Autocad import problem

[Stephen]

Hello...I received a simple 2D autocad drawing that is missing a lot of data during the import. There were no errors during the translation. I was told Autocad has a level 0 but MC doesn't, could this be part of the problem? Or is it something else?

[Tim Scott]

Stephen

Mastercam uses the different levels in Autocad as named levels in Mastercam. So level 0 from Autocad would be level 1 in Mastercam but named "0".

Your problem with missing data could be because the Acad drawing is not fully exploded.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

There is a "Paper Space" check box as well, did you try checking/unchecking it to see if the results were to your satisfaction? I use the AutoCAD translator all the time and it is relatively problem free.

[Phil Orenstein]

If you imported geaometry in dxf format it will be missing sline entities. Try Iges or dwg format and you shouldn't have a problem.

[Stephen]

I think part of the problem is that the sender of the AutoCAD file is not real experienced. He wasn't very familiar with the "exploded" command.

James is the paper space in AutoCAD or MC? I'm not familiar with that term or AutoCAD itself. Also there are no splines, just 2D lines, text, and dimensions...Thanks

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

AutoCAD 101(Please forgive me if I seem a bit rusty). You have essentially 2 "areas" that you can draw in. 'Paper Space" and "Model Space". Mastercam would be what you consider Model Space. Paper Space is how the part lays out on your Blueprint, and periodically you switch between the two (depending on your experience level) when drawing the part and when you do you Dimensioning etc... Some people never leave Paper Space (like most of the Engineers where I work) so Direct Translation works well. If there are entities on both Spaces, there is a check box you need to check so that things will come in corectly.

"Explode" refers to what the Engineer/Drafter sometimes needs to do with a DWG if it contains Solid Entities. I'm not sure exactly when it needs to be done.

Hope that helps.

[Phil Orenstein]

For best results have the sender save the drawing in model space and explode all entities to their basic components. If you have only lines, text and dimensions, then you can use the dxf format for translation which comes with Mastercam (dwg translator I think, costs extra and may not be available to you). Make sure they explode everything. Explode means reducing entities to their most basic components: lines, arcs, points etc.

Hope this helps,

Phil Orenstein

[Kerry]

i've had this prob or something similar to it.

for me it was simply that when i exported from autocad , i found that levels not turned on will not get exported