Difficulties on importing a dxf file

[mario.brizida]

I needed to create a new comonent on Eagle library. I usually use Fusion 360 to draw pcb's, but by now I'm using Eagle to edit and create new libraties. I have the 3d model, so I edited it on Fusion and created the DXF drawing I want to be printed on my pcb (file in annex  - "DXF_to_be _imported.dxf"). Next step was to import dxf to new component (in library editor) and I've got the file in annex ("IGotInEagle.png"), not the data in original dxf. Could you please help me?

Thank you

[mtl_asm]

i believe the reason is that the dxf import does not work with "splines". maybe someone from autodesk can confirm. the missing segments in your images all seem to be splines. basically the dxf import might be half baked unfortunately.

[mario.brizida]

Thanks for your help. I think you are right, but how coud I solve the problem? The DXF file was generated in Fusion, so a Fusion generated file is not compatible with another Autodesk file???

Could somebody help me please?

Thank you

[jorge_garcia]

Hi Everyone,

As the author of the import-dxf ulp I can definitely confirm that it is not complete. It does NOT support splines and that's the reason it's not importing fully.  We are working on incorporating Autodesk's DXF libraries into Fusion Electronics so that we no longer need to rely on a ULP.

@mario.brizida I recommend re-exporting the DXF file so that is uses polylines instead of splines. If the option is not available then export to the oldest DXF format available.

Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Best Regards,

[mario.brizida · Accepted solution]

Hello all;

My problem definitively is due to splines that are not correctly imported by Eagle.

I found an effective way to solve it that is to install on Fusion360 a plugin that is called "DXFSplineToPolyline". This "plugin"  is free and allows to generate a dxf file without splines, therefore compatible with Eagle format.

Andy;

Thanks for your attention, I'm glad that Fusion team is working to solve problems and bugs that application still have, but please don't forget also Eagle users that (as I) migrated from Eagle to Fusion Electronics. At this very moment bigger difficulty is that Fusion360 doesn't work offline, so if I don't have Internet for any reason, I can't work. My company rules imposes that I should keep work with local files and not files located on autodesk, rule that I can't fulfil. In my case (and for sure many others) was enough to keep synchronized a local and an autodesk copy of files. That is not possible also with Fusion Teams, as far as I know.

Autodesk is making a good work with Eagle integration on Fusion, but management of files and the need to be always online are very different from Eagle requirements (much better on Eagle of course) and in my opinion matter for future improvements.

Thank you all

[mario.brizida]

Hello all;

My problem definitively is due to splines that are not correctly imported by Eagle.

I found an effective way to solve it that is to install on Fusion360 a plugin that is called "DXFSplineToPolyline". This "plugin"  is free and allows to generate a dxf file without splines, therefore compatible with Eagle format.

Andy;

Thanks for your attention, I'm glad that Fusion team is working to solve problems and bugs that application still have, but please don't forget also Eagle users that (as I) migrated from Eagle to Fusion Electronics. At this very moment bigger difficulty is that Fusion360 doesn't work offline, so if I don't have Internet for any reason, I can't work. My company rules imposes that I should keep work with local files and not files located on autodesk, rule that I can't fulfil. In my case (and for sure many others) was enough to keep synchronized a local and an autodesk copy of files. That is not possible also with Fusion Teams, as far as I know.

Autodesk is making a good work with Eagle integration on Fusion, but management of files and the need to be always online are very different from Eagle requirements (much better on Eagle of course) and in my opinion matter for future improvements

[mario.brizida]

Andy;

Sorry form ay last communication.

I had a problem with my pc, and I don't know why Fusion didn't work offline.

Now it works, and with Fusion Teams I can work offline, so sorry for my comment.

[l.chabin]

May I report another BREAKING issue related to the dxf import.  

Up until the version 6.5 of eagle, having discontinuous contour lines was not a major issue.

However, with the Autodesk version, any broken line at the grid level of eagle (0.00325µm) makes eagle consider that the board's contour is not closed and the pouring of copper planes leak outside of the board.

We have been fighting with this issue and could not circumvent it. It appears even with no splines.

Having just lines and circles portions is enough.

The consequence is that we have no choice. We have waited to much for the correction of that issue.

We are now routing the board using an open source ecad software that does not have such issues. 

From time to time, we consider writing scripts to tweak the dxf in order to trick eagle. But that's clearly not trivial.

Any advice is welcome.

[jorge_garcia]

Hi @l.chabin,

I hope you're doing well. You can try in Fusion 360 where the import-dxf.ulp has been replaced by a native DXF import so that may be resolved.

Now if you can see where the polygon leaks, it's very easy to fix the gap using the inspector. You just match the endpoints of the two consecutive segments.

Since EAGLE has been End of Life, this won't be improved in EAGLE however I will still make an enhancement request for this in Fusion.

Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Best Regards,

[l.chabin]

Hello

I have tried also with the import dxf menu, with the same type of problems.

the issues are :

1) the broken segments are difficult to locate

2) BREAKING : there is NO manual method that garanties that you will find all breaks in a limited time

3) the inspector is a little better than right click on each line. But that's still too prone to error and slow.  

4) I refuse such a manual method because EE is an iterative process and you have to redo everything after each update of the contour from fusion.  I would do it only with a knife under my throat.

5) even basic arcs are cause for problems.

I think I understand what's the problem in your importer, at least for the arcs. The centers, radius and angles are not adjusted in order to ensure that the rounded coordinates of the edges match the other segments connected.

[jorge_garcia]

Hi @l.chabin,

I've reported this to our developers and they are looking at a fix. For now though the manual method of fixing the outline is still the only option. At least in the ULP, I'm sure there are rounding errors that lead to some of these gaps. This can happen with any drawing object, it doesn't matter if it's an arc, a spline, or whatever.

The devs are investigating.

Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Best Regards,

[dun_zeko]

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