Splines

[stickman]

Hello everyone...

This morning I tried to bring a drawing into PartWizard. This drawing is composed mostly of AutoCAD Splines. I can't get the drawing to come into the program at all. Why? Am I doing something wrong? I tried to explode the splines, but splines won't explode in AutoCAD LT.

Help...

[Brady Watson]

Jay,
If possible, save the DXF as a v14 DXF, then try pulling it in.

-Brady

[matt_r]

Saving as Version 9 also seems to work well in these cases.

matt

[jay_p]

Jay,

You can also trace the splined lines with a polyline, make certain that the polyline is joined, and import. I have best luck improrting .dwg files when exported to AutoCad 2000.

Jay

[hwd_woodworking]

Jay,

We run into the same problems all the time with part wizard. Also with ellipses. When the import some times they import as if it were mirrored and othe times they seem to import fine untill you try to tool path them.

We have been very disappointed in this aspect of part wizard. My fear is even if we up grade to insig or art cam pro it will do the same thing.

What we end up doing is a number of diffirent things.

** Sometimes you can back the entire object a block in autocad then import it then ungroup it in part wizard.

** If you are trying to profile the actual outside vector, most of the time we have to offset the spline in autocad and draw in the actual tool path. Sometimes we prefer this method becuase we have complete control and no time is wasted trying other methods. There is nothing more frustrating than getting something partly toolpathed then you discover the ellipse or spline isn't toolpathing right or it imported wrong! I have had an ellipse import as a different ellipse. I figured out that if you have two splinse (or ellipses) that are very close to each other (1/32") it imports wrong. We often want to then chamfer our spline with a 60 deg or 45 and we like to offset that tool path slightly from the actuall piece so you are cutting with the side of the bit as opposed to cutting with the point.

** The other methods as mentioned earlier in this post sometimes works although I can't say we have had that much luck saving down a few versions. We run off of autocad 2002.

** The last resort we do is tracing as you mentioned. We cut some work for a client who sends us the autocad drawings and sometimes his regular arcs will not import. So for this we make everything a poly line. This is kind of nice because you can controll where you want the start point to be. (even on profiles ect...).

I hope some of these ideas will help.

Nate

[mikejohn]

Nathan
I'm sure you are doing this, but R14.dxf and R12.dxf work best for me.

.............Mike

[stickman]

I tried saving it a number of ways. I still couldn't get PartWizard to take it in. I did get the AutoCAD ellipse issue figured out. Someone let me in on the secret of setting the pellipse variable. This turns an ellipse into sections of polylines. Works great.

Thanks for your help guys...

[robtown]

I ran across an autoLISP routine that converts splines to polylines a while back, it works pretty good. I'm not sure if this is the one I'm using as I'm at home, and my ACAD workstation is at the shop, but here's a link:

http://www.dotsoft.com/freestuff.htm

It doesn't work in AutoCad LT BTW...

[scott_smith]

Jay, Thanks for the PELLIPSE trick. It works great and will come in handy.

Rob, The SPL2PL.VLX is for V2000 and up (Dang). Anyone have a trick for V14?

Scott

[stickman]

Guys,

Here is a question. I am working with Part Wizard to output my code into a shopbot file.

Here is an example of what I am trying to do.

I want a line to cut along at 1/16" depth for two inches and then I want it to increase its depth for the next 3/4" to 5/8" of an inch. Then cut for four inches at the 5/8" depth and then decrease its cut for the next 3/4" back to 1/16" depth.

Well, I drew my line in AutoCAD five segments. But when I try to run a cut on this line, following vectors at a 1/16" depth, so that I can manually go in and change the couple points, Part Wizard, turns these segments of lines into one line of code.

Any thoughts.

Jay

[jsfrost]

Jay,
I have had the oposite problem due to minutely non touching line segments. Try separating the vector ends by a few thousanths. Or put them on separate layers.

Jim

[billp]

Jay,
I have a system that works, but there may be other,simpler methods..
I start by drawing my line to it's full length. Then I go into the "node editor"and "insert points" at the places I want the depths to change. I then RIGHT CLICK on each point, and "cut vector". This essentially breaks the line into individual segments.
After that I go to "toolpaths" and choose each segment individually and "cut along vector". This will give me separate toolpaths for each line segment.
When it comes time to save the toolpaths I just drag them all over to the right hand box (in their proper order) , and save them as a singular file. Obviously this will only work if you are using the same tool for all of your cuts.
Depending on your chioce of material you may get some "entry marks" at the plunge/start point, but in general this works pretty well for me...

[stickman]

Bill,

That is pretty much what I am doing... LOL.. it takes time.. when you've got 26 to 30 lines across a sheet of plywood... My eyes got buggy last night... had to quit...

[billp]

Jay,
If I'm reading that right you are repeating this process up/down the sheet? If so, why couldn't you draw this file ONCE and just offset the toolpath(s) the appropriate number of times?..

[Brady Watson]

Jay,
If you have Rhino you can visualize/create this in the XZ or YZ plane. Then export the selected points as a 'points file', which you can view in notepad. Once you have the text file, you can go back in and rearrange the values (in relation to XYZ) and just add your M2 commands on the front of each line.
By using Rhino you can eliminate much of your mental concentration/energy...since you can actually SEE the dips in Z on the screen. If you set your construction grid up properly, you can snap the points to it and get it exactly where you need it in Z by just sketching them...or just insert a point and in the command box, enter the coordinates.

Hope that helps!
-Brady

[Brady Watson]

4244

[Brady Watson]

4245

[mikejohn]

Jay
Is this what you are trying to achieve?

4246
Or is it more complex?
..........Mike

[stickman]

Mike, that is what I am doing.... slowly and a little more complex... as far as location.. depth and sizes...

Bill, it varies in location, depth and size...

I hope all that attended the Jamboree had a good time, while I sat at the computer, creating code... Hopefully next year.. I'll make the Durham Trip