Problem with Turbocad DXF files

[Steveinmelb]

Hey guys, I have been working on and i seem to be having trouble with alot of files... I cut this one out and it cut out pretty nice (not perfect) but theres definately something wrong with a lot of my files. If I draw shapes etc from scratch everything is fine (unless I use elipses or funnyshapes like that). But the artwork stuff is the tricky part.

I tried to share a file but its 6mb too big (it was a cicle with 3 birds in it and some branches) then i resized it to be really small it was still 2mb

I have worked out that not all lines are the same (I am using turbocad). Sometimes the lines look great and I try and put it into Nestmaster (Running 2015 version) and the file won't load or it will take forever. When this happens I know there is something wrong with the lines.

Another thing that happens is sometimes a file will load and I will output it to txt and try and cut the file and the cnc machine will stagger and jolt as somehow the paths aren't smooth... I have been trying to click Format to Arcs Poliline to try and make everything arcs and lines but this is having mixed results for me. Also I dont know what settings to put in (Tolerance and min line length).

I am using a hyertherm powermax 85 with a micut unit.

I am trying to get into the plasma cutting scene but I could only afford the equipment that I got.

[plasmanewbie]

Sounds like your designs are full of nodes which are making your cuts rough and your file size huge. Reducing the physical size of the image will only make small reductions in file size, you need to eliminate a mojority of your nodes to reduce file size to something you can post here without zipping it.

That being said you can right click on your file and select Send To Zip Folder and that will make it small enough to attach so we can have a look at it and help you out. Maybe you need to lose TurboCAD and get on with Inkscape or something.

[acourtjester]

I use both TurboCad and Inkscape, what version of TurboCad are you using mine is TurboCad Deluxe 2018. They also sell another version that is for like home design which is totally different for drawing. I have used it to design many parts without any problems. Here is a part the is about 5" X 11" with slots and holes and the file is 740 KB. Could you be using to thick of a line or many open lines?

new shot wide X side w-switch w-Y connector.DXF

(739.55 KiB) Downloaded 55 times

new shot wide X side w-switch w-Y connector.DXF

(739.55 KiB) Downloaded 55 times

[Steveinmelb]

ok i have zipped it. It should be attached to this message.


I use inkscape when i take an image and trace it, then save it as a dxf and open it in turbocad and "try" to clean it up, join polylines, delete overlaps, etc.

[acourtjester]

Ok I have opened and looked over your file in SheetCam and TurboCad. I sheetCam it will work but you will need to break up the file into layers, the dark blue should be inside offset, the light blue should be no offset, and the yellow should be outside offset. No lead ins or lead outs used on no offset and very small inside offsets. This can be done in SheetCam after importing or in Inkscape by using different colors for the different layers to separate them.
Now in TurboCam as Plasmanewbie said there are to many nodes, I think you would have better luck in tracing an image not freehanding the drawing, that may be hard for independent drawing. Maybe you could take single items and combine them in to what you want. This can be done in Inkscape by opening a few pages, doing the single trace of an item in one and copying that to a collection page to combine them as one.

garden 5.JPG (60.63 KiB) Viewed 1458 times

garden 5.JPG (60.63 KiB) Viewed 1458 times

[acourtjester]

Another thing so you know each node is a line of code which means a larger file size. Doing clean up of unneeded nodes will reduce the file size. Both these lines only have 2 nodes, by manipulating nodes you can make shapes without adding nodes. each node has 2 handles that can be used to influence its shape in a drawing. If you get into the node mode and click on some nodes you will see the handles it like a small ball at the end of a line connected to each node, you can move the ball handle to reshape a line. see attached images.

node 2.JPG (24.52 KiB) Viewed 1457 times

node 2.JPG (24.52 KiB) Viewed 1457 times

[Steveinmelb]

Interesting, This stuff is kind of helpful.. I looked at the nodes and i can see there are way too many... I tried to trace the image again in inkscape but it didn't want to do it.
I was able to reduce the size down to about 1mb by using the to arcs polyline tool in turbo cad... I havent played with layers yet but when i nested it it went


I don't know if turbocad is my problem // or the nesting program im using is the problem // or if the problem is just me (which i think is more likely) ... thats why im not sure if its worth changing all the programs over just yet.

[Steveinmelb]

Also its very anoying because i have been using turbocad 2020 deluxe for about a month now and i thought i was getting good at it... but every now and then i get a file that i roadblocks me and i can't do anything about it.

Some of these files (like the cocky one) are actually given to me by someone as a ready to go file... it looks good from a distance but then when i try and use it i get lots of troubles.

[acourtjester]

I have said this many time not all software play nice with other software. I opened both file, the nesting shows a complete distortion with random circles which are not part of the original drawing. There have been other posts here about cut ready files that are not, I assume the nesting is a screen shot from SheetCam. I have seen these circles before and you cannot use those files. I would not think the problem is you but just a bad file, you said you have had good luck with other files. I know when starting out in a new topic it is normal to think it's you, as you work along using the software you have you will learn which one work best for the project you are working on. I would not use TurboCad for artsy drawings, do those in Inkscape and save them in SVG format for plasma cutting. I am nowhere near an expert but that is what works well for me. I have a large number of YouTube videos stored on the Google drive and will send them to you if you want to use them to learn Inkscape.

[acourtjester]

Here is a Cockatoo clipart I traced and cleaned up in Inkscape to show what you can get using it. It turned out to be about 55K file size.

cockatoo.JPG (52.99 KiB) Viewed 1442 times

cockatoo.JPG (52.99 KiB) Viewed 1442 times

cockatoo 3.JPG (42.56 KiB) Viewed 1442 times

cockatoo 3.JPG (42.56 KiB) Viewed 1442 times

[plasmanewbie]

I opened your file in Corel Draw and it opened fine and looks good but certainly too many nodes on many of the internal profiles. Like AC said it is common for software to not play well together, particularly with dxf files, svg files are better when moving between different pieces of software. That being said I would pick one software stick with it. For me its Corel and for many here its Inkscape.
I am guessing that Inkscape created arcs that Turbocad was unable to interpret so Turbocad made an "arc" out of it using a series of very short lines. Each line will have a node which is why your getting thousands of nodes.

[Steveinmelb]

Thanks guys this has been helpful

I have been able to get a workable file in the end... In inkscape i have used the simplyfy path to reduce the nodes... Then done the final editing in turbocad (because i find it easier to draw stuff with).. i have sent it to the machine and the machine has cut on smooth paths... so i know i still need to get better and its not a perfect file but it is 100000% better than the start.

[adbuch]

Hi Steve,
I like your file. I started with your original and cleaned it up a little. Here is what I ended up with.
David

cockyinkscape rev2.zip

(819.86 KiB) Downloaded 57 times

cockyinkscape rev2.zip

(819.86 KiB) Downloaded 57 times

[Steveinmelb]

cool ill open your version and see what it looks like... what was the main things you had to clean up? did you redraw some lines?

[adbuch]

Here was my general approach with your file. I am not familiar with Turbocad or Inkscape, but the same principles should still apply.
When I opened it, there were lots of intersections/overlaps.

I exploded and then re-linked with my settings so that any gap 0.010" or smaller would be connected, and any overlapping segments within 0.001" would be deleted. Here is the result.

You can see that most of the overlaps have disappeared, but some of the features clearly still have overlapping line segments.

Repeat for the other features containing overlapping line segments, and then re-link the entire drawing to achieve the results shown in my previous post.
David

PS. I'm just curious, where did you obtain your original file? Was this a trace you attempted of an image, or a dxf file posted somewhere in the internet? From what you have said, it sounds like you traced an image or photo. Could you please post the original image so I can take a look at what you were working with?
Thanks,
David

[Steveinmelb]

which program did you use?

Thanks for all the explination... very interesting

I have bought a second hand plasma machine and i got all of the files that the guy i bought it off had.... so i had a fair few files to get me started..

The more i started messing around the more i realised a lot of the files need lots of work...

[Steveinmelb]

at the moment it is probably easier to start from scratch... but learning to clean up the files will prove to be important so i better keep at it so i can learn more.

[adbuch]

Good luck with your endeavor.
David

[adbuch]

which program did you use?

Thanks for all the explination... very interesting

I have bought a second hand plasma machine and i got all of the files that the guy i bought it off had.... so i had a fair few files to get me started..

The more i started messing around the more i realised a lot of the files need lots of work...

I used Design Edge to edit your file. It is a very powerful program, but only available with the purchase of a Plasmacam table.
David