topic Re: Old Cad file convert or open in AutoCAD Forum

Old Cad file convert or open

comeollas — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 10:55:47 GMT

Hi, and first thanks for your time and help.

I need to open a cnc file with schematics from a manufacturer. I can't open the file in dwg viewer, fusion... in all software i tried.

Today i tryed to copy the heather of the file (opening the file in notepad) and i pasted to chatgpt, and chat gpt say this file is from autocad 2004 and in ANSI (chinese).

I tried various converters online, open in autocad online... anyone can help me to convert this file to a actual format?

Thanks to all!

Re: Old Cad file convert or open

pendean — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 13:31:45 GMT

Your DXF file is damaged: that's why nothing out there can open it based on your experiments, and quick testing here in Bentley software, eDrawings viewer and AutoCAD.

You'll have to do some manual edits to try and fix it: you can use Windows NotePad and online guides like
https://help.autodesk.com/view/ACD/2022/ENU/?guid=GUID-D939EA11-0CEC-4636-91A8-756640A031D3
https://ezdxf.readthedocs.io/en/stable/dxfinternals/filestructure.html
https://damassets.autodesk.net/content/dam/autodesk/www/developer-network/platform-technologies/autocad-dxf-archive/acad_r12_dxf.pdf

Re: Old Cad file convert or open

TheCADnoob — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 14:46:26 GMT

This is an incomplete file. You cannot convert it. It's not all there/it's broken. Have them send you a complete file.

It looks like your file ends abruptly in the the blocks section. It is missing an ENTITIES section as well as the EOF (End of file) designation.

You could try adding those sections to the file and see if it works, but my guess is that it will be much easier to get a completed file from manufacture. It would likely take a lot of effort to try and rebuild it from the text side of things and would not likely work anyway.

For more information on the file structure check out:

https://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/autocad_2012_pdf_dxf-reference_enu.pdf

https://ezdxf.readthedocs.io/en/stable/dxfinternals/filestructure.html

Re: Old Cad file convert or open

comeollas — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 18:02:56 GMT

Thanks for your time.

I don't understand all how it works, and i don't know what part of the file are gone...

The manufacturer it's impossible to acquire another file, i think the better solution is take a picture (bird view) from the board and scketch the board in f360.

I need only the screw positions and exterior dimensions for a make a case with the cnc.

I appreciate your time 🙂

Re: Old Cad file convert or open

autoid374ceb4990 — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 14:57:35 GMT

I don't know if this will help, but the attached DXF file contains all of the LWPOLYLINE entities that I could extract from your 96.DXF file. The last entity in your DXF file was an incomplete LWPOLYLINE entity.

Re: Old Cad file convert or open

ChicagoLooper — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 15:29:20 GMT

Hi @autoid374ceb4990

Your line weights are too thick. They're too fat.

The lines have varying global widths, for example 0.10, 0.20, 0.24, 0.48. You'll need to reduce the line width.

Or manage the line weight using the Layer Properties Manager.

If you decide to manage the line weight on a ByLayer basis through the Layer Props Mgr (to improve visibility), then make the Global Width=0.

You may use more than one layer to host your lines. If you wish, you may give each layer a different line weight, color, and line type.

Re: Old Cad file convert or open

autoid374ceb4990 — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 15:43:30 GMT

You are correct. The line weights were assigned in the original DXF file. Assuming that the OP has AutoCAD he should be able to reconstruct the drawing and get the coordinates he needs. I tried it in the attached picture.

Re: Old Cad file convert or open

comeollas — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 15:51:46 GMT

Hi, thank for your time.

This file content in theory have a lot of drawing, it's a pcb of a full computer keyboard.

I think it's to much work to recreate the file, i attach a image of the pcb and if the file only contains this little chip it's unnecessary to try to regenerate it and waste time.

Re: Old Cad file convert or open

autoid374ceb4990 — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 19:17:48 GMT

Not that it matters, but how does your original DXF file fit into the PCB board?

Re: Old Cad file convert or open

comeollas — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 19:56:40 GMT

Maybe i doesn't explain correctly (i not english native).

I don't understand "how does ... fit into the pcb", in theory this file is the file with all schematic and drawing of the pcb, included the drawing of the pcb with holes, dimensions... (not only the electronic schematic, i don't know the correct word for the drawing of the physical pcb).