[Rik H]

Solidworks to DXF lost in transltion.

I have just spent a couple of days on a solidworks drawing (still learning hence the time spent) then saved it as a DXF. I opened it in solidworks DXF viewer and hell it looked so bad. Yet in solidworks it looks good hell it looke great.
Is there any thing I shoould know about this to prep before the save as ?

Any thoughts or rambling would be nice folks.

[CNC Lurker]

What Solidworks DXF viewer? Do you mean Draftsight? Draftsight - absolutely free CAD program LINK

What version of SW are you using? How did it look bad, what was wrong with it? Was it a drawing with just the part and you saved-as DXF, or did it have all the text and dimensions also?

[JerryFlyGuy]

Do a search on the topic, it is discussed every 2-3 months so there is lots to read on the subject.

[Rik H]

it was the DWG editor by solidworks, solidworks 2010 premium, it was a small tank barrel flash arrestor. In solid works I made the part with curves when saved as DXF it for want of a better word changed the curve into a stepped ark no curve just small streight lines.
so when the gcode was used from the drawing it turned out a very poor part.

[kelef]

hi'ya Rik H, I guess you mean a muzzle guard, and therefore do you mean a 105mm full guard, or 120mm scaled model(e.g. 1/8th full size), what did you use to generate gcode e.g. MasterCamX did you alter any standard settings-need a bit more inf. zip the file and/or results-:rainfro::rainfro::rainfro: kman

[CNC Lurker]

it was the DWG editor by solidworks, solidworks 2010 premium, it was a small tank barrel flash arrestor. In solid works I made the part with curves when saved as DXF it for want of a better word changed the curve into a stepped ark no curve just small streight lines.
so when the gcode was used from the drawing it turned out a very poor part.

Was the curves in SW made with splines? What version of DXF did you save it as? If i remember correctly, R12 DXFs do not have splines so it converts splines to lines.

[Rik H]

Yes it was made with splines. I tried it as a part drawing from solidworks to lazyturn from artsoft ( I dont think this is the problem) it is how the DXF was saved I think is the issue I have with part drawings. please see these two files one is the solidworks file and the other is the DXF saved from it:tired:

[CNC Lurker]

Yes it was made with splines. I tried it as a part drawing from solidworks to lazyturn from artsoft ( I dont think this is the problem) it is how the DXF was saved I think is the issue I have with part drawings. please see these two files one is the solidworks file and the other is the DXF saved from it:tired:

Only one file was posted, the DXF. This forum only recognizes certain file types. To post different ones, compress them to a zip file and upload the zip file.

By the way, in case you didn't know how, you can choose which version of DXF you want to save-as. I always choose r14 (see screenshot).

[Rik H]

This is a link to all the files for the barrel. Thanks for the help and info on this.


Link to zipped file with solidworks and DXF

[CNC Lurker]

This is a link to all the files for the barrel. Thanks for the help and info on this.


Link to zipped file with solidworks and DXF

I saved-as a DXF and mine came out much smoother, but it was still straight lines not arcs. I pick on you DXF where the spline was and there are about 13 straight lines. The one I saved has about 65 lines to make up that spline.

I also noticed your scale is out of whack. On your SW drawing, make sure the part is set to sheet scale. Then on your save-as DXF options, pick the checkboxes to enable 1:1 scale (see screenshot). Change the settings and save as r14. By the way, checking the checkboxes that say "export all splines as splines" still saved the splines as lines.

[Rik H]

If it did the same for you splines to lines have you any idear what I did wrong?

[M250cnc]

If it did the same for you splines to lines have you any idear what I did wrong?

Obviously not.

Did you checkout the post i put on mycncuk ?

I have never used that function till now "B Splines" it is so easy i can't understand why it is a problem with SW

Phil

[CNC Lurker]

If it did the same for you splines to lines have you any idear what I did wrong?

Make a new file in your CAD program using splines, just a random shape. Next import that DXF into your CAM program and see if it recognizes splines. If it doesn't recognize splines then the focus would not be on having splines in your DXF file.

[CNC Lurker]

Obviously not.

Did you checkout the post i put on mycncuk ?

I have never used that function till now "B Splines" it is so easy i can't understand why it is a problem with SW

Phil

What post are you talking about, never been on that site, but it says there are 17,505 posts. Could you narrow it down by 17,504 posts?

[M250cnc]

What post are you talking about, never been on that site, but it says there are 17,505 posts. Could you narrow it down by 17,504 posts?

You don't know what you are missing.

User demo of OneCNC Cad/Cam

Rik asked me to do a demo of OneCNC i have added a couple of 5min videos. I have never used the B Splines function but it is so easy i cannot understand why SW is so difficult.

Phil

[Rik H]

Ello m8 and yes I did see the vid very nice and thank you so much for it.
I looks to be a very good bit of kit you got there.
I like the look and the feel of what I've seen from yours and other vids on youtube.
Not seen any of the CAM side of it yet but would lie to just to know.
I have been in contact with them but no reply to the emails I have sent to them as I would like a ball park figure of what the setup would be.
The only people that wont leave me alone are BobCam and thers is cheap and for now I suppose I could learn to love it, I think there was a case back a while with beauty and the beast I think there still togeter or was that a fairy tale lol FYI that was just a joke and I'm the beast.

[kelef]

You don't know what you are missing.

User demo of OneCNC Cad/Cam

Rik asked me to do a demo of OneCNC i have added a couple of 5min videos. I have never used the B Splines function but it is so easy i cannot understand why SW is so difficult.

Phil

sorry to but in M250, but my impression is that Rik H and Kai on MYCNCUK are the same questions, if not the same project - I am just to slow to post to either - kelef

[CNC Lurker]

You don't know what you are missing.

User demo of OneCNC Cad/Cam

Rik asked me to do a demo of OneCNC i have added a couple of 5min videos. I have never used the B Splines function but it is so easy i cannot understand why SW is so difficult.

Phil

How much does OneCNC Cad/Cam cost, I didn't find a price on onecnc.net.

**Edited, not the forum, changed it to onecnc.

[M250cnc]

sorry to but in M250, but my impression is that Rik H and Kai on MYCNCUK are the same questions, if not the same project - I am just to slow to post to either - kelef

Rik H & Kai are one & the same. I was just trying to attract his attention.

Phil

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

[M250cnc]

How much does OneCNC Cad/Cam cost, I didn't find a price on onecnc.net.

Sadly they do not have the prices,you have to call, but they do not pursue you like another company I could mention.

Phil

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk