Creating a DXF file with ellips

[TomD]

When I convert a .stp file to a .dxf file using save a copy I can export a linedrawing of my 3D-model.


My problem is when I convert from .stp to .dxf I want to conserve the ellips data. So when I open the .dxf in Isodraw I'll be able to select the ellips.


Right now the ellips is constructed as a splineor polyline.


Is there a setting, add-on or plug-in that could help me solve my problem?


I'm converting from .stp to .dxf in Pro/E and then converting from .dxf to .iso in Isodraw. Maybe there is a better or faster way.


Thanks in advance.

 

[ncprog]

If you have the ellipse as a ProE prt file, start a drawing (drw) file with no template referencing your ellipse prt.Make one general view showing the ellipseand save the drw file as a dxf.

 

[TomD]

Thansk for the answer.


I tried it the way you explained but it doesn't work.


Left ellips shows what I get after conversion. It looks like an ellips but is recognized as bezier path.


Right ellips showshow it should be recognized as 1/4th of an ellips.


http://imageshack.us






Edited by: TomD

 

[ncprog]

Very Interesting Tom

I did several tests and achieved the same results, broken up splines or polylines. Did the same in Radan (Sheetmetal CAD/CAM software) and got broken up arc segments (arcs with established centers). Last I did it in AutoCAD 2004 and actually got an elliptical dxf file that actually contains this information that the other two did not. This is a 10,20 Ellipse and not an elliptical arc. There is a lot more information in the dxf file than this, some or most which we know is useless information.

ELLIPSE
5
477
330
19
100
AcDbEntity
8
0
100
AcDbEllipse
10
0.0
20
0.0
30
0.0
11
20.0
21
0.0
31
0.0
210
0.0
220
0.0
230
1.0
40
0.5
41
0.0
42
6.283185307179586
0

So, if AutoCAD can do it, than it can be done. Unfortunately unless support is contacted or someone else knows, I am to assume ProE cannot export a true elliptical geometry as a dxf.

 

[TomD]

Thanks for looking into my problem...


At first I thought the problem laid in the isometric angle not being the exact angle so the ellips wasn't recognized as an ellips because the angle was wrong. But I used the default angles. So no cause there.


The elliptical arc with fixed center is an improvement as to where I got -> broken spline.


However Isodraw has the option to optimize an excistingspline to a circle or ellips.


Even when I optimize a perfect elliptical spline I get broken up elliptical arcs WITH DIFFERENT CENTERS! I don't know where this problem is caused neither do I know how to circumvent or solve this.


I guess this is a dead end since I'm not a regular pro-e user.

 

[ncprog]

Well just to elaborate a little more ... we recently had a production job of an elliptical shape. Like most machine controllers, our laser dosn't have elliptical interpolation. Therefore, the elliptical geometry has to be acheived using small line segments(which was common a long time ago for arcs on CNC machines) or arc segments. Radan will generate the arc segment code(hence arc output for dxf in this software) while Pro NC generates the many small line segments to acheive the elliptial shape. I'm told that Pro NC can generate the arc output through the post, but I don't have that information as of yet.