CAD-Line | DXF tab

Use the CAD-Line dialog-box | DXF tab to:

•Show a DXF drawing that is linked to a DXF-Element see note

Options:

•Re-align the DXF Drawing with the CAD-Line
•Show or Hide different DXF Layers, and to change the colours of the DXF Layers
•Convert DXF Entities into MechDesigner sketch-elements
•Clear (remove) the DXF Drawing from the CAD-Line

Note: Before you can use the CAD-Line | DXF tab, to show a DXF drawing, you must open the DXF Drawing to add the DXF element to the Assembly-Tree.

1. File menu (or toolbar) > Open

See: File menu > Open,

DXF tab

Dialog-13.2-CADLine-DXFtab

tog_minus Select DXF-Element 

Dialog-CADLine-DXF-Select DXF Element-1

Select which DXF-Element : DXF Drawing you want to link to the CAD-Line and show in the graphic-area:

Select DXF-Element: drop-down list-box

1.Click the down-arrow at the right of list-box

The DXF-Elements that are in the Assembly-Tree show as a drop-down list

Each DXF-Element name has two parts, separated by a ':'

First Part: DXF-Element : the element-name in the Assembly-Tree

Second Part: DXF drawing name: the DXF Drawing that is linked with the DXF-Element

2.Click a DXF-Element in the list-box

The DXF drawing shows in the graphic-area immediately.

If you want to move the DXF-Drawing relative to the start-Point and X-axis of the CAD-Line, see Align DXF to CAD-Line

Buttons

•Edit DXF Layers : open the DXF Layers dialog-box [Note: does not work - 14-2-34]
•Remove DXF : remove the DXF Drawing from the CAD-Line.

Example:  DXF2 : Clean.dxf 

DXF2 - the DXF-Element name in the Assembly-Tree

: Clean.dxf - the DXF drawing that will show in the graphic-area.

If you cannot see the DXF Drawing, then...:

•Change the background colour of the graphic-area

See Application Settings | colour tab. Gray is a good colour.

•The DXF drawing may be outside of the current graphic view.

See View menu > Zoom-Out. [or use Scroll-wheel on mouse]

•The Linear Units of the DXF Drawing may be incorrect, which may make the drawing very small or very big. It is normal to use the same Linear Units as the original DXF drawing.

See Edit DXF-Element dialog-box.

tog_minus Alignment of DXF 

Dialog-CADLine-DXF-AlignDXF2

To change the alignment of the DXF Drawing with the CAD-Line, you must select two DXF Point .

DXF Point to CAD-Line's Origin

1.Click the box to make the box Orange - see Note
2.Click the DXF-Point in the DXF Drawing that you want to move to the start-Point/Origin of the CAD-Line

The DXF-Point shows in the box and the box becomes Green

The DXF-Point to CAD-Line's X-axis box becomes Green

DXF Point along X-Axis / CAD-Line

3.Click a DXF-Point in the DXF Drawing that you want to align with the X-axis of the CAD-Line.

The DXF-Drawing moves to be aligned with the two DXF-Points.

You can re-select the DXF-Points at any time.

NOTE:

If you can see the DXF Drawing but cannot see DXF-Points, then:

1.Click the Display Filter toolbar > DXF Points to hide or show the DXF Points [the toolbar is below the graphic-area].
Display Fillters toolbar > DXF Points (below graphic-area)

Display Fillters toolbar > DXF Points
(below graphic-area)

tog_minus Convert DXF Entities to MD Lines and Arcs 

Dialog-CADLine-DXF-ConverDXFtoMD

The DXF Line, Arc and Point entities that belong to the DXF Drawing are 'dumb'.

Use this separator to convert the dumb DXF-Entities to MechDesigner sketch-elements.

Owner Part

This box specifies the Part to which you will add the sketch-element

Usually, you will add the sketch-elements to the same Part as the CAD-Line.

1.Click in the box to make it Orange
2.Click a Part in the graphic-area or the Assembly-Tree.

The Part should now be in the Owner Part box

DXF Entity

This box specifies which DXF-Entity you will convert to a MechDesigner sketch-element.

Before you click a DXF-Entity, you may want to

•Click the Select Loop radio-button so that you will convert a number of DXF-Entities sketch-loop
•Click the Lock Points radio-button to fix the Points in the sketch-elements to the Part, after they are converted to MD sketch-elements
•Optionally, edit the Merge Radius value to help make a sketch-loop with those DXF entities inside the Merge-Radius' value.
1.When the 'DXF Entity' box is Orange click a DXF Entity (a DXF Line or DXF Arc) in the graphic-area
3.Click the Convert to MD Entities button

Repeat 1 to 3 again and again to convert more DXF Entities to MD sketch-elements.

Note: You must click the DXF entity Parameter box in the dialog to make it Orange before you click a DXF Entity in the graphic-area.

Information

Once you apply the 'Convert to MD Entities' button, the new sketch-elements are not linked with the CAD-Line; they are linked with the Part.

Therefore, you can use Clear DXF Link to remove the DXF File, but the sketch-elements stay with the Part.

Tutorial and Reference Help Files for MechDesigner and MotionDesigner 13.2 + © Machine, Mechanism, Motion and Cam Design Software by PSMotion Ltd