Metal Shape to CNC

    Hi Kayaker,


    that depends on what the data formats the CNC machine can read. What type of CNC machine is that, that can produce metal connectors??? The only format I can imagine to transfer data about a metal connector is (3D) DXF.


    Best regards,


    Jens

    I tried exporting my metal shape by going to 3D export. When I first started to do the 3D export I went to a front view, the view I needed of my metal shape and did the export. I then opened the dxf file in PlanCad and it was in a plan view which was the view I did not need. Today I will call the operator of the laser CNC machine. I'm thinking I'll likely have to do the same as Der_Planer mentioned. I'm thinking it may be best to do a save current view from D-Cam bring it into PlanCad and export dxf from PlanCad.


    Thanks!


    Kayaker

    Hi Kayaker,


    the 3D DXF Export is not a side view or top view of the model, but it is a 3D Model!(?) In D-CAD 2D, which is a 2D drawing program, you cannot see the whole 3D model but only one view of the model (in this case the top view).
    To see the 3D model, you need a 3D CAD program or viewer.


    If you want to export a 2D DXF (as Der_Planer recommended) please use the normal functions for storing a drawing (e.g save current view) and select "DXF 2000" instead of "D-CAD 2D"


    Best regards,


    Jens

    • Offizieller Beitrag
    Zitat von Jens Krause

    ....
    If you want to export a 2D DXF (as Der_Planer recommended) please use the normal functions for storing a drawing (e.g save current view) and select "DXF 2000" instead of "D-CAD 2D"

    That's right.


    It's even better to store a 2d dxf from Dicam than exporting it from Plancad.
    Dicam export has 1:1 scale (what is needed on the CNC machine).
    Plancad export has the plan scale, and a drawing frame which is not needed.

    Hi The_Planer,


    I just saved a current view in D-Cam and selected dxf 2000. Now I need to acess this dxf file from PlanCad and make corrections to the drilled holes. Where do I go from here? Export dxf from PlanCad to my fabricator.

    • Offizieller Beitrag

    Hi Kayaker,


    I'm not so lucky with Plancad, because it has no "naked" dxf export; it always comes along with drawing frame, scale and headline. For this purpose I use an other 2d cad (AutoSketch).


    If you have no other cad, try to use a large drawing paper in Plancad, and keep the 1:1 scale.
    If this will be too difficult, make a scaled plan in the usual way.
    Notice: dxf does not know measure units, it has only numbers. Therefore you should add at least one reference measure, so that your CNC-worker can scale the drawing back to 1:1.

    Hi Der_Planer,


    I just thought I would let you know I have my export dxf to my CNC operator all worked out. By exporting out of D-cam and importing into my other cad program and tweaking the drawing. I hope in the near future PlanCad will easily handle exporting to a CNC laser cutting machine. Thanks to all that helped.


    Kayaker