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Welcome to inkscape-silhouette!

Inspired by the power of inkscape, and studying several other projects that attempted to control machines with an inkscape extension (most notably InkCut and Eggbot), I've created my own version of an inkscape extension to control the Silhouette Cameo, here is the code: inkscape-silhouette.git.

I consider this project in late beta state, meaning it is fully functional judging from my tests, but I have a roadmap for further 'enhancements'. The photos below illustrate what we have so far. Testers welcome; I need your feedback (especially from Windows users, please)!

There is also an article at instructables about this plugin with detailled instructions at https://knoxmakers.org/wiki/Silhouette

Linux installation

• https://github.com/fablabnbg/inkscape-silhouette/releases
  Scroll down to Downloads and click on the *.deb file.
• If you get an error message about python3-usb 1.0, then please try

  apt install python3-pip python3-setuptools
  pip3 install --upgrade pyusb

  or

  apt install python3-usb

Windows Installation

• Download and install the free test version of winzip from http://www.winzip.com
• Download https://github.com/jnweiger/inkscape-silhouette/archive/master.zip
• Download and install http://sourceforge.net/projects/libusb-win32/files/libusb-win32-releases/
• x86\libusb0_x86.dll: x86 32-bit library. Must be renamed to libusb0.dll
  On 64 bit, Installs to Windows\syswow64\libusb0.dll.
  On 32 bit, Installs to Windows\system32\libusb0.dll.
• X86 ONLY ARCHITECTURES:
  x86\libusb0.sys: x86 32-bit driver.
  Installs to Windows\system32\drivers\libusb0.sys
• When you get a number of options, chose the printer option.
• If you don't have python installed, then install the latest stable version.
• Download and unpack http://sourceforge.net/projects/pyusb/
• cd C:\Python27\Lib\pyusb-1.0.0b1
  \Python27\python.exe setup.py install
• Navigate to your Downloads folder and double-click on inkscape-silhouette-master.zip
• Click open the inkscape-silhouette-master folder.
• Select the following three items (with Ctrl-Click): silhouette, sendto_silhouette.inx, and sendto_silhouette.py
• Extract to My Computer C:\Program Files\Inkscape\share\extensions
• untested: if you have a Silhouette Studio CD, install the device driver. Then your Silhouette Cameo may show up as a printer device and the extension could now work. If not, installing pywinusb might help.
• somehow(?) install pywinusb into C:\Program Files\Inkscape\python\Lib\site-packages
• work more magic (please let me know if you succeed)
• Restart inkscape
• An error message 'ImportError: No module named usb.core' means you are close, but pyusb was not correctly installed. Please check, if there are multiple python installations in your system, e.g. one that came with inkscape.

Can you do this without a cutting mat?

This is what is possible after saying from silhouette.Strategy import MatFree:
Note how tiny and fragile these objects are! (80g printer paper)

Extension -> Export -> sendto_silhouette Dialogue

The machine in action; click the image below for a video!

See the Aluminum pen-holder? It's a fruit of my father's milling machine.