axi_pixel_plot

Plot bitmaps through your AxiDraw. Or lets say its not really plotting, its 'dotting'.

Main Features:

• Plot any monochrome bitmap via pyaxidraw
  • 1-bit bitmap: 'dot' if value == 1
  • 8-bit bitmap: 'dot' if value < 250
• Resolution: 20 dots per cm / 0.05mm
• Example: 70cm x 50cm print = 1400x1000px bitmap
• Progress is displayed via tqdm progress bars
• If plot is aborted, the remaining plotting data is stored in a recovery file to resume plotting

Tech

axi_pixel_plot uses open source libs and open data to work properly:

• tqdm - A Fast, Extensible Progress Bar for Python and CLI
• Pillow - The friendly PIL fork (Python Imaging Library)
• pyaxidraw - Software for the AxiDraw drawing machine

Installation

1. Clone this repo
2. Install the requirements for this script

pip3 install -r requirements.txt

3. Test the script to get some plot metadata via the included test.bmp

python3 axi_pixel_plot.py --analyse test.bmp

4. Plot the included test.bmp (plots a 2x1cm square / 188 pen-downs)

python3 axi_pixel_plot.py --plot test.bmp

5. Get help via

python3 axi_pixel_plot.py -h

Notes

• This script is not plotting lines, it is pure pen-down / pen-up action -> This takes a while ;)...
• Movements are not optimized, reducing x/y movements could be easily done I guess.
• This script was tested on OSX and rpi4
• To run it on your raspberry: sudo apt-get install libxslt-dev libopenjp2-7 libtiff5 libatlas-base-dev prior to the pip3 install
• I made some good experience with the Stabilo Fineliners for the pendown/penup action -> recommended tool of trade

Have fun

License

MIT