Need Help!- Any special tricks to make .dxf files convertable to G-Code?

[justin bowser]

I have just bought a small three axis router/engraver and am having some difficulties pulling .dxf files into various programs that are supposed to create G-code. When the file is pulled in the programs create no code and some say nothing is found to create code from!

Here's my scenario:

- I open ACad 205 and pull in a jpeg.
- I then create a second layer and make a tracing of an area of the jpeg using the spline tool.
- I save as a .dxf file

Do I need to somehow make this second layer a standalone single layer drawing? If so how is that accomplished as I can't delete the layer 0 even after deleting the jpeg from it.

[Bubba]

Justin,
First off, many cam programs are sensitive to the VERSION of the dxf file. Do your save as dialogue as no later than V14 DXF. I have seen some that even required V12.
Next, I have seen some that will not handle splines and need regular lines/arcs.

So you might need to explode the splines to allow execution.
Also, the cams I am aware of will not recognize "blocks" and need to be exploded.

[ger21]

You can't explode splines in AutoCAD to get a usable entity.

Most .dxf to g-code programs don't allow splines. Saving as a .v12 dxf will convert the splines to polylines, which should get you working. Another option is to download a lisp program to convert splines to polylines, like this.
Splines to Plines | Cadalyst

You may want to look at the AutoCAD macro that I wrote to create g-code from within AutoCAD.
The CNC Woodworker

[justin bowser]

Thanks to you both. I will save this as a V12 file and see what happens...

[justin bowser]

That seems to have done it!