file issues - not to scale

[allamericanfab]

hello, i recently bought a file package from dxf for cnc.com, and I'm having some trouble getting their files to come through my machine. I'm using Librecad/Pronest for cad/cam. My controller is a hypertherm micro edge. when i pull the files into my controller, it won't detect anything, and says to make sure they are exploded. When i explode the files, it makes them too large. Any advice? It would be greatly appreciated.

[plasmanewbie]

I was thinking that maybe it was a newer dxf version that your software couldn't read but if you can explode them and see the design then that is not the case. My guess is that they were drawn in metric mm and you are opening in standard inches. It sounds like the explode function is making them as large as possible or something and not too scale. Have a look for an option when you open the dxf to open in metric or standard, I get this option in Corel when I open dxf's and it has resolved this issue for me many times.

[adbuch]

hello, i recently bought a file package from dxf for cnc.com, and I'm having some trouble getting their files to come through my machine. I'm using Librecad/Pronest for cad/cam. My controller is a hypertherm micro edge. when i pull the files into my controller, it won't detect anything, and says to make sure they are exploded. When i explode the files, it makes them too large. Any advice? It would be greatly appreciated.

Why don't you go ahead and post one of the dxf files here so we can have a look. My experience has been that in general, files are much easier to deal with when they are linked (not exploded). If the files are indeed metric format, then you could scale them by 1/25.4 to get to inches. I often have to do that when I import certain files to Design Edge. I'm assuming you are having the problem when you import them to Librecad. Or is it a problem with Pronest?

David

[allamericanfab]

they come into librecad just fine. i can view them, edit them, all that jazz. when i save them to a flash drive and try to put them on my machine, is when the problem occurs. If i haven't exploded them, my controller says there are no line segments, blah blah. basically nothing there. When I explode them, then try to pull them up, they are far too large for the micro edge

[plasmanewbie]

they come into librecad just fine. i can view them, edit them, all that jazz. when i save them to a flash drive and try to put them on my machine, is when the problem occurs. If i haven't exploded them, my controller says there are no line segments, blah blah. basically nothing there. When I explode them, then try to pull them up, they are far too large for the micro edge

Ah, OK. That is strange.

So I open your dxf in Corel in inches and it is just under 5 inches tall and if I open it in mm it ends up being 115 inches tall. Neither size seems usable.

If you select the entire drawing in your Librecad software prior to sending it to the flash drive what is the actual size of the drawing?

[allamericanfab]

105 inches by 187 inches. i can scale it to whatever size i need though if i can get it to come through my controller

[adbuch]

I opened you file with Design Edge. It is large, but easy enough to scale down and link/join do remove all those intersections. If you can do this with Librecad, then I expect your problem is with Pronest.

I have smoothed it to reduce node count and file size. Maybe try this one to see if it works for you.
David

deer scene.dxf

(152.18 KiB) Downloaded 47 times

[allamericanfab]

that one came through like a charm. No issues whatsoever. Thank you very much for that. where can I get this design edge program, and how did you perform that task? I have thousands of files that I could do this to. Thanks again, that was a huge help.

[adbuch]

that one came through like a charm. No issues whatsoever. Thank you very much for that. where can I get this design edge program, and how did you perform that task? I have thousands of files that I could do this to. Thanks again, that was a huge help.

I believe you can purchase a stand-alone installation of Plasmacam Design Edge for around $2k - $3k or so. Not probably something you want to hear price wise. I think the main thing here is the linking/joining to eliminate all those thousands of unwanted intersections. You can probably achieve the same effect by using LightBurn - only about $60 to purchase a perpetual license. I will try it later this evening and post the file so you can try it to see if it works for you.
David

Feel free to post a few more of those problematic files and I will process them with LightBurn to see if it works for you.

[adbuch]

I have opened your original dxf file with LightBurn and exported as dxf. This export process links/joins all the individual segments to eliminate the intersections which were causing you problems. I opened the dxf exported from LightBurn with Design Edge just to check it.

deer panel from lightburn.dxf

(627.87 KiB) Downloaded 44 times

You can also scale it with LightBurn before exporting.

You can download a free 30 day trial of LightBurn here.

https://lightburnsoftware.com/pages/tri ... re-you-buy

This is the one you want to buy.

David

[allamericanfab]

awesome. thanks so much. that's a huge help!

[adbuch]

awesome. thanks so much. that's a huge help!

Were you able to open the above file exported from LightBurn? And are you able to get it into your control software to cut it?
David

[allamericanfab]

yes i was. that program is great, I've fixed several problematic files today with it. I'll be subscribing for sure. Thanks again

[adbuch]

That's great news! Be sure to post some photos of your finished part when you cut it.
David

[allamericanfab]

here you go

[adbuch]

That looks great! And great detail on the antlers. Nice grinding job as well.
David