Could you check my DXF file?

[Ijustcant]

Hi all,

I am a 0 in AutoCAD, but I need to export some designs from CorelDraw to AutoCAD's DXF to be used for machine cutting or engraving.

I have attached here the DXF exported from Corel

Could you check my DXF - is it ok? The shapes are all splines. Are the nodes etc. all ok?

What bothers me is that while in CorelDraw all the green parts were combined together in 1 shape,so I can click anywhere on green and move or delete all,

when I open the exported DXF in AutoCAD, all the green elements seem to be each on their own:

If I need to select all the green parts, I seem to need to pick them one by one 🙄

Or am I doing something wrong? Maybe I use the wrong selection tools, and they still are combined together?

Maybe someone has experience in machine cutting or engraving - is my DXF okay to use for such purposes?

[imadHabash]

Hi,

>> If I need to select all the green parts, I seem to need to pick them one by one

You can try Qselect or Select similar . >> Click << 

[Ijustcant]

Thanks for the Quick Select tip, it helps to some point.

But is there a way to combine them all together in 1 object in AutoCAD? But to keep them as splines?

[Patchy]

You can GROUP them.

Have you successfully cut, engraved using SPLINES instead of POLYLINES

Gcode doesn't read spline very well.

[Michiel.Valcke]

as @Patchy said, gcode (and thus most lasercutters) do not do splines well. You can change them to polylines by doubleclicking them and choosing the option Convert to Polyline. You get an option to choose your precision

A 1 will be a very basic conversion, which will affect the shape alot since the new polylines will not be smooth but a series of line segments connected.

A 10 will be a very detailed conversion, which will make your shape true but your file much heavier to read and very difficult to do any precise editing on it.

If you wish to turn your splines into polylines you can also use the _BOUNDARY command. That will allow you to click a point and just like with _HATCH AutoCAD will from that point on try to find the 'limits' on those limits it will create polylines (or regions but in this case you don't want those). The new polylines will also contain curved segments if necessary and thus will always be true to the shape (as much as is possible).

If you need a fill pattern for the green parts you can use a single _Hatch. I've known a few lasercutter models (Trotec f.e) that could read hatch patterns straight from .dxf.

When you save your .dxf to send it to the lasercutter. Always save as a lower format (2013 for example) the chances are great that the driving software cannot interpret the latest .dxf format (2018)

[Ijustcant]

Thanks! I learned how to group objects and it works for me.

I don't have any experience in cutting.

But I could export both in splines and polylines.

I've attached here a version in polylines - does that one look acceptable for cutting? (it's AutoCAD 2013 DXF)

[Ijustcant]

I made a version of 2013 DXF in polylines, I'll attach here.

That's "polyline with arcs". Is that good quality, what do you think?

[Michiel.Valcke]

There's only one way to find out. Try it out on your preferred medium. A lot depends on the settings of the cutter in combination with the medium into which you are cutting, different metals react differently depending on wattage, speed of the laser, and if you cut non-metal mediums such as hard cardboard, plastics, nylon,... the differences are even greater.

Try out a small patch of your medium where you make multiple cuts at different speeds and intensity. You will see the difference in burnmarks, thickness, deformation, that way you can decide which one is best for your design. (you might even want to combine different speeds/wattages in a single design to get different types of cuts, this is especially true if you not only want to cut, but wish to engrave as well.

The design itself looks good. If the machine can interpret it that is all you need to do from the AutoCAD side. After that it's up to the laser settings and the medium.

[Ijustcant]

Thanks!