Easy vector to HPGL conversion

Tips & Tricks
1

Just stumbled across this. There is a free program called Dia (http://live.gnome.org/Dia/) that can easily convert SVG files into HPGL files compatible with front panel express.

So: lay everything out in FPE -> print the panel as a PDF (i.e. cutePDF) -> open in Inkscape -> delete everything that you dont want to be a HPGL object -> save as SVG -> open in dia -> save as HPGL -> import back into FPE (some scaling will be required, haven’t found the right scale number yet) -> save money

***big addition (this is from a recent thread on SDIY)

There is a free program called uniconvertor that will also convert SVG to PLT but intalls a plugin to inkscape to allow saving to PLT from inkscape as well!

http://sk1project.org/modules.php?name=Products&product=uniconvertor&op=download

2

As a sidenote, you can also use a free trial version of corel draw downloadable from corel. It only works for 30 days, but that should be sufficient, if you have a one-shot project.