Hello Guys.
here’s the main problem:
I use Solid Edge 2d nesting for laser or CNC cuts. I export .dxf, import .dxf, and export .dxf.
the final output of curves the operators get before Calculating is too dense in point count. it leads to unnecessary calculation times and un-editability.
First I wonder if there is anything not so obvious that I’m missing about importing/exporting. I’ve tested many different file formats but I can’t preserve the curves’ first state until the end.
I’ve faced approximately the same issue using Artcam. I exported curves of different degrees as default .dxf and imported them into Artcam. Only degree 3 and degree 1 curves didn’t get dense.
anyway, I guessed that it might be the fact that each software supports a range of degrees and I can’t fight with it.
So I came up with this possible solution. maybe if I’d be able to stack similar curves on top of each other with the exact size and orientation automatically I’d be able to replace dense curves with the initial ones.
the other solution may be to switch to another software that preserves point density and accuracy while importing/exporting but I don’t know if there is any…
Do you have any clue(s)?
Can you post your DXF export settings and a sample file? You may be tessellating your curves into dense polylines.
here we go:
Sample File.3dm (1.6 MB)
Can you also post a screenshot of the export settings you are using?
And maybe the exported .dxf?
The question is when you did Rhino to Rhino was it via DXF? If so then your export settings are probably good.
It appears that ArtCAM is turning everything that is not a line, polyline, circular arc or degree 3 NURBS curve into polylines when it imports. And apparently it can’t export the degree 3 curves it successfully imports, those go out as dense polylines. I don’t know if this is normal behavior or not. But it does not appear to be Rhino’s fault.
I don’t quite understand what happened with the 4 “circles” (deformable) that went into ArtCAM. Apparently it did OK with the degree 3 one, but not the others, which confirms the fact that it imports degree 3 splines OK but can’t export them. There are a lot of programs that don’t support degree 2 or higher than degree 3 splines, so I would avoid them in any case.
I also don’t understand how Rhino re-imported the file from ArtCAM and remade the 4 circles - unless they were within tolerance of circles and SimplifyCrv was used.
This SolidEdge setting looks like it will result in exporting polylines…
Another thing to try is using Convert in Rhino to convert any spline curves you have into lines and arcs before exporting. See the Help for detailed instructions on what the different settings do.
Thanks for the reply.
Yes, it was via .DXF:
1.dxf (1.5 MB)
And Here are the settings:
Actually the Default Settings.
you are right. if it was Rhino’s fault it would not be accurate even in the Rhino to Rhino Item. I think there is no way around to tackle the problem except by either changing to another nesting/final program that by default doesn’t convert everything to polyline and at least preserves some degrees for sure OR finding an automatic stack-and-match tool or script. that’s why I’ve mentioned that in the first place.
I don’t think this second method is impossible. As I’ve seen in Maya there is a Stack Similar UVs.
it’s not as complex as my situation though.
Oh! and the converting method you mentioned. I’ll check it out and tell you the results.
Well, if it’s only nesting you need from the downstream programs, maybe look at OpenNest which is free and runs in Rhino. You can find it on Food4Rhino.
I checked out the convert command and it didn’t give me the desired result. Because I had to use a big minimum length to get a few points, and it would cause a considerable deviation.
I also got an export from Rhino to Corel Draw and then to artcam. the result made me take my word back.
The Rhino DXF export went dense in Artcam preserving only degree 1 & 3 curves and a degree 2 circle (because of the “simplify lines & arcs” was checked). but Corel Draw was different. Corel Draw was unable to import above degree 3 and it deformed the degree 2 circles to imperfection. but there is something more readable in its output file code for Artcam that preserves degree 2 curves. so Rhino may need one small step up in this part.
From Rhino to Artcam (DXF):
From Rhino to Corel to Artcam (DXF):
but the fact that all these software are in natural conflict will lead me to the stack-and-match solution. until using degree 3 and lower, regardless of the software, this solution will work just fine.
