the studio3 file. My Mother-in-Law is coming over tomorrow and my wife is stressing out about this and asking me to deal with it. I'm out of my element in converting the file.

Please and Thank you!!


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## kheebl (Nov 26, 2014)

I tried to open your file but I am unable to with any of my programs, could you upload a .jpg or png and I can vectorize it for you.


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## AngelicEndeavour (Aug 12, 2013)

kheebl said:


> I tried to open your file but I am unable to with any of my programs, could you upload a .jpg or png and I can vectorize it for you.


Nope -- he won't be able to -- it's the same problem I ran into with my alien eyes job. When saving a file in Silhouette software, you can save it to the library, or you can save it somewhere else in your computer, but the only format is Silhouette Studio Document format, which is not readable by any other program!

I suggest that the OP take a picture of the design from his computer screen, and let someone else create a design that's similar, and the same dimension. Believe me, I tried "every which way to Sunday" -- but he's backed into a corner. Once the design is created in Silhouette, there's only their format to save it in.


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## dcbevins (Jul 31, 2011)

If the design is open on your screen any screen capture program will make it into a raster image file you can save. Or, you could use PRINT SCREEN button on the keyboard and paste it into a raster editor, then save. I can't open .studio files either.


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## tippy (May 27, 2014)

Open the file in Silhouette Studio
Copy the image
Open CorelDraw
Paste the image
Trace 
Export as .svg
Attach to forum post


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## Dekzion (May 18, 2015)

That worked great Tippy! I opened that zip with IE and saved image as a png.
what did you open the daffodil file with? I even downloaded the V3 studio which blew the crap outaa my design studio and had to eventually restore 3 days and re-install V2 complete.

The cameo is a great bit of kit but the demon in the woodpile is them wanting to lock you down and charge for everything.

here's the result in png thanks to Tippy. good work!


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## concrete5 (Apr 8, 2015)

Thank you thank you thank you!!!


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