AutoCad Glitch?

[mikejohn]

Does any one have any idea what is happening here?
4610
It is drawn in AutoCad 2000, but saved in R12.
Saving in R13,R14 or 2000 doesnt work.
All the shapes are polylines, except the shape in the top right, which looks a little like the London Underground sign.
In simulation (I have yet to get my shopbot) All the polylines 'cut' exactly as I wish, in the order I want, holes first etc.
But if I try to leave the top right shape as a polyline, it will not 'cut' correctly.
I have exploded the piece, and it 'cuts' fine, although in a very odd order, and long pauses between cuts.
I have drawn the shape using circles and lines, then trimmed off the excess. Ive drawn using lines and arcs (it tries to cut some arcs as circles). Ive made polylines by PEDIT and using the draw/boundary command.It still doesnt work.
To repeat, it makes the cut exploded.
Is there anything special about this shape that is causing the problems?
Or, am I missing something?
A small thing.
I'm trying to get two pieces of imformation from Shopbot before placing my order, the current delivery time, and an estimation of the shipping costs to the UK.
They are not answering my repeated emails.
Anyone know why?
Thanks
Mike

[elcruisr]

Well, I work in ArtCam but it shares many similarities with Part Wizard and I've had problems off and on with importing AutoCad files. First off you are working in 2D not 3D right?

Are all your polylines closed polylines? The whole perimeter should be one closed polyline.

No layers, make sure layers are not just turned off but GONE! Layers, even when turned off can cause problems with CNC software.

Beware hidden line fragments, they can cause troubles.

For some strange reason a few of my clients have sent the same drawing in both .dxf and .dwg and one will work while the other one does not. Never have figured out why.

I usually don't have trouble with files saved as R12, occasionally with 2000 and 2004 is a lost cause.

As for e-mail we've had several days of e-mail problems with our customers. Not just locally but several people all over the country have been complaining of very slow and a few lost e-mails. It seems like another virus problem or something and the server filters are running on steroids. Hopefully they're even getting through!

Eric

[fleinbach]

I too have been having serious email problems for the past 2 weeks. I run my own email server with the latest anti-spam filters and anti-virus and I have not detected a problem with either, yet I know I am not getting email from some people.

Sorry but I have no exsperiance with Autocad. I do all my Drawing using Chief Architech 9.54 and have had no problems 99% of the time. The other 1% when something went wrong I would just redraw using a differant method and that always worked. I export using the default "Autocad 2000". There are eight more other choices R12, R13, etc but I have never tried them.

[gerald_d]

Mike, AutoCad believes themselves as authorised to write some rather unique files because they invented the .dxf format and nobody else got their permission to use it....

Some things to try:

- PURGE your drawing completely with the command PURGE

- Select all the lines of the drawing that you are interested in, and then COPY them to a new blank drawing sheet. This leaves all the dud code behind.

- as a very last resort, we open the AutoCad dxf with TurboCad and then save it as a dxf again from TurboCad - this gives a more palatable dxf.

- make sure that AutoCad does not have the dxf open while you are using another application to access the same file. AutoCad wants sole access and sometimes throws a fit if another application wants to play with its toys.

- as a very last resort, we open the AutoCad dxf with TurboCad and then save it as a dxf again from TurboCad - this gives a more palatable dxf for other applications.

[Brady Watson]

Eric,
Good point..."Beware hidden line fragments, they can cause troubles..."

I've had problems with fragments way out in left field where you have to zoom all the way out to see them.

-Brady

[mikejohn]

Gentlemen
Thanks for your replies.
My internet server went down for 1 hour Saturday lunch, came back on 48 hours later!
I did have time to play more with AutoCad to SB files.
I tried redrawing the above shape different ways, with diffrent results.
If I rotate the two polylines that make up the shape, even 1 degree, the file converts OK
If I draw the shape verticle instead of horizontal, it converts OK (Always from AutoCad R12)
If I import the original file into a nothing program (Working Model) it converts ok.
Now, I understand that Gerald, and others, go from AutoCad to Vector to create there tool path.
I dont have Vector, so I can't try this.
The important thing for me was, playing around with the files, I was able to achieve a working sb file.
Can I assume that, if a file works Ok in preview, it wil also run the machine in a similar way?
I'm still experimenting with Cad files and Shopbot, so I expect to return to this thread.
As for contacting shopbot, I will now try once more.
I feel deprived all you guys with shopbots in the workshop, and I can't even place an order.
This isn't anything to do with the unpleasentness between your lot and the British 200 or so years ago, is it?
-Mike

[gerald_d]

Hi Mike, could you mail me your problem .dxf file? (Zipped plse). Curiosity is getting the better of me.

(The reason for the zip is because some e-mail programs recognize a .dxf file as a text file and reformat it using rules that make it useless as a .dxf file. Someone else who has had this problem here (http://www.rothermelassociates.com/attachments.htm))