Dxf scale import issue

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Lumenautica
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Dxf scale import issue

Post by Lumenautica »

Hi All

We are having a little issue with Vectric v carve pro version 11.007.

I am issued with dxf artwork for machining which is created in a number of programs but recently we have found issues with opening dxf's in version 11 as when opened they are over 90% larger than they are meant to be the files originate from Adobe illustrator.

Can anyone offer any advice as we require the standard units of measure to translate across the different programs.

thanks Chris

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Adrian
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Re: Dxf scale import issue

Post by Adrian »

How are you opening them? Directly or via import into an existing job? I generally work more with EPS and SVG but the few DXF's I do get from my customers all seem to be fine in V11.

Do you have a sample file you could attach?

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martin54
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Re: Dxf scale import issue

Post by martin54 »

If it were me & the files were created in Illustrator then I would be asking the customer to supply the files in EPS format, been using that as a signmaker for 20 odd years with cad cut vinyl & always found it to be the best cross software option. You will bet far fewer nodes with EPS than you do with DXF as well :lol: :lol: :lol:
Not sure if illustrator exports as SVG but if it does then that would also be a better option from what I have read

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adze_cnc
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Re: Dxf scale import issue

Post by adze_cnc »

Illustrator does export SVG. VCarve does import native Illustrator files ( .ai ) as well.

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martin54
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Re: Dxf scale import issue

Post by martin54 »

adze_cnc wrote:
Tue Sep 14, 2021 6:28 pm
Illustrator does export SVG. VCarve does import native Illustrator files ( .ai ) as well.
Reason I didn't mention ai files is because I have had problems with ai file import in the past (not with vectric software) when adobe have changed the export filters for ai files & the software I used had not got the latest import filters, eps has a standard that software developers follow so this sort of issue doesn't happen :lol: :lol: :lol:

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Lumenautica
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Re: Dxf scale import issue

Post by Lumenautica »

Thanks for the reply's guys.

I did suggest EPS to see if that works and it does, just strange that the same file exported as a DXF then opened with either the import or direct open has a scale issue in version 11 but not 10.5.
I've attached sample files if some one with 11 can try the dxf to see if its maybe a local setting issue.
(Skull).eps
(1.47 MiB) Downloaded 48 times
(Skull).dxf
(208.54 KiB) Downloaded 44 times
for now I'm happy to have eps files, but I'm keen to work out the scaling issue on the dxf files.

thanks Chris

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Adrian
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Re: Dxf scale import issue

Post by Adrian »

I'm assuming the skull is meant to be around 335mm tall?

One change that I can remember reading about with V11 compared to V10.5 with DXF imports is that they are no longer unitless. Before V11 a file that was 335 tall would be 335" in an imperial job and 335mm in a metric job.

According to the value of INSUNITS in that file it's defined in inches so it will scale up to 8,500mm and be 335" in an imperial job.

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Lumenautica
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Re: Dxf scale import issue

Post by Lumenautica »

Adrian wrote:
Wed Sep 15, 2021 9:50 am
I'm assuming the skull is meant to be around 335mm tall?

One change that I can remember reading about with V11 compared to V10.5 with DXF imports is that they are no longer unitless. Before V11 a file that was 335 tall would be 335" in an imperial job and 335mm in a metric job.

According to the value of INSUNITS in that file it's defined in inches so it will scale up to 8,500mm and be 335" in an imperial job.
Hi Adrian

That's correct 335mm tall.

with what you've stated does that mean that its Illustrator causing the issue assigning 1 to the insunit on output rather than the 4 for mm and with V11 now reading the insunits this is causing the file to scale based on these units.

seems a strange bug I will investigate further but will use EPS files from now on from illustrator.

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Re: Dxf scale import issue

Post by Adrian »

Yes, it's sounds like Illustrator is outputting the file as inches. If there's no option to change it then I guess it's hard coded in their export.

I changed the value of INSUNITS to metric (4) in the file and it imported correctly so it's definitely the issue.

EPS, as you're using now, is the better option anyway as it has other advantages over DXF such as bezier curves. If you import both versions and go into node edit you can see the difference. Hundreds less nodes in the EPS version.

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Re: Dxf scale import issue

Post by adze_cnc »

Adrian: attached is the Illustrator DXF/DWG export dialog.
image_2021-09-15_095742.png

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Adrian
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Re: Dxf scale import issue

Post by Adrian »

adze_cnc wrote:
Wed Sep 15, 2021 5:57 pm
Adrian: attached is the Illustrator DXF/DWG export dialog.

image_2021-09-15_095742.png
Looks like selecting mm in that export so 1 unit = 1 mm should sort it.

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Lumenautica
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Re: Dxf scale import issue

Post by Lumenautica »

So noticed a strange issue since the last update

with a file having its insunits set to 1

If I import with the software import vectors button its still out of scale

If I open the dxf from the desktop the software is now recognising the units as Inch so its the correct size.

but now I've got a workaround for dxfs from AI.

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Re: Dxf scale import issue

Post by Adrian »

That's how I would expect it to work.

If you've got a file in inches and open it by double clicking then the VCarve job will be created in inches and the vector will be a 1:1.

If you create a metric job and import an inches DXF then it will be scaled as noted during the thread. Create the job in inches and import then it behaves the same as opening directly.

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