I Need DXF Files

[robgrz]

The title says it all. I’m adding some features that will require the loading of 2D DXF files and I need to get an assortment to be able to test my code. All CAD programs tend to do things a little differently and DXF files are really a pain in my experience as a CAD user. Ideally, I would like the following:

A small file with some lines, arcs, circles, and maybe a freeform curve.
-The files should only have a few entities so I can debug it manually if I have to.
-The curves should be converted to polylines on save.
-Please name with file something based on the name of the CAD program and the settings used to generate it. -For instance rhino4-acad2004polylines.dxf if it were from Rhino with the “Autocad 2004 Polylines” save option.

You can send them to me or just add them to this thread.

Thanks in advance-
Robert

[Randy]

Here's one, Robert. It seems that DXF's need to be zipped for the forum software to accept them here.

Randy

[Gerry]

As I mentioned in the news section, I think if you restrict your .dxf version to 12 (or oldest possible), you'll have far fewer headaches. V12 works with virtually all 2D CAM packages, but newer .dxf version give people a lot of headaches.

The main reason is that older .dxf versions support far fewer entities, so you won't have the CAD program using a different entity than your looking for.

Here's a v12 .dxf from AutoCAD (2009, but it shouldn't matter if saved as v12). Two polyline squares, one with rounded corners. Two more identical exploded into lines and arcs, and a circle.

I hope we're going to be able to define machining areas? If so, can the 2D entities be in the same .dxf as the mesh? (if the mesh is a .dxf, and not an .stl)

[robgrz]

Gerry-

Thanks for the DXF tutorial. I always feel the need to use the newest format but I had no idea that V12 was what I really wanted. That should help a lot.

-Robert

[krispeyy]

Old version of autocad.

[erth64net]

Ohh, I'm smelling the possibility of better 2.5D support; wouldn't that be awesome! I'm currently evaluating a host of really awkwardly-designed apps for that 2.5D support, and MeshCAM would become my tool of choice for not just 3D stl/step-->Gcode conversion, but also for DXF-->Gcode if there were features to minimize Z axis movements when just wanting to quickly mill/route/profile/pocket/drill...wouldn't that be great!

I use eMachineShop as my CAD app, so here's a DXF export from that.

FWIW, I've also attached an stl version of the file...this takes upwards of 6 hours to mill on my Sherline 2010.

[jeffD]

erth64net ,

Welcome. We tend to be friends here, at least one of us really will only respond to people with real names.
At least make one up and I'll be happy.

jeffD

[erth64net]

erth64net ,

Welcome. We tend to be friends here, at least one of us really will only respond to people with real names.
At least make one up and I'll be happy.

jeffD

Hi JeffD,

I don't see an intro section in the forum, although this /nick is what I've traditionally used for over a decade... My name is Gregg. If you google erth64net you'll also hit a few personal sites of mine, including http://gregg.berkholtz.net, http://www.berkholtz.net & http://www.tocici.com

[Randy]

...MeshCAM would become my tool of choice for not just 3D stl/step-->Gcode conversion, but also for DXF-->Gcode if there were features to minimize Z axis movements...

Gregg (there is no intro section here but it's polite to sign posts with a name--my nick all over the place is zephyr9900 but I always sign my posts with my name...), read through the Rough outline cutting questions thread in the general forum here. MeshCAM is already not far behind SheetCam in the efficiency of its 2.5D machining at this point. Granted, you do need to use an STL rather than DXF for the input, but I'm used to doing a solid model, exporting STL for MeshCAM, doing a 2D top view of the model and exporting that as DXF to put into SheetCam. And yes, MC doesn't do drilling yet, but I do all my drilling gcode from a macro directly in my CAD program. It's too much of a hassle to set up 4 different drills into toolholders, measure and enter into the tool table, just to poke a few holes with each in a master CAM-generated file. I mount the drill chuck, and run individual little gcodes for each drill, which I touch down individually to reference Z.

Randy

[erth64net]

...MeshCAM would become my tool of choice for 2.5D DXF-->Gcode if there were features to minimize Z axis movements...

read through the Rough outline cutting questions thread in the general forum here. MeshCAM is already not far behind SheetCam in the efficiency of its 2.5D machining at this point.

Thanks for the pointer, although I caught someone else posting for help w/ 2D/2.5D and went to the same forum thread he was pointed towards. It didn't quite answer all my needs, as I've been using the waterline function to simulate 2.5D for a couple months now; some things go great, such as a centrifugal fan, although for items with only a little bit of X/Y clearance between surfaces, I see quite a bit of Z axis usage (try the STL that I attached w/ a 3.075mm endmill).

Granted, you do need to use an STL rather than DXF for the input, but I'm used to doing a solid model, exporting STL for MeshCAM, doing a 2D top view of the model and exporting that as DXF to put into SheetCam.

I've only used STL w/ MeshCAM, so I can't speak to trying with DXF. Although I've heard a lot about SheetCAM, and am currently poking at G-Simple...neither app is near as intuitive & straightforward as eMachineShop. Back around 15 years ago I enjoyed using AutoCAD R12/R13 for quite a bit of mechanical design work, maybe its time to poke at that engine again.