find a picture that you want cut into some object

The picture should be line art, not made of shades of gray, and relatively simple in its design.

Save the picture to your hard drive

If the picture is online, save a copy of its link so you can come back to it.

If you need to modify the picture, you can do that in paint, gimp, photoshop or whatever you like.

convert the picture to a vector image

You can use several different programs to do this.

One program that works is Raster to Vector www.raster-vector.com

Save the vector in .dxf format to your hard drive

Open the vector image in Shopbot Part Wizard

Choose Create new Model

set the table size to 96" x 48"

Set your thickness to the thickness of your workpiece

Choose top of block

Hit enter

Choose the import vectors button

Find your dxf file on the hard drive

check the intersection settings, make sure they are reasonable.

When you hit enter, you should see your image in the bottom left corner of the workplane.

Zoom in to see what your image looks like.

Create a toolpath

The button is way down on the panel on the left

Choose either an outside or inside profile

select a profiling tool

name and calculate your toolpath

Your toolpath should show up in red along with your image

Save your file.

Save your toolpath

At the bottom left of the part wizard window, there are three tabs.

The middle tab is toolpaths

When you click on it, there will be three buttons

Save toolpath should be on the left.

click on save toolpath, choose shopbot router inch

choose save, name your file.

close the save dialog window.

Open the Shopbot software

attach your material to the table

jog the router to the lower left corner of your workpiece

zero the x, y and z axis to the workpiece

run the part

Choose Part file execute from the file menu

If you want to change the size, you can change the proportions of x, y and z

over 1 is bigger, below is smaller

click start and the machine will give a warning tone

start the router

watch your part get cut

Take your part off the tool bed

here are some photos

http://flickr.com/photos/connors934/tags/picturetoshopbot/

This page might help you get started

http://snowball.pbwiki.com/StephenMc

here are some pictures that were used to develop the ideas on this page:

http://www.europeafloat.com/images/germany_map_waterways.gif

http://z.about.com/d/geography/1/0/K/J/mexico.jpg