<< Click to Display Table of Contents >> Navigation: Getting Started Tutorials - MechDesigner > Tutorial 8: Import DXF Files, Convert to Solid Extrusions > Step 8.1: A Review of the DXF Commands and dialog-boxes |
CAD'Line : |
The special Line element we use to import Solids from CAD, and also import and display DXF-Drawings. Each Part we add to a model has one CAD-Line from its start-Point to its end-Point. You can also use the Part-Editor to add any number of CAD-Lines to Parts, and the Base-Part. |
DXF file-type : |
Drawing Exchange Format |
DXF-Drawing : |
The original drawing in your CAD |
DXF-Element : |
The element in the Assembly-Tree. It is a container for a DXF Drawing |
DXF-Outline : |
The efficient, but 'dumb', format with which we display a DXF-Drawing |
DXF-Entity : |
Arc and Line objects, but in the DXF-Outline format. It is possible to convert them to sketch-elements. |
You can use a CAD-Line to show a DXF-Drawing.
Do these two steps to show a DXF-Drawing:
STEP 1: Do File menu > Open DXF file-type
STEP 2: Use the CAD-Line dialog-box to link the DXF-Drawing with the CAD-Line.
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Before you save a drawing with the DXF file-type in your CAD: •Remove hidden lines •Explode all Blocks •Save the DXF drawing as 'Release 12', or as early as is available. |
1.Do File menu > Open In the Windows® File Open interface, 2.Set the File of type to DXF files (*.DXF) 3.Explore to find a drawing file with the DXF file-type - a DXF-Drawing 4.Click the Open button There is now a DXF-Element in the Assembly-Tree Do 1 to 4 again and again to open more files with the DXF file-type |
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In the Assembly-Tree:
Top-Tip: rename the DXF-element to the name of the DXF-Drawing. In the image to the left, there are three DXF-Elements: •DXF-Element : DXF •DXF-Element : Bottle-1Litre •DXF-Element : Bottle-0.5Litre |
You can to edit the DXF-Element to change the:
•DXF-Drawing that is referenced by the DXF-Element
•Linear Units
To open the DXF-Element dialog-box:
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DXF-Element dialog-box: The Drawing file-name and the DXF-Drawing folder-path are in the boxes below. If you want to change the DXF-Drawing: that is referenced by the DXF-Element: 1.Click the button 2.Find and select a different DXF-Drawing. 3.Click the Apply button DXF Units The correct Linear-Units are those of the original DXF-Drawing. 1.Select (mm), (m), (cm), or (inch) that are those of the original DXF-Drawing Of course, if you want to scale the DXF-Drawing, choose different units. Close the dialog: 1.Click |
![]() CAD-Lines in the Graphic-Area |
CAD-Line : in the Graphic-Area •CAD-Lines are Dark Green. •There is one CAD-Line •To add new CAD-Lines •The Origin (0,0) •The +X-axis direction is in the direction from its start-Point •When you add new CAD-Lines to a Part, you must remember the start-Point. CAD-Line : in the Assembly-Tree •The CAD-Line is the only sketch-element to show in the Assembly-Tree. •The CAD-Line is a child to a Part. |
![]() CAD-Lines in a Part in the Assembly-Tree |
When there is a DXF element in the Assembly-Tree, we can link the DXF drawing to a CAD-Line.
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Edit a CAD-Line 1.Double-Click a CAD-Line in the Part-Editor or the Mechanism-Editor. - or - 1.Click a CAD-Line in the Assembly-Tree 2.Right-Click the CAD-Line in the Selection-Window 3.Click Edit element in the contextual-menu or See How to open a dialog-box The CAD-Line dialog-box is now open. |
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1.Click in the CAD-Line dialog-box > DXF tab 2.Click the Select DXF element down-arrow 3.Select a DXF element from the list When you select a DXF element, the DXF drawing shows immediately in the graphic-area. Each DXF element in the Select DXF Element drop-down list box •DXF element name | the element-name in the Assembly-Tree •DXF drawing name | the CAD file-name of the DXF-Drawing Default Alignment of the DXF-Drawing with the CAD-Line The DXF drawing aligns its 0,0 and positive X-axis with the start-Point and positive X-axis direction of the CAD-Line. If you cannot see the DXF Drawing, try to find it. •Zoom-out if the DXF-Drawing is larger than the workspace. •Zoom-in if the DXF-Drawing is very small •Change the background color of the graphic-area. Application Settings dialog > Graphics tab > Graphic colors | Background | Grey is frequently a good color. to show/hide DXF Layers to remove the DXF Drawing from the CAD-Line. |
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The default alignment may be as you intend. However, you can edit the alignment of the DXF drawing with the CAD-Line. To re-align the DXF drawing: 1.Click the Align DXF to CAD-Line separator 2.Click in the DXF Point at CAD-Line's Origin box - it should be orange. 3.Click a Point in the DXF drawing in the graphic-area 3.Click in the DXF Point at CAD-Line's X-axis box - it should be orange 4.Click a Point in the DXF drawing that you want to align with the X-axis of the CAD-Line. When you click this Point the DXF Drawing will move to align with the CAD-Line. To re-align the DXF Drawing with different Points, do 2 to 4 again. |
Convert DXF to MD Lines and Arcs
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The DXF Entities - Lines, Arcs, Circles, Points - that show in the graphic-area are 'dumb'. You can convert these DXF Entities to sketch-elements. To Convert a DXF Entity to a sketch-element: 1.Click in the DXF Entity box to make it active 2.Click a DXF Entity (a DXF-Line or DXF-Arc) in the DXF Drawing 3.As options: •Select a different Owner Part - usually, sketch-elements are on the same Part as the CAD-Line •Select Enable-Loop Select check-box, if you want to attempt to find a sketch-loop •Select Free or Locked Points check-box, if you want to fix the Points to the Owner-Part. •Optionally, edit the Merge Radius value to help make a sketch-loop with those DXF entities inside the radius 4.Click the button Repeat 1 to 4 again and again, to convert more DXF Entities to MechDesigner sketch-elements. IMPORTANT: Each time, you must click the DXF entity box to make it active again, before you click a DXF Entity in the graphic-area.
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Two tools in the Display Filters toolbar: |
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Display DXF Outlines in the graphic-area. To see a DXF Outline, make sure this icon is 'Toggled IN'. That is, the light bulb is 'ON' Note: A DXF Outline is a DXF Drawing for display only. |
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Display DXF Points in graphic-area. To see DXF Points, make sure this icon is 'Toggled IN'. That is, the light bulb is 'ON'. When you use the CAD-Line dialog, you may select DXF Points to re-align the DXF Drawing with the CAD-Line. Sometimes you need to toggle this off, and back on, to see the DXF Points. This is a bug that we are trying to resolve. |