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creativecad  
#1 Posted : Friday, January 6, 2023 7:26:38 AM(UTC)
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Hey guys,

I am trying to send a dxf file to a supplier to have this dragonfly sign plasma cut from 3/16" thick sheetmetal. He is telling me that I have a bunch of random points in the file. He is concerned that the torch will refire on each of these points and not cut well.

What steps do I need to take to make sure this cuts smoothly?

Thanks,

Sam
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MPSchmied  
#2 Posted : Friday, January 6, 2023 9:13:51 AM(UTC)
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Have you splines or polylines in this drawing? Make sure that you only use arcs and lines. I have no idea how to change a polyline to arcs and lines automatically. But i know a tool to change splines in arcs: CAD-KAS DXF Splines in Arcs 1.0

If somebody know how to change a polyline to arcs or splines, please tell me how this works. When i am harassed with polylines i change this with a new line or arcs or splines over the polyline in a new layer. But this is maybe not the only way. Was there a tool for changing points to a curve in newer versions? Maybe this tool can change lines to splines (curves)???

PS: I was searching a new Software to change Polylines to Arcs: CAD-KAS DXF kleine Linien in Kreisbögen (Polylines to arcs)

Edited by user Sunday, January 8, 2023 8:29:46 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

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creativecad on 1/6/2023(UTC)
L. Banasky  
#3 Posted : Friday, January 6, 2023 11:03:22 AM(UTC)
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Hi Sam,
If you can, post your .dxf and I'll open it in SheetCam, and see what the problem is.
Larry
I opened your .pdf, and exported as .dxf, opened it in SheetCam and errors were indicated.
Removed the overlaps and duplicates and it opened in SheetCam with no errors.
Don't know how you constructed this drawing, but why all the lines, instead of arcs?
Sorry about the .dxf in inches, you can scale to mm.
Larry
The .dxf file exceeded the file size to upload.

Edited by user Friday, January 6, 2023 3:54:56 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

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creativecad  
#4 Posted : Friday, January 6, 2023 4:49:09 PM(UTC)
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Thank you. I have used an old AutoCad LT program to do this in the past, but I am hoping to learn how to do this with ViaCad. I tried connecting the lines and tried with the lines disconnected.

Just not sure how best to do this.
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creativecad  
#5 Posted : Friday, January 6, 2023 4:51:26 PM(UTC)
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Here is the 2nd file.
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L. Banasky  
#6 Posted : Friday, January 6, 2023 4:54:03 PM(UTC)
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Hi Sam,
I tried everything in PowerPack, just something wrong . .DXF should be no where near 6MB.
I would just start over. If you are tracing a .jpg use arcs and curves.
Larry
The revised file was much better, but still almost 2MB.

Edited by user Friday, January 6, 2023 5:07:35 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

creativecad  
#7 Posted : Friday, January 6, 2023 5:14:23 PM(UTC)
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A few questions:
1. Does this mean avoid splines and straight single or multi-lines?
2. Do I need to trace each path in the path and order that I want it to cut?
3. Should I connect the lines with the from curves polygon tool?

Thanks
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L. Banasky  
#8 Posted : Friday, January 6, 2023 5:22:37 PM(UTC)
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The 2004 drawing seems to be ok to cut. If I trace a .jpg, I usually just use arcs and lines.
Larry
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creativecad on 1/6/2023(UTC)
creativecad  
#9 Posted : Friday, January 6, 2023 5:59:16 PM(UTC)
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Thank you, Larry. I appreciate it.
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MPSchmied  
#10 Posted : Saturday, January 7, 2023 9:46:00 AM(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: creativecad Go to Quoted Post
dragonfly sign Revised 1-4-22.dxf
Also the Letters and theWings should not be a Polyline. You have changed the design to Arcs and lines and the Letters and the Wings are still in polylines. In your 2004 version are all Polylines.

Polylines should be forbidden. This is a 100% irrational design element, only needed for Meshes in PC-Games.

I guess you need CAD-KAS DXF kleine Linien in Kreisbögen (Polylines in Arcs) to change the Letters to arcs and lines - translate it with deepl or google translator.

For CNC-Cutting you need always Arcs and lines. Curves works not. Therefore you need the tools for changing splines to arcs and Polylines to arcs.

This design keeps not together by itself. I guess you bond this parts on another plate.... :)

PS: Ths design-element in AutoCAD which is called Polyline create arcs and Lines. For a arc you have to type something in the console. In SharkVia is this called MultiLine and it is very much more easier to work with it. This Polyline-Design Element have nothing to do with this what i call Polyline. When i say Polyline in this Thread i mean that Arcs are no Arcs but just very much small Lines.

PS2: I have detected in your design also bad created Splines. Maybe i change this in this weekend to arcs and lines, but i have to buy the Software "DXF kleine Linien in Kreisbögen" before. Then i have to use both tools because of the splines and the letters with the not good enough splines have maybe to be redrawed.

PS3: Definition-problem detected: arc = curve with a radius | curve = spline = curve without a radius | Polyline = only grouped straight lines | polyline in AutoCAD = Straight Lines and arcs with a radius | 3D Polyline in autoCAD = unneeded irrational design element

Edited by user Sunday, January 8, 2023 9:21:27 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

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MaiFy  
#11 Posted : Sunday, January 8, 2023 4:01:30 PM(UTC)
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A useful technique I use.

I have a flatbed CNC router (3600mm x 1500mm bed)

I export files from VCad as DXF's and the machine software has some settings when importing.

I'm using Viacad pro 10
One technique I use to check if files are going to be cut on my machine, is to use the extrude tool to test the soundness of the file.
The extrude tool is a bit random and sometimes it indicates where the breaks are and sometimes it doesn't.

The key point is
If an outline wont extrude, my machine software wont cut it.
As in your file I broke it down into individual components to extrude which helps to isolate problem areas.

It had many errors and I see others have helped you with clean up.
If you look in the picture where the check boxes are, this where there are problems that need to be fixed.

After the test extrude I control Z to undo the extrude or just pull the solid away from the lines.
In your case I would clean it up bit by bit then do a final extrude of the whole object.

Using this technique I can clean up any file by just using Via cad.
For single line curved drawings I add lines to make a closed object then extrude. If its sound I then delete the extra lines.

Hope this helps 👌😊

Just too add to what happens when files go to the cnc.
You might have a nice looking picture.
So when we send that picture to the CNC and ask it to write G code, G code is what tells the machine what to do to make your picture, object depending on what type of CNC it is. (G code can be written manually but These days software has been developed to write it automatically which is obviously a huge time saver.
It looks at / examines all the lines in your drawing and starts writing. When it hits any little gaps, untrimmed intersections, hidden double lines, funny arcs, sometimes unclosed objects, it doesn't know what to do.
So it throws back an error message and then you have to track down what it is that is confusing it.

That's why the extrude tool is so good at picking up glitches, It examines all the lines like a CNC and if it cant make sense of the lines, it wont extrude.
If you give your CNC person clean files they will love you for it. 😉

Edited by user Monday, January 9, 2023 5:43:54 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Added picture and clarification

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MPSchmied on 1/8/2023(UTC), creativecad on 1/9/2023(UTC)
MPSchmied  
#12 Posted : Sunday, January 8, 2023 9:04:32 PM(UTC)
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Sorry, i have forget, that SharkVia have a own function for making Arcs from a curve, this is in the Arcs Palette and called Arcs from Curve. Setup a small tolarance and you get good arcs. And this works also with Polylines. Don't use the CAD-KAS Scrap, this works not properly.

Edited by user Sunday, January 8, 2023 10:37:04 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

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creativecad on 1/9/2023(UTC)
creativecad  
#13 Posted : Monday, January 9, 2023 7:31:51 PM(UTC)
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Thanks, great tips.

My CNC supplier said he thought now it would now work good.
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