Help with dxf export

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whirlybomber
Posts: 69
Joined: Wed Aug 14, 2013 6:54 am

Help with dxf export

Post by whirlybomber »

Hello all, long time no post from me, but anyway.....
So I've recently got back in to using FreeCAD and am having some issues with attempting to export a .dxf from a part to send to be waterjet cut.

OS: Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS (ubuntu:GNOME/ubuntu)
Word size of OS: 64-bit
Word size of FreeCAD: 64-bit
Version: 0.19.
Build type: Release
Branch: unknown
Hash: 0d9536ed3e8c7f40197b5606e1b7873625e1d6fe
Python version: 3.8.10
Qt version: 5.12.8
Coin version: 4.0.0
OCC version: 7.5.2
Locale: English/Australia (en_AU)

So I've go a fairly simple part that is a flat profile and a few holes. I've tried to export to dxf with both the new dxf exporter, and the legacy version selectable in the preferences menu. Neither seem to work.
Specifically I seem to get a disordered jumble of lines in 3D? I thought dxf was by design 2D only? anyway.
Files and screenshots attached.
I searched the forums but "export" and "dxf" don't search as they are very common terms.
Can anyone point me at what I'm doing wrong?
Cheers.
Attachments
Screenshot from 2021-10-17 18-08-20.png
Screenshot from 2021-10-17 18-08-20.png (284.27 KiB) Viewed 1894 times
Screenshot from 2021-10-17 18-08-11.png
Screenshot from 2021-10-17 18-08-11.png (294.08 KiB) Viewed 1894 times
Tender Frame.dxf
(50.35 KiB) Downloaded 37 times
Tender Frame.FCStd
(68.55 KiB) Downloaded 39 times
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thomas-neemann
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Re: Help with dxf export

Post by thomas-neemann »

whirlybomber wrote: Sun Oct 17, 2021 7:24 am
direct exporting doesn't work for me either.

if i export it as a step, import it and turn the desired contour into the xy plan, it works

TenderFrame.dxf
(51.63 KiB) Downloaded 40 times

OS: Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS (XFCE/xubuntu)
Word size of FreeCAD: 64-bit
Version: 0.20.25997 (Git) AppImage
Build type: Release
Branch: master
Hash: 77b198048a63f1e9ca15eef64c8042d599a14cf3
Python version: 3.9.7
Qt version: 5.12.9
Coin version: 4.0.0
OCC version: 7.5.2
Locale: German/Germany (de_DE)
Gruß Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Thomas Neemann

https://www.youtube.com/@thomasneemann5 ... ry=freecad
jeno
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Posts: 1820
Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2014 10:41 am

Re: Help with dxf export

Post by jeno »

whirlybomber wrote: Sun Oct 17, 2021 7:24 am Hello all, long time no post from me, but anyway.....
So I've recently got back in to using FreeCAD and am having some issues with attempting to export a .dxf from a part to send to be waterjet cut.
...
So I've go a fairly simple part that is a flat profile and a few holes. I've tried to export to dxf with both the new dxf exporter, and the legacy version selectable in the preferences menu. Neither seem to work.
Specifically I seem to get a disordered jumble of lines in 3D? I thought dxf was by design 2D only? anyway.
Files and screenshots attached.
I searched the forums but "export" and "dxf" don't search as they are very common terms.
Can anyone point me at what I'm doing wrong?
Cheers.
Default setting for dxf-export is XY-plane. One solution is to turn the body (temporarily) + or - 90 degrees around X-axis and export. The other is to override default settings. Go to import-export preferences section dxf and tick
Project exported objects along current view direction If checked, the exported objects will be projected to reflect the current view direction.
Take care it means really the actual view!

Regards
Attachments
Tender Frame-Body_jeno.dxf
(45.59 KiB) Downloaded 35 times
whirlybomber
Posts: 69
Joined: Wed Aug 14, 2013 6:54 am

Re: Help with dxf export

Post by whirlybomber »

Thanks for the help everyone!
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bambuko
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Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2019 12:53 pm
Location: UK, England, North Devon

Re: Help with dxf export

Post by bambuko »

I am doing exactly the same (just for the laser cutting).

My method is as follows:

1)create new body
2)create in this body sub-shapebinder of the original body that you need a profile of
3)create the body a sketch on XY plane
4)transform sub-shapebinder until it is orientated correctly against XY of the sketch
5)use sub-shapebinder and external geometry to create profile you need in the sketch
6)export sketch to DXF

Works 100% for me ;)
I am using Link branch and Assembly3
you can also download ... and try it here
excellent Assembly3 tutorials here
domad
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Joined: Mon Jun 22, 2020 12:16 pm

Re: Help with dxf export

Post by domad »

Greetings to the Community!

Unfortunately, for a few days I have not been able and cannot replicate continuously, however I have had no problem exporting and re-importing the file in * .dxf format in FreeCad and also in LibreCAD.
A * .gif to show what I did and the original FC file with the imported * .dxf.
A greeting
Attachments
Tender Frame.FCStd
(79.29 KiB) Downloaded 21 times
export_dxf_Tender Frame.gif
export_dxf_Tender Frame.gif (707.87 KiB) Viewed 1421 times
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bambuko
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Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2019 12:53 pm
Location: UK, England, North Devon

Re: Help with dxf export

Post by bambuko »

The issue I had when exporting the body, rather than 2D sketch, was, that I was ending up with duplicate lines.
(I would check if I were you :mrgreen: )

The other one, of course wast that none(few) of my model bodies I need, are located on XY, hence the use of sub-shapebinder.
I am using Link branch and Assembly3
you can also download ... and try it here
excellent Assembly3 tutorials here
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