exporting dxf

[112275]

When I export my sheetmetal part to DXF format the lines are in segments. Is there a way to join all the segments to form a single line.

thanks in advance

 

[TheTick]

I assume you mean the phantom lines representing the bend zones.

Right-click the view and change the tangent edge settings

-OR-

You could change the line fonts in your document options.

-OR-

overlay some sketched lines and constrain them collinear with your dashed lines.


All this machinery making modern music can still be open-hearted.

 

[MadMango]

I think 112275 is looking for closed-loop polylines, something found in AutoCAD and other 2d CAD packages.

You cannot join the sketch segments and have a continuous line in the DXF. That's a result of the translation to DXF.

MadMango
"Probable impossibilities are to be preferred to improbable possibilities."
Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[rocheey]

Or, if you mean the edges of your part are colinear in the flat pattern, but you are coming up with a few line segements that should/could represent a single line, there may be a fix.

If you have a Flat-Pattern FEATURE in the part, unsuppress it, RMB, select "Edit Definition", and select "merge faces".

Now a Flat Pattern view in a Drawing will have the lines combined. You could also do this only to a derived flat pattern configuration.

If you do not have a flat pattern *feature*, or are using 3rd party exporters which simply 'unflatten' the part, you could also create a derived configuration, where the part is already flattened, and add your own simple extrudes along the total length of the offending edges.

 

[112275]

it,s a simple sketch with no bends exported to autocad using DXF format. Say a square with fillited corners. we have to use autocad to join all the segments to create a toolpath for cnc. can all the segments be joined in solidworks then saved as DXF so i can email it to our cnc shop where autocad is used to nest the files.


THANKS (sorry for being du%*)

112275
engineering assistant

 

[112275]

will another format work to acomplish my task?

112275

 

[J-C]

If you are using sw 2004, you could possibly use a "Fit Spline". 2003 has the function but it's not quite as powerful.

Select the sketch entities, go to Tools/Spline Tools/Fit Spline. You will most likely have to edit the tolerance to get an accurate spline. Also select "delete geometry" to get rid of the original sketch.

regards,

Jason Capriotti
ThyssenKrupp Elevator

 

[rocheey]

I'm not sure Id want a default exporter 'interpreting' my data on export.. besides, it might be just as easy in Acad..."Pedit", "Join", [select all], and if you get a "Close" option available, the polyline is open.

Make sure to re-export as r12; r13 and newer polylines are classified as "lightweight polylines" and a lot of dxf exporters wont catch that.

 

[112275]

thanks for the help