topic Re: reduce size DXF ilogic inventor in Inventor Programming Forum

reduce size DXF ilogic inventor

mayla_difrancesco — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 14:26:19 GMT

I wrote some ilogic code to export a DXF from an .ipt file. How can I reduce the size of the DXF? Each time, it's about 11,000 KB, but the laser that cuts the DXF supports a maximum of 1,000 KB. The code is below.

' ===========================================

Dim DXFFolder As String = "C:\Desktop\ETICHETTE e LOGHI\DXF"

Dim oDoc As Document = ThisDoc.Document
Dim DXFName As String = Matricola & ".dxf"

If Not IO.Directory.Exists(DXFFolder) Then
    IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(DXFFolder)
End If

Dim DXFAddIn As TranslatorAddIn = ThisApplication.ApplicationAddIns.ItemById("{C24E3AC4-122E-11D5-8E91-0010B541CD80}")
DXFAddIn.Activate()

Dim oDataMedium As DataMedium = ThisApplication.TransientObjects.CreateDataMedium
Dim oContext As TranslationContext = ThisApplication.TransientObjects.CreateTranslationContext
oContext.Type = IOMechanismEnum.kFileBrowseIOMechanism
Dim oOptions As NameValueMap = ThisApplication.TransientObjects.CreateNameValueMap

' ============================================================
'              OPZIONI DI ESPORTAZIONE "LIGHT"
' ============================================================

' Versione CAD più leggera
oOptions.Value("Export_AcadVersion") = "R12/LT2"

' NIENTE bending lines
oOptions.Value("Export_IncludeBends") = False

' Converti spline in polilinee (riduzione enorme peso!)
oOptions.Value("Export_Spline_Approx") = True
oOptions.Value("Export_FlatPattern_SplinesAsPolylines") = True
oOptions.Value("Export_PolylineMaxPoints") = 25       ' riduzione punti
oOptions.Value("Export_Tolerance") = 0.2              ' maggiore = meno peso

' Solo contorno esterno
oOptions.Value("Export_OuterProfile") = True

' Disattiva layer non necessari
oOptions.Value("Export_IncludeHiddenLayers") = False
oOptions.Value("Export_IncludeAnnotations") = False
oOptions.Value("Export_IncludeCenters") = False
oOptions.Value("Export_IncludeHiddenLines") = False
oOptions.Value("Export_IncludeHatch") = False

oDataMedium.FileName = IO.Path.Combine(DXFFolder, DXFName)

' ============================================================

Dim drawTemplate As String = "M:\Progettazione\ETICHETTE e LOGHI\ET.METAL INVENTOR\ET.METAL.idw"

If oDoc.DocumentType = DocumentTypeEnum.kPartDocumentObject Then

    Dim compDef As ComponentDefinition = oDoc.ComponentDefinition

    If TypeOf compDef Is SheetMetalComponentDefinition Then
        ' ---- LAMIERA ----
        Dim oSheetDef As SheetMetalComponentDefinition = compDef
        Dim oFlat As FlatPattern

        If Not oSheetDef.HasFlatPattern Then
            oSheetDef.Unfold()
        End If

        oFlat = oSheetDef.FlatPattern

        DXFAddIn.SaveCopyAs(oFlat, oContext, oOptions, oDataMedium)
        oFlat.ExitEdit()

    Else
        ' ---- PART non lamiera ----
        Dim drawingDoc As DrawingDocument
        drawingDoc = ThisApplication.Documents.Add(DocumentTypeEnum.kDrawingDocumentObject, drawTemplate, True)

        Dim oSheet As Sheet = drawingDoc.Sheets.Item(1)
        Dim oTG As TransientGeometry = ThisApplication.TransientGeometry
        Dim insertPoint As Point2d = oTG.CreatePoint2d(10, 10)

        ' Solo linee visibili, niente hidden lines
        oSheet.DrawingViews.AddBaseView(oDoc, insertPoint, 1, _
            ViewOrientationTypeEnum.kFrontViewOrientation, _
            DrawingViewStyleEnum.kHiddenLineRemovedDrawingViewStyle, "")

        DXFAddIn.SaveCopyAs(drawingDoc, oContext, oOptions, oDataMedium)

        drawingDoc.Close(False)
    End If

Else
    MsgBox("Funziona solo su file .ipt", vbExclamation)
End If

How can I do this?

Re: reduce size DXF ilogic inventor

WCrihfield — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 15:07:09 GMT

Hi @mayla_difrancesco. In your code example you are trying to directly specify all sorts of settings or options. As far as I know that is not possible when using the TranslatorAddIn.SaveCopyAs method. It only has one option, and that one option is for specifying the 'INI' file, which contains all the custom settings in it. That is the configuration file that you can create while using the manual export process, and using the 'Options' button in the file dialog. While in that settings dialog, you have the option to specify 2 different external files. One is for an XML file, which contains instructions for customizing the Layers. Then there is the INI file, which contains all other settings, and also includes an internal reference to that XML file also. On the second tab of that dialog, if you use the Save Configuration button, it will create the INI file. Pay attention to where you save that file, then specify the full path and file name of that file as the one option in your code. See the VBA example at the following Link for what that one Option is named and how it is used.

https://help.autodesk.com/view/INVNTOR/2026/ENU/?guid=PublishFlatPatternToDXF_Sample

I am not sure why the file size is so large, but I suspect it may be because all the 'arcs' are being converted to tons of super short, straight lines instead. That behavior can be changed in the settings though.

Re: reduce size DXF ilogic inventor

jnowel — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 15:36:28 GMT

I believe there is still something wrong with your code, the following lines seem to be "ignored"

' ============================================================ ' OPZIONI DI ESPORTAZIONE "LIGHT" ' ============================================================ ' Versione CAD più leggera oOptions.Value("Export_AcadVersion") = "R12/LT2" ' NIENTE bending lines oOptions.Value("Export_IncludeBends") = False ' Converti spline in polilinee (riduzione enorme peso!) oOptions.Value("Export_Spline_Approx") = True oOptions.Value("Export_FlatPattern_SplinesAsPolylines") = True oOptions.Value("Export_PolylineMaxPoints") = 25 ' riduzione punti oOptions.Value("Export_Tolerance") = 0.2 ' maggiore = meno peso ' Solo contorno esterno oOptions.Value("Export_OuterProfile") = True ' Disattiva layer non necessari oOptions.Value("Export_IncludeHiddenLayers") = False oOptions.Value("Export_IncludeAnnotations") = False oOptions.Value("Export_IncludeCenters") = False oOptions.Value("Export_IncludeHiddenLines") = False oOptions.Value("Export_IncludeHatch") = False

i'm not too familiar with the NameValueMaps for the DXF export as i usually just use an INI file "syntax" like below

        ' You can prepare a configutation .ini file from UI.
        Dim strIniFile As String
        strIniFile = "C:\temp\DXFOut.ini"

        ' Create the name-value that specifies the ini file to use.
        oOptions.Value("Export_Acad_IniFile") = strIniFile

maybe you can create/use something similar?

-------

as to why i think the mentioned lines are "ignored"? the output DXF i got is of version 2004, instead of the expected R12

i checked this by just opening the DXF in notepad and seeing the version at AC1018, instead of AC1009.

AC1009 - DWG Release 11/12 (LT R1/R2)
AC1012 - DWG Release 13 (LT95)
AC1014 - DWG Release 14, 14.01 (LT97/LT98)
AC1015 - DWG AutoCAD 2000/2000i/2002
AC1018 - DWG AutoCAD 2004/2005/2006
AC1021 - DWG AutoCAD 2007/2008/2009

------

As for filesize comparison between R12 and 2004, same part flatpattern exported:

(i exported using a different rule from: Re: Remove bendlines in plat pattern export ilogic - Autodesk Community)

Re: reduce size DXF ilogic inventor

mayla_difrancesco — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 16:09:49 GMT

No, I can't do that. I can't use sub and set.

Re: reduce size DXF ilogic inventor

WCrihfield — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 16:23:38 GMT

Hi @mayla_difrancesco. I am not sure what you mean by your last reply. I assume you are talking about trying to run the entire code from within that VBA sample at the Link I provided above within an iLogic rule. That will not work, because it is slightly different programing syntax. The older VBA coding system included keywords like 'Set' before setting the value of a variable that is not a simple String, Integer, Double, or similar type. That keyword is not used in vb.net syntax which is used in iLogic rules. Also, in iLogic rules, we are required to have a 'Sub Main' block of code first, then other blocks of code can be after the 'End Sub' line, if needed. I did not mean for you to try to run that whole code example in your iLogic rule...I just meant for you to look at the few lines of code in it where it is specifying the full file name of the INI file somewhere on the local file storage area, then setting that as the value of the one specially named 'Option'. The option needs to be named "Export_Acad_IniFile", and the value of that option needs to be set to the String type value representing the full path and file name of the INI file that exists on your computer. All those other 'options' in your code can be deleted, because they have no effect. Like what @jnowel mentioned.