eDrawings to DXF? (CNC venders cant use eDrawings)

[D3sign3r]

We seem to be having a hard time getting our CNC venders to accept eDrawings from us. Apparently their CNC machines require DXF or DWG files. Im not sure what to tell them. EDrawings are the only format we send to our vendors, otherwise it becomes a hassle and time consuming keeping track of multiple files on our servers.
Are there free programs by Solidworks out there that will take eDrawings and convert them to a suitable format for these CNC machines?

 

[ctopher]

Why do you only send eDrawings? They can not create their NC programs with it. You can send them an IGES or parasolid, along with the eDwg. I would not DXF, too much errors can go with it.

Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 05
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home site (updated 06-21-05)
FAQ559-1100
FAQ559-716

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

To answer your question, I don't know of any 3rd party coversion programs for eDrawings.

What's the difference between creating a set of eDrawings & creating a set of DXFs/DWGs? It's a breeze if you have the SW Task Scheduler.


Helpful SW websites FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions FAQ559-1091

 

[tstanley]

From a CNC programmers point of view, I would far rather have the native Solidworks model and maybe a paper or pdf file to look at. The CAM software we use, Surfcam, can read the model directly and saves many hours for the programmer trying to recreate the 3D model from a 2D drawing. I'm sure that there are many other CAM systems that could read the Solidworks files. The most important thing is having the three dimensional information without having to recreate it, unless your parts are very simple, such as profiles or something. I estimate that 40% of a programmers time is spent recreating this geometry in 3D if he is presented with a 2D drawing in whatever format.

Tom Stanley

 

[Jabberwocky]

As far as I know, one of the explicit purposes of eDrawings is to have a non-editable format that cannot be reverse engineered. For our suppliers we send prints in PDF and solid models in IGES. Neither of these formats can be easily modified, but provide all information you need to create the part.

 

[lejeanmi]

I have been waiting for many years for Geometric/SolidWorks to add the "Save As... DXF" as well as "Save As... IGES" to eDrawing. This would provide all the info our vendors need in one non-editable file, reducing the potential for error of parametrically updated 3D data no longer matching the controlled PDF drawing.
Unfortunately there is no sign that they will add this functionality anytime soon.
For now we are still using PDF as the controlled drawing and send DXF/IGES per individual vendor request. I know there are now PDF to DXF converted out there ($180) but I never used them and can not guaranty their quality.

 

[smcadman]

Are these 2D parts or 3D parts that they need? If it's 2D, such as sheet metal, then DXF or DWG the drawing to them. An injection molding company we used read SW models directly for their EDM and other machines. eDrawings may be a good idea to send them to keep them from re-using your models for another client, but it isn't meant for CNC machines.

Flores
SW06 SP4.1

 

[SBaugh]

Edrawings are so your customers can view the file only. It has no data in it to run NC stuff of. You are going to have to send them something that has usable data, like Parasolid, IGES, STEP, if its a 2D drawing your working with, then you can send them DWG/DXF.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376

 

[JMulligan]

One option with eDrawings is to allow STL output.

Have any of you used this feature successfully to convey 3D model data to a vendor?

Thank You
Joe Mulligan

 

[rporter]

In Edrawings 2006 they added a feture that the publisher could turn on to allow export of the Edrwaing to and STL file format. Most cam software should be able to use this file format for programing.

If you enable this feture all the person viewing the edrawing has to do is save as and select stl format. Look at edrawing help save as for more detail.

 

[rfus]

Very few CAM packages can handle large stl counts. I know this becuase I use Delcam Powermill for this very reason. NX3 can, and there are others, but try and bring a large stl into surfcam or mastercam and you are screwed. The .stl files don't have features like parametric NURB models that make it easy to set up boundaries, profiles, surface normals.....etc....and edrawings would be my last choice to create an stl because the tessalation of the file is low resolution.

Of course you are going to have a hard time using edrawings files with CNC vendors. This is a tool to view 3d files and 2d prints. Give your vendors pdf prints with your tolerances, give them 3d files to bring into the CAM package, and if they want 1:1 2d dxf's/dwg's to create profiles, do hole drilling, and basic 3 axis paths then give them those. If you just give them an edrawings file and say make me this, then your quote is gonna be higher because they are gonna have to do the engineering for you. Give them everything they need to start making toolpaths and cutting right off and it will be reflected in your quote.

RFUS

 

[SBaugh]

STL is only good for 3D printing... at least what I have found. it triangulates the data in to triangles... not any useful data for most NC or CAD machines there either.

Try and export out an STL and open it in SW you will see what I mean.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376

 

[ctopher]

D3sign3r,
Your vendors are using ACAD to send files to CAM. I don't like using DXF or DWG for CAM, not very accurate.
Send the vendors that use ACAD their DXF/DWG, the others IGES/STEP/STL/etc or whatever they can use.
In addition, send PDF's of the dwgs for checking/inspection.

Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 06-21-06)

 

[dogarila]

I always give my suppliers a pdf drawing file. They know I do my design in SolidWorks and if they feel they need it they ask for my solid model to feed it into their CNC software. I give it to them as a parasolid file and they are very happy. It's so simple.