Importing DXF with hidden layers, how to show the hidden content ?

[ovisopa]

Today I want to try making the first 3D model of a part I will need to mill in steel, my usual workflow is get the dxf file from the client and import in the CAD/CAM program (until now it was Cambam), there I could see all the layers, even the hidden ones and unhide them, but in Fusion it seems I can't make that content show up.

First I tried to drag'n'drop the dxf in data data panel but I noticed I have no control over the units (In cambam it recognizes automatically the unit f the dxf file) , than I tryed using Insert- > DXF and this way it showed the panel to chose the unit (mm) .. but no matter what I try I only see one layer in the import window, and some content is missing from my drawing, bellow are some photos with the same DXF imported in cambam compared to fusion.

This client always sends me the DXF files like this, they use some plotters and they must hide some content, and some other content needs to be placed in specific layers, for cutting, or other layers for drawing, in the past years working with them I got used to it, and the first thing I do after importing the file in Cambam I right click the layers and press "Show all" . In the file bellow there is not an importnat content in the hidden layers, but there are other drawings that have some polylines in the the hidden layers that are quite important for me as I need to mill them.

[HughesTooling]

A few notes on your file.

All the info in the file is in 2 blocks on layer 8, it looks like that overrides layer info. You could open in QCad or something else first and explode the blocks.

As for units, I opened your file with ZW3d and it reports the file units are not set. Fusion does read the unit info in a DXF if it's set correctly, I've tested from Rhino, ZW3d, QCad and Fusion's own files and it reads the unit info.

Mark

[HughesTooling]

I've not tried importing a DXF with hidden layers before but just did a quick test and only layers with geometry on them are imported and hidden layers with curves import and are visible.

Mark

[ovisopa]

Mark, the units "issue" is solved by importing the file from the Insert menu, it doesn't bothers me if I have to import the DXF using Insert menu instead of drag'n'drop in the datapanel.. 

The other thing bothers me more, I have made some more test and it seems all the texts are not imported, you can see the same DXF file in Cambam (this is a program I use daily for CAM part for my CNC router) has all the texts showing after import, I tried to save the DXF again from Cambam, after I unhided that layer, but the texts ware still not showing , after that I tried to convert text to polylines in Cambam, and than export the DXF file, this way I could see the text - but as they ware not using fonts, I can't edit them, now I'm trying to find other DXF files that have some lines, not just fonts, on the hidden layer to see if those show up. But in Cambam I never had an issue regarding those DXF, and usually I receive about 2 - 8 files/ day from the same client.

Is just an issue with my dxf file, or you can't import texts in Fusion ? It seems weird for me that Fusion has issue with a dxf file, isn't .dxf created by Autodesk also ? Or the issue is because the file was not created with Autocad, but Think3 instead, though ... Cambam doesn't have any issue importing texts, I just tried now in Corel Draw, all texts show up, I opened it in LibreCAD and even there all show up. Now I tried A360 viewer, and everything looks fine, all texts show up 

[HughesTooling]

Fusion only imports curve data, fonts and dimensions will be ignored. If you need a program that reads all the DXF info Fusion might not be what you're looking for.

Mark

[ovisopa]

Thank you Mark. But this seems odd, I need another program to convert the content of the file, to be able to open it correctly in Fusion - and I try to open an Autodesk's proprietary file format : DXF. 

I will convert the files using Cambam as it's quite easy .. now I want to deal the other issues 🙂

PS. If a moderator sees this, maybe it can change the title of the topic as it seems Fusion can't import TEXTS, but it does import lines and curves on the hidden layers, the only issue is about texts using fonts. The solution should be something I have done a lot while in "printing industry", every time I needed to send a poster or something to the typography I had to "Convert to curves" all texts. So from now on, I will convert to polyline everything using Cambam and than export the DXF file. 

[eellenburg]

The reason the text is missing is Fusion doesn't import text in dxf files.

[ovisopa]

I understood, but It's only me feeling that this is quite weird? you guys always start designing from 0 ? In the past 4 years since I'm in the CNC milling industry, I receive on a daily basis DXF files with drawings - that contain texts, size of the drawing, depth of pockets, depth of profiles, every little detail I need to know about the part I need to make, and one important thing for 99% of the parts I make, the client writes an article number I have to engrave ... all those things are texts, bellow is a sample screenshots, I keep those next to each file I make so I know the raw material dimensions, when I'm making the invoices for the client (once a week or two) .. the dimensions with large letters are written by me, not the client, he only adds the texts inside the drawing so I know each pocket how deep it needs to be.. etc. 

I still don't understand why this "feature", I understand it doesn't import texts, but why developers decided they don't need to import texts,  why not convert them to lines and arcs, or convert to a text element, I can see now that I can add a text in Fusion, and edit it after extrude it or whatever.. 

[davebYYPCU]

Yes.

Fusion, is a 3D modeller, it doesn't need the text, but apparently you do, and depending on the accuracy in the source drawings, may be the problem.

make the model, and then make it in the CAM section.

[Anonymous]

Well that's a really irritating answer.