DXF exports from SW to ACAD, too many objects! 1

[ElectroMatt]

When I export drawings from Solidworks to a DXF format for my 2D assembly and wiring drawings, some of these files contain 30,000+ objects. Upon further inspection, I have realized that solidworks exports every visible edge as a separate line regardless how small. Also, many edges are coincident and colinear and what I'm looking to do is eliminate the number of objects and merge coincident (and colinear) line segments. Do any of you know of a way to do this in SW (2004) before exporting or after in ACAD (2004) so I can create smaller, more efficient and more functional files? Some of these DXFs come out at 10+MB, which is ridiculous for what I'm turning them into..

Thanks for your replies!

Matt

 

[ElectroMatt]

As a follow up to my question, I am exporting object lines, hidden lines and tangent lines in separate layers, so I can eliminate these layers as needed.

 

[SBaugh]

If you can see an edge in SW you can hide it, but if there is another edge directly behind it then you can't hide that second edge. Example If you have a box in a drawing you can hide the edge that you are looking directly at, but the second edge you cannot. So that edge will get exported.

Other then that, this is something that you will probably have to do a the AutoCAD stage. When you export the SW file out, it exports all edges.

If they are in layers then you should look at using "Color mapping" in the options of a save of a SW drawing file to DWG, DXF.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.3dvisiontech.com

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

For all Newbie's - Welcome to the nerd herd!

faq731-376

 

[ElectroMatt]

Maybe I wasn't clear enough. I was mainly referring to joining these edges, not removing them. imagine 10 or so ------------- edges showing up as one. I need to export these coincident, colinear edges as merged or have a way to merge them post export.

Thanks,
Matt

 

[cadcoke5]

My memory is vague on this, but I think there are LISP routines available for AutoCAD which examine a drawing for redundant lines and remove them.

Joe Dunfee

 

[rockguy]

You could also try converting these lines to poly lines in AutoCAD using the PEDIT command. Type in Pedit then select the objects (lines, arc, etc) you would like to convert to poly lines. Once converted you can use the join option to join them together.

 

[ElectroMatt]

I'm interested in the LISP routines, anyone have a reference to them? Thanks for the PEDIT tip, merging these lines is what I'm looking to do, but it wouldn't be feasible when working with thousands of line segments.

BTW, I have posted this question in the AutoCAD forum as well, I feel as if it applies equally to both software packages as the solution will most likely have to be AutoCAD-based, but the problem is Solidworks-created.

 

[rockguy]

I guess I should have mentioned you can window select while in the PEDIT command. it will only connect lines that touch. The LISP would probably be a faster way to go.

 

[SBaugh]

This problem then can only be fixed in AutoCAD. As I stated above SW exports out all edges Collinear or Coincident, doesn't matter.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.3dvisiontech.com

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376

 

[cadcoke5]

I just did a quick search, and found that the Express tools provide this feature to remove duplicate lines. The express tools were included in 2000, but removed from the 2002 version and only made available to subscribers (they got to make subscription valuable somehow!). I believe there are other 3rd party utilities that do this as well.

Joe Dunfee