Vectorized Classic Tektronix Logo

The Tektronix Circuit Computer sports the most ancient of many Tektronix logos:

Tek CC Logo - scanned
Tek CC Logo – scanned

It’s a bitty thing, with the CRT about 0.7 inch long, scanned directly from my original Tek CC.

Import the PNG image into FreeCAD at 0.2 mm below the XY plane, resize it upward a smidge so the CRT is maybe 0.8 inch long, then trace “wires” all over it:

Tek Logo - FreeCAD tracing - overlay
Tek Logo – FreeCAD tracing – overlay

Given FreeCAD’s default gradient background, the wires definitely don’t stand out by themselves:

Tek Logo - FreeCAD tracing - vectors
Tek Logo – FreeCAD tracing – vectors

Several iterations later, the vectorized logo sits at the correct angle and distance from the origin at the center:

Tek Logo - FreeCAD tracing - rotated
Tek Logo – FreeCAD tracing – rotated

The cheerful colors correspond to various “groups” and make it easier to find errant vectors.

Rather than figure out how to coerce FreeCAD into converting wires into proper G-Code, export the vectors into a DXF file and slam it into DXF2GCODE:

Tek Logo - DXF2GCODE vectors
Tek Logo – DXF2GCODE vectors

Export as G-Code, iterate around the whole loop a few times to wring out the obvious mistakes, indulge in vigorous yak shaving, eventually decide it’s Good Enough™ for the moment.

Protip: set DFX2GCODE to put “0” digits before the decimal point to eliminate spaces between the coordinate axes and the numeric values which should not matter in the least, but which confuse NCViewer into ignoring the entire file.

Tinker the script running the GCMC source code to prepend the logo G-Code to the main file and it all comes out in one run:

Tek CC - with vectorized logo - cutting
Tek CC – with vectorized logo – cutting

That’s the top deck, laminated in plastic, affixed to a Cricut sticky mat on the MPCNC platform, ready for drag-knife cutting.

Assembled with a snappy red hairline:

Tek CC - Classic Tek Logo vectorized - red hairline
Tek CC – Classic Tek Logo vectorized – red hairline

Isn’t it just the cutest thing you’ve seen in a while?

It needs more work, but it’s pretty close to right.

4 thoughts on “Vectorized Classic Tektronix Logo

  1. Your site needs “like” buttons! You have really done an awesome job recreating this.

    1. My yak is downright bald!

      I should put some on Tindie (or whatever) to see if anybody likes ’em that much … [grin]

      1. You should definitely do that. Let us know when you do.

    2. I agree, they have really improved and are quite crisp now. I think they would pass for an original that has been sealed with argon.

Comments are closed.