trouble with dxf

[perseid88]

I have some pretty simple dxf files from a customer that don't seem to open properly in MC X4.

I can open them with other software and re-export them as another dxf file and then they open fine.

 

I have this problem with both XP and Vista on different computers and different installations of MC.

 

For some reason I can't get into the ftp site to leave a copy of the file either by logging in or anonymously.

[jonahelisio]

Do you know what program your customer uses to create the DXF files?

 

Our waterjet guy had trouble opening some of out Autocad DXF files when ellipses were not refined into other geometry first. I have never had this specific problem with Mastercam though.

[perseid88]

I do not know what they use. Everything drawn on one level. Nothing but geometry. Arcs only is all I see. Round flange plates.

MC sees no entities.

 

I'd like to post the file on the ftp if someone could tell me whay I can't.

Or I could email it to someone.

[MotorCityMinion]

Mayby.. edit, select all, change the color and see what happens.

[Pete Rimkus from CNC Software Inc.]

perseid88,

I'd be happy to take a look at the DXF file(s).

 

One thing I can think of right off the bat is that it's only 'paper space' entities and no 'model space' entities. By default, we blank 'paper space' entities since we assume that there are some model entities and it would look like a mess if they ended up on top of each other.

You can uncheck the 'blank paper space entities' checkbox in File/Open/Options/Masking when opening the file or in Config/Converters to change it for good.

 

Or after opening one of these DXFs, go to Screen/Unblank/All Entities.

[perseid88]

Yes, I tried that as I have another customer where I have to uncheck that.

 

I am going to send you the dxf now. Let me know if it opens any different for you.

[Pete Rimkus from CNC Software Inc.]

I tried opening this DXF file in AutoCAD and it’s stored in the AutoCAD 2010 format - ACAD 2009 gives me an unknown version error, but ACAD 2010 reads it in.

 

We still don’t support import of AutoCAD 2010 data in Mastercam. We rely on a third-party to provide us with libraries for parsing the AutoCAD format files and they have still not officially released their ACAD 2010 support. I was hoping this could be accomplished in our soon-to-be-released Mastercam X4 Maintenance Update, but it doesn’t look like they’ll make it. We’ll have to release a patch when we are able to support ACAD 2010.

 

Your choices, until then, are to continue using SigmaNest or to ask your customer to put the files out to an earlier version format.

[Jack Sierra Cad/Cam]

Try getting the file as an IGES. I've had the same problem when trying to open dxf from Pro-E.

[perseid88]

Quote:

"We still don’t support import of AutoCAD 2010 data in Mastercam."

 

Has there been any progress made here? I'm getting more and more files from customers using this and I'd like to be able to import them.

[Mcam Nut]

Back in V7, dxf files seemed to work great with mastercam, but I find in more recent versions they don't work that well, and usually ask for a different type of file

[Pete Rimkus from CNC Software Inc.]

We're going to be putting out an update to X4 Mu1 in the very near future and this update will include support for ACAD 2010, SolidWorks 2010, Wildfire 5 as well as fixes and tweaks to just about all the CAD file importers.

 

McamNut...our V7 DXF reader was incredibly crude and barely supported most DXF entities. It was better in some ways in the way that it could handle badly formatted DXF files. That same functionality still exists in the DXFRescuer C-hook which is a last resort when our usual File/Open can't handle a DXF file because of the way the data is formatted.

Of course, I'd rather take a look at the problematic DXFs that you've encountered and see if there's anything we can do to improve File/Open.

[MachineSMMC]

Do you have a specific date in mind for the update? We would like to move forward with SolidWorks 2010 but we cannot until MasterCAM can import the files.

 

Thanks

[Pete Rimkus from CNC Software Inc.]

No specific date other than "any day now".

In the meanwhile you can go forward with SW 2010 and save your parts as Parasolid files to get them to Mastercam.