Exported DXF Issue

[Latheboy]

I exported the attached file as a DXF.  Instead of the flat pattern being exported, the model is exported.  It worked earlier with another version of the same file, but after some dimensional changes, it doesn't work.  I have saved files and restarted with no positive results.  Any ideas? Thanks,

[jhackney1972]

Using the Flat Pattern "Export to DXF" command, I see no issues.  DXF is attached.

[Latheboy]

Hi John,

I am glad it worked for you.  I just tried again and get the model.  It seems that everything worked just fine prior to the update today.  May be a coincidence, but I cant seem to get a good file of the flat pattern.  When I export, I get the attached

[Latheboy]

I just opened your file and it is perfect.  Very confused..

[Latheboy]

I redrew the part in Fusion and once again exported it as a dxf.  It shows up just fine in Autodesk ACAD, although comes in as metric which I convert to imperial. 

I use a program called sheetcam for my plasma machine.  When I import the file to Sheetcam, there is nothing there.  I have been on that forum and shared the files and users are are getting the same empty page as me.  It has always worked doing the above process up until I did the latest Fusion update yesterday morning (again maybe a coincidence), so I would like to ask if the dxf export has changed with this latest update that I did yesterday?  I am wondering if the dxf export is a different version than Autocad LT 2018 dxf that I have been using.

Thanks,

Steve

[g-andresen · Accepted solution]

Hi,

---

@Latheboy wrote:

  When I export, I get the attached

---

Did you export "Flat Pattern"?

günther

[Latheboy]

Yes, I get that export tab. After redrawing the part, I can export the dxf and open it Autodesk cad. The issue that I continue to have now is trying to import into sheet cam. There is no image once I import. It worked perfectly up until the fusion update. 

[Latheboy]

I neglected to mention that sheet cam is a local program (not cloud) and I have it on both my desktop and my laptop. I have tried doing this same exercise on both machines with the same negative results, so I am fairly certain it has nothing to do with sheetcam Something must have changed in the DXF export function very recently.

[MRWakefield · Accepted solution]

If I open your DXF in nanoCAD I get this:

If I open @jhackney1972 's file I get this:

If I attempt to open yours in Affinity Designer I get the following error:

Clearly some 3D solid geometry in there!

Are you sure you're exporting as the other contributors have? If I export the flat pattern I get the same result as @jhackney1972 

[Latheboy]

Not sure that this makes any sense, but here is where I am.  To export a dxf, since I have used Fusion, I have always clicked on file, export, selected dxf as the file type, selected the destination folder and it would take a minute or two because it says it goes through the cloud.

I just tried the same file and clicked on the DXF Export tab to the left of "Finish FLat Pattern" as you indicated.  It gave no option that I saw for the file destination, but when I looked in the same folder as previous, it was there immediately.  I went to Sheetcam and imported as usual and now it worked.  Can you/anyone explain the difference between the two scenarios for creating a dxf in Fusion?  Clearly the outcome is different.

Thanks for the help.

Steve

[HughesTooling · Accepted solution]

When you use Export from the file menu you will get an export of the 3d model. The only way I can think you got a flat pattern this way is if you used unfold not flat pattern and saved the file in the unfolded state.

When you export from within the flat pattern workspace when you export you get just 2d entities, the outline and the bend lines.

[MRWakefield · Accepted solution]

As far as I'm aware, choosing export from the file menu has always exported the 3D model. However I'm not very familiar with exporting flat patterns so I can't say whether anything has changed in this regard or not. Perhaps someone that has more experience with exporting flat patterns might be able to give more insight. Anyway, I'm glad you now have a working method of getting your flat pattern geometry over to SheetCAM.

Here's the workflow I went through:

To save locally the "Save to my computer" must be checked (which I'm guessing it was already been since you didn't mention it). You can choose where it gets saved by clicking the ellipsis button (circled in green in the screenshot).

Hope this helps.

[Latheboy]

Thank you all for your assistance here, much appreciated..