Import DXF

[Anonymous]

Is F360 able to import a DXF?

Directions to a tutorial if it is please.

THX

[etfrench · Accepted solution]

Start a new drawing

Click on Insert|Insert dxf

Select desired options on the dialog that opens

[yqliu · Accepted solution]

The other way is to upload the dxf file from the data panel and then open the uploaded file. The major difference between the two approaches is, the Insert DXF command works locally and it only loads sketches into the document. But the cloud translation will import the 3D bodies as well if you upload the dxf through the data panel.

 

Richard

[Anonymous]

Outstanding!!
THX

[Anonymous]

I'm having problems importing my DXF's.

When I follow these instructions the file starts to upload and gets halfway, then it just sits there.

No error, no result.

I'll attach a simple DXF file, I hope it helps.

Thanks

[James.Youmatz]

Hi @Anonymous,

Just to check - are you having issues uploading any file type to the cloud, or just DXF files? I was able to upload this with no issues (or time delays). One quick test - open a blank model and then go to the Insert menu. Use Insert DXF and pull it from your local files. Does this method work in the meantime? If so, I'm curious if there is a bad connection to our cloud (perhaps blocked) that isn't allowing the upload to go through. If this is the case, can you email me your application log files (not installation log files) to james.youmatz@autodesk.com. These can be found by following the steps in this guide here.

Thanks,

[Anonymous]

James,

I've got so much going on here I needed to STOP; and think this through, I retry some things and now have some results you may be able to work with.

The problem seems to be this one DXF, I tried others and they come in, (to the cloud and through "Insert").

In fairness, I did get this file to come in, it just isn't anything like the drawing I exported from my other CAD program. (FreeCAD).

It is also a part of an assembly in the other program. (Not sure if that matters).

The easy answer here is to just redraw this with F360!

Thanks, Allen

[Anonymous]

exactly what I was looking for! Thanks for the post

[Anonymous]

You bet!

[Murray.Industries]

having trouble with Import as well.

I get a message when I try to import into a new sketch saying that there is no units set for the file.  

When I try to import using the data panel it gets halfway then fails.  It is a 212.9MB file... is there a max limit to file size?

[Mike.Grau]

Hi @Murray.Industries@Anonymous@Anonymous,

Thank you for your Post in the Forum.

Those upload / import issues could be due to the file it self.

If you try to import a non native AutoCAD *.dxf, you´re likely to import data from other CAD system which has been saved in the file.

You may have to open your *.dwg and *.dxf in AutoCAD and clean it up before you import it into Fusion 360.

Here is an Article which explains step-by-step how to do this.

Please, keep us updated.

Thank you,

[dstevenslv]

I can't think of a single instance (there may have been a few) in the several files I've had that had issues in F360 that didn't work as expected in a variety of other tools including Draftsight, Solidworks, Corel, Illustrator, Inkscape, Autocad, Freecad, Flow Path, Torchmate, Sheetcam and V-Carve. (I do a lot of 2D cutting...    )   As you say the workaround is to put it into Autocad prior to Fusion and that seems to work all the time.  It's not a practical real world solution to require what is basically a several thousand dollar translations solution particularly considering that in most if not all of my cases the culprit is F360 and not the other programs.  

There are several posts over the last couple of years that document some of the issues F360 has with importing/working with dxf files.   I just kudoed one on the front page that explained issues with coincident points that are hidden and not able to be extruded.   While it's gotten better, there is still work to do.    When I have files that read as expected in everything but F360, I don't consider that a file issue but rather the way F360 deals with those files.

Dave

[cekuhnen]

@Mike.Grau @dstevenslv

While DWG has some benefits I really have to say how AD makes export into DWG is a nightmare because in my past

I barely was able to really work with it in any other application than Autocad.

And I agree using Autocad to clean it up is a possible workaround but requires to own it too. 

For quite some time users asked on multiple occasions to have a DWG and DXF import export that uses a format that

allows the export to be used in any other app too.

[Mike.Grau]

Hi @cekuhnen @dstevenslv,

Thanks for the feedback.

Yes, I agree with you. The import and export between AutoCAD, Inventor and Fusion 360 works as intended.

I know that the import / export between other CAD systems can be always improved.

Let me check with our development team if I can share more information here.

PS. I ll be in DTW on Wednesday and PDX the week after, directly talking to the Dev Team. 😉

I hope that helps.

Thanks,

[cekuhnen]

@Mike.Grau

Could you explain why you dwg in Fusion works as intended? I seem not to be able to do anything with dwg in fusion 360 at all

after importing it and in addition majority of Autodesk mobile and web apps have problems displaying even dwgs exported from Fusion.

maybe we misunderstand us here.

[dstevenslv]

In my experience importing formats dxf and dwg directly from an Autodesk product largely works as expected.  I haven't used Inventor regularly in a couple of years but some ipt files I made at Techshop imported into F360 nicely.  I think what he's saying is that between the traditional Autodesk desktop applications the data interchange works as expected.  That's been my experience as well though I don't export 2D drawings from F360 so I can't comment on that.  What I have exported as an STL or directly to Simplify 3D works quite well.  As you have also found it's the interaction between non Autodesk native apps (for example the rest of the world...    ) that's an issue.  

Being able to work with lowest common denominator, non Autodesk dwg and dxf files is a must.  The interoperability issues between native Autodesk dwg and dxf aren't specific to F360.  There are and have been non trivial issues regarding interoperability between Autodesk and non Autodesk programs with those formats.  During the Autocad heyday Autodesk was in a position to use the formats to help insure market dominance.   With the de-emphasis on 2D CAD to 3D modeling it would be an opportune time to open the current Autodesk RealDWG and dxf formats under an open license so everyone can use them.  Given the history of how Autodesk has handled IP issue (sometimes quite heavy handedly) I don't see that happening.  I'm not advocating opening up F360, I understand why they want to protect that IP.   What I see as a major factor in the potential adoption of F360 is the adherence to the walled garden concept that minimizes interoperability between tools.