Importing DXF files

[scottmoyse]

So you can use DXF's in Fusion 360 by uploading them, and then opening them. Sweet.

But what if you want to use the geometry within a dxf within an existing sketch? How do you do that? I see there is the option to insert an svg file into a sketch. How come dxf wasn't implemented at the same time?

I tried copying & pasting the sketch or sketch geometry between the imported dxf and my design. But it appears there is no support for cross document copy & paste at the moment?

I'm hoping I'm missing something....otherwise I'll chuck it onto the Ideastation. Cheers.

[Phil.E]

You can copy and paste between documents using components.

1. Place the sketch in a component.

2. Copy it.

3. Go to second document and paste the component to the root.

There is a limitation in that the sketch will be in a subcomponent and cannot be moved or copied to the root in the new file.

[scottmoyse]

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@Phil.E wrote:

You can copy and paste between documents using components.

1. Place the sketch in a component.

2. Copy it.

3. Go to second document and paste the component to the root.

There is a limitation in that the sketch will be in a subcomponent and cannot be moved or copied to the root in the new file.

---

So drag & drop from the file browser into the design is probably the quickest solution then?

[scottmoyse]

Sorry not Drag-and-drop, but right-click and insert from the imported dxf in the file browser.

[charegb · Accepted solution]

Hi Scott,

Yes, the data panel upload and then insert is the best workflow right now.

However we do agree that not having the insert like SVG is a gap and we are working on implementing it. No need to add idea station, consider it accepted and work in progress!

Thanks,

Bankim

[scottmoyse]

Thanks for the update @charegb, that's good news. We could really do with a scaling tool in the sketch environment to then scale the resulting inserted geometry. Currently we can only scale the entire sketch. Please let me know if I should put that on the ideastation.

[Remy18]

Like already discussed there would be a possibility to specify the right units when importing a DXF. For now I used the workflow like described to import a DXF into Design.

I need rotate it 90 degrees for my design and re-scale it with the factor 10.  When box selecting the sketch for the movement feature, it shows the first geometry selected before the 90 degrees rotation also (see attachment contour selection). If i try to move it with all the available options it seems to jump a factor 10 further then specified.

At least a closed contour of this tooth form is needed to get this gear Design modeled. Closing the contour to make an Extrude doesn't seems to work. Besides there is a need to convert the poly-line to a smooth spline cause there is no possibility to import an IGES wire-frame with smooth splines. With a poly-line of the tooth form the 3D model is hard to handle for further manufacturing steps (Wire EDM, Milling, etc...) 

[HughesTooling]

Have you experimented with the gear scripts supplied with Fusion.

Also see this thread for info on using the script

Mark

[Remy18]

Thanks for your reply @HughesTooling. This looks like a good basic gear generating tool. Don't get me wrong but this add-in isn't sufficient for the custom tooth profile needings.

There's a need to import the specific gathered tooth profiles for further manufacturing. 

I'll do some more tests with less smoother toothprofiles to study how Fusion deals with them.

[HughesTooling]

What program are you using to generate the tooth form, does it have the ability to produce splines instead of a poly line. Also adding the fillet rad on the end of the tooth in Fusion would remove a lot of lines.

Fusion will work better if you close the tooth profile with an arc and extrude one tooth into a solid the make a circular array.

Mark.

[Remy18]

Yes, sorry i didn't clarify my normal workflow for these gear-designs. Like you mentioned I would create a circular pattern with 1 closed tooth profile in- or external.

It is possible to get the tooth form as a spline but unfortunately restricted to an IGES format only. I could convert this to a DXF file with other programs ofcourse..

[Anonymous]

I am using an application to convert JPEGs to DXF files.  I bring the DXF file into a little CAD program to clean up and then into Fusion to add depth and additional features.

Somewhere in the conversion process the file is loaded with poly lines.  If the image goes into Fusion contiguous and I am allowed to select for extrusion we have had success.

If there is a break in the profile, I have had success in clicking the circle on the profile dragging it to the side and back over the other end for a join.  This system works well for small designs.  If the design is large or has lots of polylines, it is resource hog and Fusion sticks. Is there a way to convert the polylines to T-splines?  It appears the only method is clicking one segment at a time.  The chain system is not available.

Allan Steinkuhl