Import AutoCAD to Cut2D problems

[ricket]

For a variety of reasons I haven’t use my CNC stuff for more than a year and now I seem to have forgotten everything I knew. With the house and workshop to myself for the weekend I thought I’d get on with a project that has been waiting for ages but I seem to have fallen at the first fence with this problem.

I have done a 2D drawing of profiles, pockets and some drilling in AutoCAD. Having cleaned it all up, got rid of construction lines, made profiles in to polylines etc I saved it as a DXF file.

I then opened Cut2D and even fired up the tutorial to remind me what to do. I have set the material to 75mm x 75mm x 30mm which is larger than the subject to be imported and cut.
I clicked the import button. Selected the DXF file and clicked open and the pop file selection window closed but no profile was imported. No error messages or clues were shown.

Scratching my memory for reasons I saved the AutoCAD DXF file as a 2000version file due to some vague memory of Cut2D possibly not liking the 2007 version [but that memory might apply to something completely different such as the etching company I use only having old AutoCAD]. Anyway it had the same result, nothing imported.

Next I shortened the file name as it was a bit long winded and still used the old format but that didn’t work either

Next, as I sometime get in a tangle with the AutoCAD units-mm selection I tried opening the DXF file in CorelDraw to make sure I hadn’t drawn it 67km across instead of 69mm but it imported to CorelDraw at exactly the right size.

Finally I saved it from CorelDraw to a new DXF file name and tried importing that DXF into Cut2D. This time the profiles imported but way undersize from what was drawn. 1/10th of what it should be i.e. 6.9mm wide instead of 69mm. I can see how I can select all and then pull this to a new large size but I can’t see how I ensure it’s the right size.

Other info – PC is running Win7, the cad program is AutoCAD 2009, Cut2d is V1.1

An undisturbed weekend in the workshop is way too good a chance to miss out on so I am really hoping there is someone out there who a) can’t sleep or is somewhere where it isn’t night yet and b) can say, “do this” or “ do that” and it’ll be fine. I really would appreciate your assistance. If it’s easier to reply directly my e-mail is paul <at> ngtrains.com. I’ll be here with my fingers crossed that someone can help

Thanks in anticipation

Paul

[Tony Mac]

Hello Paul,

Try exporting the design as AutoCAD R14 DXF

Tony

[ricket]

Hi Tony

Thanks for the suggestion. AutoCAD2009 doesnt have the R14 dxf option, it has 2007, 2004, 2000 and R12 dxf versions. I have just tried it with an R12 version and still nothing imports.

Clutching at the via CorelDraw straw, I have sorted the scale issue as CorelDraw saves its version of DXF it changes the mm to cm if you don't spot the option box as you do it. Ching the export units to mm means it exports it the right size. That does produce a DXF that will import but there is another problem. The import of the CorelDraw DXF appears to have distorted what should be round holes in to more sort of rectangles with rounded corners. There are distinct flats to the shape although the Cut2D says the X & Y values are correct for the diameter of the holes.

Any more straws I can have a clutch at?

[there's no pressure here but there is a steam engine in north wales restored and ready to run apart from the bits

[Tony Mac]

I would have expected the R12 DXF format to work.

Email both the DWG and R12 versions of the file to me
and I'll take a look and get back to you.

Tony

[Tony Mac]

Paul,

Looking at your files and the R12 DXF does open correctly in Cut2D.
So not sure why you cannot open this file?

As suspected - the DXF does have an origin offset (X 223.6 and Y 168.17)
You need to,

Open the DXF and on the Material Setup Form,

Uncheck - Use Origin offset
Select - Center vectors in material

I would not recommend using Corel Draw to convert the files as this is
changing / squashing circles - creating polyline vectors. Exporting from
AutoCAD as R12 DXF should work for you.

Attached is the R12 file opened > saved in Cut2D

Tony

[Home Shopper]

I had the same problem when I started using Cut 2D but now I always save my AutoCAD files in the R12 version and they always import ok.

[CurtisU]

Allow me to revive this thread.

I've had a long break from Cut2D so my memory is pretty fuzzy about this subject though I recall having some issue between the old and new versions on my machine, perhaps crv files related.

Problem is that the latest Cut2D will not open a Rhinoceros CAD DXF R12 Lines & Arcs files. Attempting to "Open an existing file" gives me the option to select a DXF file but they won't open. A CRV file opens fine and I have no problem with "Creating a new file".

I can open the same DXF in the old version of Cut2D, save the project as a CRV and open it in the new Cut2D but what's the fun in that?

Thanks, Curtis

[Adrian]

The usual way with DXF files is to import the vectors rather than opening them directly. Try that although it sounds like from what you're saying that does work as you mention the creating a new file option which is the first step to importing vectors.

I've not come across a file that I could import but not open directly (where allowed) before though so could you attach a file that shows that behaviour? What actually happens when you try to open them directly?