Step 8.2: Open DXF File, Show a DXF Outline

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Step 8.2: Open DXF File, Show a DXF Outline

Objective:

1.Add a DXF-Element, linked to a DXF-Drawing, to the Assembly-Tree.

2.Show the DXF-Drawing and show it in the graphic-area.

3.Align it with the CAD-Line.

Top-Tips

Before, in your other CAD, you save a DXF-Drawing :

•Remove hidden lines

•Explode all Blocks (we cannot import a DXF with Blocks)

•Save the DXF-Drawing as AutoCAD Release 12 or as early as is available

Note

We will not import TEXT or Splines.

Open a DXF-Drawing file-type

GST-T8-1-aa

STEP 1: Open DXF-Drawing file-type

1.Do File menu > Open > DXF file-type

In the Windows interface, change the file-type to DXF

2.Select the DXF-Drawing file-type

3.Click Open

A DXF-element is now in the Assembly-Tree.

It is helpful to rename elements.

STEP 2: Rename the DXF-Element to the DXF-Drawing file-name

Open a CAD-Line dialog

Double-click a CAD-Line

Double-click a CAD-Line

CAD-Line dialog-box > DXF tab

CAD-Line dialog-box > DXF tab

STEP 1: If necessary, add Part, or a CAD-Line

1.Mechanism-Editor: Do Add menu > Mechanism sub-menu > Add Part.

or

1.Mechanism-Editor: Edit a Part (or Base-Part)

2.Part-Editor: Do Geometry toolbar > Add CAD-Line

Remember which is the start-Point and the end-Point of the CAD-Line.

3.Part-Editor: Exit the Part-Editor

There is now a CAD-Line in the graphic-area.

STEP 2: Edit the CAD-Line.

To open the CAD-Line dialog:

1.Double-click a CAD-Line in the Assembly-Tree or Graphic-area.

- or -

See How to open an elements dialog

The CAD-Line dialog opens.

STEP 3: Click the DXF tab

Link the DXF-Element and DXF-Drawing with the CAD-Line

GST-T8-1-B-Dialog-CADLine DXF tab-SelectDXFElements

STEP 1: Link the DXF-Element with the CAD-Line:

1.Click to expand Select DXF Element

2.Click the down-arrow to expand the Select DXF-Element list box

Now you will see:

DXF-element name  : DXF-Drawing name

•DXF-element name is in the Assembly-Tree - it is Rocker

•DXF-Drawing name is the name of the DXF-Drawing - Rocker.DXF.

The DXF-Drawing is now in the graphic-area.

 

If the DXF-Drawing is at the correct location, and orientation, you can close CAD-Line dialog now.

 

Or you can continue with other options.
GST-T8-1-B

 

The DXF-Drawing is in the graphic-area, in the DXF-Outline format.

You may need to Zoom-Out to find the DXF-Drawing.

If we want to re-align the DXF-Drawing with the CAD-Line
GST-T8-1-C

STEP 2: Align the DXF-Drawing with the CAD-Line:

DXF-Point to CAD-Line's Origin (its start-Point)

1.Click to expand Align DXF TO CAD-Line :

The color of the DXF-Point to CAD-Line's Origin box should be          .

If it is not          :

2.Click the DXF Point to CAD-Line's Origin box

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

The DXF-Point(#) should be in the DXF-Point to CAD-Line's Origin box
GST-T8-1-D
GST-T8-1-E

DXF-Point to CAD-Line's X-axis

The color of the DXF-Point to CAD-Line's X-axis should be          .

If it is not          :

2.Click in the DXF Point to CAD-Line's X-axis box

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

The DXF-Point(#) should be in the DXF-Point to CAD-Line's Origin box

The DXF-Drawing moves to align with the CAD-Line.

If you make a mistake, click the boxes again.

When you close the CAD-Line dialog, the DXF Points do not display.