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Computer pattern-making

I've been very interested in the recent discussion about computer hacks 
to figure trans & costs.  I wasn't aware of the volts-per-foot formula.

I've tried man to hack a spreadsheet to figure prices on neon.  I have yet
to devise anything that works smoothly.  Anyway, that's another thread I'd
like to discuss later. 

Since all of you have computers, I assume that many of you use them for
pattern making.  I use it extensively, and I'd like to share some of my
techniques and see what the rest of you are doing.  I have had a computer
during my entire neon career, and I've always used it for patterns.  Alot
of local neon folks snicker at me saying I never learned to "hand letter." 

I started by simply running clear acetate thru my laser printer, then use
an overhead projector.  I still use this method for some stuff. 

The last 5 years or so I've pretty much used Adobe Illustrator (very
similar to Corel Draw on the PC) for all patterns.  It's been
indispensible for large, complex, multi-unit signs where everything has to
fit in harmony.  I don't have a plotter, so I usually just "tile"  pages
together.  Once I've designed the graphic, I use the program to outline a
path 12mm (or 10, or 15, etc) around my lines.  I then reverse it, draw in
my crossovers, and it makes a great pattern.  Especially easy to see thru
screen if you use 3 pt thick lines. On occasion I've output to a friends
plotter, but it's not really necessary, as most of my units will fit on
just 2-4 pages. 

Text has been a little tougher for me.  After I enlarge the pattern to
full size, I usually magnify and see what thickness the characters
actually are.  Normally they're thicker than my glass (ie: 20mm) and I
again use the program to offset 2-5mm and give me a 12mm letter.  This
method has some problems, as it's sort of time-consumming and often the
letters need to have their size and spacing tweeked. 

Recently, I've been trying to make some single-line fonts (with
Fontographer) that remain the same width no matter what size you enlarge
them.  After everything is scaled up, I just use the program to auto-trace
around the letters 5mm (for a 10mm tube, for example).  This method works
much better.  The output looks just like a neon tube, sot it's a good
preview of the finished piece.  I played around with the program "Neon
Wizard," and I believe this is how they've done it.  Wizard provides you
with about 10 "neon fonts" and the program does all sorts of fancy stuff
with them. 

I believe it would be possible to write an Adobe "Plug-In" for illustrator
that would invert, outline to x-mm, and delete the original artwork in one
keystroke.  That's a future project possibly. 

I haven't perfected the line fonts.  I am not a font designer (it's harder
than it looks!) and have had some problems with kerning & spacing. 

Anyway, I'd be interested in what the rest of you do with your 'puters for
pattern making. 

      -John Anderson