Exporting 2D geometry

[whitakeross]

Hi all,

My company recently just started using Autodesk Inventor for modeling our cabinetry. I'm essentially starting from scratch trying to figure out the workflow from inventor to our CAM program, vcarve pro. Vcarve esentially only accepts 2d data, generally I try to use DXF or EPS

On a closed face, such as our upper cabinets, where the dado doesnt go fully to the bottom, I can export to DXF no problem, just right click the face(example), 'Export face as' and voila, done. My problem is that on noncontinuous faces, I'm not able to simply right click the face, as it is broken up into multiple faces(example). Since these parts are a breakout from a full assembly they are solids, so I cant just edit the sketch. I could just create a new sketch on top and trace the lines, but on a large project where i've got a hundred parts, I'd rather not...

What I "think" my workflow should be is Inventor > Export to DWG > Open in Autocad > Save as AutoCAD R12/LT2 .DXF. Except once I open that DXF in vcarve, it is showing the incorrect face(example). I'm not sure if it's as 'simple' as changing the view in Autocad(which I can't seem to do), or something that I'm missing at the export from Inventor, or if I'm totally on the wrong track.


Any ideas would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

[Marco.Takx]

Did you have take a look at Inventor HSM Express. This is the CAM solution from Autodesk. 

The Express version is a Free version (add-in) for Inventor. 

You can use your 3D model to program 2,5D for Free. 

There are also 2 higher versions

Inventor HSM (3D (3+2) and Turing)

Inventor HSM Pro is also 5 axis simultanios. 

After your model is programmed and the model has to be changed a litle, the only thing you have to donis update the toolpaths and you up in running. 

[swalton]

What happens when you make 2d idw/dwg of your parts?  That should give you a 2d print that you can export into the correct format for your CAM software.

See: http://help.autodesk.com/view/INVNTOR/2014/ENU/?guid=GUID-21472B57-0C9D-450B-B51D-A07651710E76