Problems importing QCAD DXF files into SignLab
Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 5:55 am
I have run into a couple of problems with importing QCAD DXF files into my CNC supplier's application. I am using QCAD v2.2.2.0, running on Windows XP SP2. The application they use is SignLab.
The first, and biggest issue is that the same arc in 2 different drawings has been interpretted very differently ... once as the arc as drawn, and once it appears as a spline kind of object. The end result has been items that should have a matching arc have been cut differently, and noticably so.
The arc was created in one drawing, then copied into the other, as well as being copied, flipped and rotated for different matching pieces in both drawings ... all the instances of it in one drawing worked, and all in the other didn't.
The arc is one of three linked end-to-end to make a single curve. In both of the drawings the arc is part of a polyline which groups together the complete outline of the component.
We also had a consistent issue across all of the drawings I supplied, where they were created with 'mm' as the units, but always imported as inches ... dimension values didn't change or scale, it just saw them as inches.
Also when talking to them about the issue with the arc they re-imported my drawings to lay one version over the other and see how they miss-aligned. It seemed to oddly scale one of the drawings as other items on the drawings that should line up no longer did.
I have checked the drawings in QCAD, and they are correct with everything lining up. I have even checked the properties of all the instances of the arc in question and they are correct.
Has anyone else run into this sort of problem?
Any hints / tips on making sure imports work consistently between drawings?
Mark.
The first, and biggest issue is that the same arc in 2 different drawings has been interpretted very differently ... once as the arc as drawn, and once it appears as a spline kind of object. The end result has been items that should have a matching arc have been cut differently, and noticably so.
The arc was created in one drawing, then copied into the other, as well as being copied, flipped and rotated for different matching pieces in both drawings ... all the instances of it in one drawing worked, and all in the other didn't.
The arc is one of three linked end-to-end to make a single curve. In both of the drawings the arc is part of a polyline which groups together the complete outline of the component.
We also had a consistent issue across all of the drawings I supplied, where they were created with 'mm' as the units, but always imported as inches ... dimension values didn't change or scale, it just saw them as inches.
Also when talking to them about the issue with the arc they re-imported my drawings to lay one version over the other and see how they miss-aligned. It seemed to oddly scale one of the drawings as other items on the drawings that should line up no longer did.
I have checked the drawings in QCAD, and they are correct with everything lining up. I have even checked the properties of all the instances of the arc in question and they are correct.
Has anyone else run into this sort of problem?
Any hints / tips on making sure imports work consistently between drawings?
Mark.