Hey folks, I am hoping some CAD gurus can provide some insights.
At my job, one of the clients provides drawings of their pieces in both PDF and DXF format for our use.
The issue comes in with the DXF files. I do not know what program is used to create the objects, but unless it is a really basic shape (rectangle, square, etc), the items usually don't survive the (assumed) conversion to DXF. As in the exterior lines are all broken apart and does not represent the intended shape. Which means I have to spend way too much of my time redoing the line work. The lines appear to be polylines.
I am going to attempt to include samples here, I hope they come across. The first pic is supposed to resemble the second, though it has a few more lines. Any thoughts on what I should be looking at or for would be appreciated.
PDF's can be strange beasts.
I've had this.
May not help, but I open such PDF's in Canvas and save as dxf and their conversions can be more reliable.
Can they give you a dwg?
Not sure what program you are using.
Maybe ask them to explode any polylines and resend. What happens if you explode those polylines?
Do they magic themselves to something sensible?
Then if needed join the lines back to create polylines.
They send two files, a PDF and a DXF. The PDF comes across great, the DXF comes across as shown. I have to redraw way too many files from the PDF.
At work, I use AutoCAD Light, I viewed them in Draftsight here at home.
When I explode the polylines in the DXF file results in a bunch of single lines.
Edit: I have not asked them to explode the polylines yet.
I will look into Canvas, thank you.
PDF files are raster based files. CAD files, like dwg and dxf files, are vector based. Dxf files are like word processor ASCII or rtf files: generic so that most software can open and use the files. If you have a raster to vector software, that would do most of the conversion, but would require some cleanup work. If you have a cad software, it should be your best option to open and use the dxf file. All your vestor based information should come out ok unless the original file had some oddball data, such as special line types, blocks and nested blocks. During the creation of the dxf file, that software should have created a plain and usable dxf file. If you are getting line segments instead of a complete lines, then maybe the dxf file broke up a special line type into segments. As previously suggested, you could ask for a dwg file, or one that is saved as an older version of a dwg file. There are a few free software packages out there that can open dxf files and save as a dwg file, or open one version of dwg and save as another version. See Doublecad or Dassault Systems software for two that I can think of.
I hope this helps somewhat. I taught at a community college for over 20 years teaching and using Autodesk products. I taught three levels of CAD and then taught courses in using the software to generate drawings for the engineering field.
> PDF files are raster based files.
They can be raster, vector or both, so it's possible to get an accurate conversion if the original vector data is good.
... PDF files are raster based files ...
PDF files may contain any mixture of images, paths or even text. There is no more intelligent objects. For example circles are represented by four bezier curves.
Also consider precision (typically important to surveyors). A PDF has been projected to page coordinates which a much less precise. I would prefer a DXF any day.
I hope I never step into a building where someone started the design from a PDF.
I would doubt (at least in this case) that the files were designed in pdf format. I suspect they were designed using some form of AutoCAD and converted to dxf and pdf, zipped and forwarded.
The DXF files are corrupt or in some way substandard.
I would simply ask the client to check their software output by opening the DXF files (with Autodesk "DWG Trueview" free software if they don't have anything else) themselves and see what they think.
My fear is that in this case the dxf's are exported from the pdf's and not from a cad program!
Try to reach the designer ... he must have used some cad software and deliverde someone a pdf. I think this person made dxf's from the pdf's.
Chr.
Delimerde someone a PDF, yes it happens sometimes 😉
I had the opportunity to dig around a bit yesterday. According to the other company's web site, they use Revit (full blown 3d) as their primary design software. I am using AutoCAD light (no 3d capability).
So, I suspect there may be some conversion issues going from a 3d design to a 2d object.
A REVIT user sent me a design on a house to fit on a lake lot about 6mos ago.
It was useless to insert into Carlson. I had to create points by traversing the sides of the house design, it did not close by a couple of feet, the dimensions were horrible.
A 2008 Carlson user told me to have him send me the root file of the drawing along with his end product (whatever that means). Never got that from the REVIT user.