Import DXF - is it basically a bad idea?

[carlharr]

Typically, text moves, lines vanish and so on when importing a DXF.

Now sitting where I do, people send me their DXFs and I'm wondering if really, importing DXFs is basically a bad idea.

I've got my own thoughts on this, but would be interested to here anyone elses opinions?

http://www.jcb.com

NX 8.5 with TC 8.3

 

[cowski]

I'd suggest importing the dxf into a new, blank file, and doing any necessary cleanup. It has been a while since I've worked with dxf files, but I don't remember having the sorts of trouble you describe.

www.nxjournaling.com

 

[JohnRBaker]

Have you tried opening the DXF file directing into NX and NOT using the File -> Import -> DXF/DWG function?

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[NutAce]

Or use the External Translators provided in the Installation folder? (Start menu) (these give you more settings)


Ronald van den Broek
Mechanical Engineer
Cad Environment Coordinator
Wärtsilä, Propulsion Services
NX8.5.3 / TC9.1.2
HPZ420 Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-1620 0 @ 3.60GHz, 32 Gb Win7 64B
Nvidea Quadro4000 2048MB DDR5
HP EliteBook 8570W Intel(R) Core(TM) I7-3740QM CPU @ 2.70GHz, 16Gb Win7 64B

 

[carlharr]

Thanks for your replies.

Bit of background - we're talking here about drawings that suppliers have sent in to us.

The example I've got at the moment:
- open the DXF in Vis and some of the dimension values and leader annotations are missing
- import to NX and some of the text moves
- import / open / translator to NX (as suggested) and a table is missing
And the title block is missing in all imports.

So in effect the engineer doesn't know what it's supposed to look like, and has asked me why it won't import properly.

When I was in engineering I would ask the supplier for a different format (CGM, or PDF to attach in TC), because at least I'd know it was correct. I wouldn't clean it up because it's a proprietary drawing, and I didn't know what it was supposed to look like.

But in the job I'm in now I often get asked why they won't import properly. I don't really have a satisfactory answer to this which is why the question - is it a bad idea. I was wondering if anyone else had experienced similar.

Thanks again for your answers, I can tell the engineer what I've tried and suggest he gets a different format!

http://www.jcb.com

NX 8.5 with TC 8.3

 

[schellenbergj]

Is there a difference in using external or internal import and simply open?

 

[carlharr]

Hi,

The internal import moved / changed text on the drawing.
The external import and simply open options gave similar results, a better job of the text but things were still missing on the drawings.

It all seems too "flaky" for me, as it's an engineering drawing to my mind it should either open properly, or not be used as an export / import option.

http://www.jcb.com

NX 8.5 with TC 8.3

 

[schellenbergj]

Are you sure that both methods were used with the same settings? Because my expirience is that if you use the same settings, both (external and internal importer), produce the same result. Sometimes good and somtimes bad higly depending on the file.

 

[carlharr]

Hi,

There's a good chance they were different as I did the internal import last Friday, other imports this morning.

So in your experience import method doesn't really matter, only the settings used and the file.

Which means there isn't really a "bulletproof" method for importing DXFs?

http://www.jcb.com

NX 8.5 with TC 8.3

 

[carlharr]

I think I have the answer I need...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoCAD_DXF

http://www.jcb.com

NX 8.5 with TC 8.3

 

[schellenbergj]

I think it is depending on the input file.
"shit in, shit out" you know. E.g. we had a dxf file that would not import properly because the file contains two "supermarket layouts" that were kilometers apart and both were in one file. Every layout in one file was easy to import. If you have "access" to the import AND export you can control both. If you have only "access" to one of them it can (and often will) fail. So often it is not only a problem for NX but also from the exporting software...

 

[carlharr]

Agreed, so it looks like there is no robust way to import all DXFs, because the DXF format itself isn't standardised, and yes we don't have control of the original exports.

The NX tools do provide the possibility of importing some DXFs, if the engineer is willing to play with the settings, and has something they can check the results against.

In any case I have the answers I need now, which are that I can't recommend it because of possible errors, and it's not something that can be fixed.

Thanks for your time.

http://www.jcb.com

NX 8.5 with TC 8.3

 

[fzvnpg]

OK i can get the dxf in ....but its the 2d drafting sheets and they only come in in modeling...earlier post said to change a setting but in NX 8.5 does not appear to have that option... What am I missing?

Cj Silver
Tooling Engineer BAE Systems
Working to remember all I forgotten

 

[cowski]

If you want to move the curves from the modeling side to the drafting side, thread561-302445 gives some instructions.

www.nxjournaling.com

 

[Toost]

Since DXf and DWG are Autodesks proprietary formats, and the modeling kernel isn't open to other vendors, it is not a good format for general data transfer.
Every vendor will have their dialect on these files, except Autodesk.
I use Autodesks viewer TrueView ( freeware) to verify the content , before and after. ( If i export from NX i check the results there, if i am about to import i check the file before import.
One of the problems with these formats is that very many Autodesk users , think that DXF/DWG is the format and are very reluctant to use Step.

I think that "today" the external and the internal translator is the same and produces the same result. I thinkthat it was not some years ago.
( Correct me if i'm wrong, but , say 2004, we got different results internal/ external translator.)

This week i had issues with an DWG import into NX7.5
compared to the DWG TrueView the result was quite different.
I imported the DWG into NX903 where it was identical to the DWGTrueView.
I exported it NX9 -> DWG and imported the new DWG into NX7.5 , case closed.


Regards,
Tomas