plasmacam dxf will not open in Inkscape

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bigcreek
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plasmacam dxf will not open in Inkscape

Post by bigcreek »

I posted in the plasmacam user forum as well but after I export a file from Plasmacam and save it as a DXF it will not open up in Inkscape. Has anyone else dealt with this issue and know of a way to fix it by chance? Thank you. Josh
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Re: plasmacam dxf will not open in Inkscape

Post by ben de lappe »

Hi Josh,
To start I have no P-Cam experience, but I do know .dxf's and Inkscape don't work well together for me either. I've found that .svg files do much better in Inkscape. No clue if your software will save as .svg, my TM cad will. If you'd like me to pull it in and save as .svg and send back I'll be more than happy to help.

Just for information purposes, I use Inkscape to trace simple images of good quality then pull em into cad to do what I need to do in order to make it work, though there are people here with MUCH more knowledge and skill with Inksape etc. than I and videos explaining the process on YouTube. This is just my way to deal with it.
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Re: plasmacam dxf will not open in Inkscape

Post by bigcreek »

Thanks Ben for the info. I have several thousand files to export as a dxf. Does your offer still stand? (:
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ben de lappe
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Re: plasmacam dxf will not open in Inkscape

Post by ben de lappe »

Aye...That a different critter entirely. :shock: While I'd like nothing more than to help, the repetitive task of importing and saving several thousand files as .svg FAR exceeds my capabilities as an OCD file junkie. Now, if there were a way to batch export...that would be the the ticket, not sure how to achieve this though. One question out of curiosity. Why the need to bring into Inkscape?
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Re: plasmacam dxf will not open in Inkscape

Post by plasmanewbie »

It could be that the version of dxf Pcam exports as is simply not compatible with Inkscape. Attach one of your dxf's and I will see if it opens in Corel. You likely just need to find piece of software that is up to the task.
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Re: plasmacam dxf will not open in Inkscape

Post by DXF »

You can't import a PlasmaCam DXF file into Inkscape. You can import AutoCAD DXF R14 files which Inkscape allows you to save as when you trace an SVG file. In the import files it shows AutoCAD DXF R13 as an option. I just tried to import AutoCAD DXF R14 and it worked perfectly. When you import click View-outline to see the DXF file.

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Re: plasmacam dxf will not open in Inkscape

Post by tcaudle »

bigcreek wrote: Sun Jun 09, 2019 10:07 am I posted in the plasmacam user forum as well but after I export a file from Plasmacam and save it as a DXF it will not open up in Inkscape. Has anyone else dealt with this issue and know of a way to fix it by chance? Thank you. Josh
Try QCAD (free for base version) and see if it will open the DXF. If so you can export to SVG with a plugin you can try then buy . A lot of CAM and drawing programs have problems with DXF especially if it uses polylines . DXF is not a format used much in other industries.
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Re: plasmacam dxf will not open in Inkscape

Post by rdj357 »

I think I replied to this in the owner forum as well but for those that might stumble on the thread here, when exporting a DXF from Plasmacam software, you need to uncheck the box for polylines for it to open correctly in Inkscape. It is worth noting that Inkscape seems to be the only program that I have and use with this limitation. My vinyl and laser programs prefer that the polyilne option be checked.

Doing mass conversions is not an easy process, I think I mentioned as well that I'd probably import several PCM files into the same workspace and space them out, then export as a single DXF that you can open later and choose the part you want. That would at least save the number of files you have to work with.
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Re: plasmacam dxf will not open in Inkscape

Post by DXF »

rdj357 wrote: Wed Jun 12, 2019 7:30 am I think I replied to this in the owner forum as well but for those that might stumble on the thread here, when exporting a DXF from Plasmacam software, you need to uncheck the box for polylines for it to open correctly in Inkscape. It is worth noting that Inkscape seems to be the only program that I have and use with this limitation. My vinyl and laser programs prefer that the polyilne option be checked.

Doing mass conversions is not an easy process, I think I mentioned as well that I'd probably import several PCM files into the same workspace and space them out, then export as a single DXF that you can open later and choose the part you want. That would at least save the number of files you have to work with.
Thanks, you are correct.....just tried it with a DXF exported with PlasmaCam 1.2. I don't know why but it shows all the nodes, do I have something checked that's causing that. If I click view-outline it looks fine. Does anyone know how to do this and fill the DXF file with different colors? I'm used to Photoshop and the magic wand.....where is the magic wand? Thanks

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Re: plasmacam dxf will not open in Inkscape

Post by tcaudle »

You can only fill closed objects. While they may look closed with outline, by not exporting as polylines nothing is connected . If another program will import DXF polylines and curves then a conversion to SVG will keep them joined. DXF import to Inkscape or Coreldraw or Adobe Illustrator is never that good and some will export poorly (as only line segments). A polyline/polyarc is recognized as linked nodes that are joined. Photoshop is great but its for bitmaps and not for vectors. Inkscape has some tools to turn a group of lines into an object and even close a group of nodes/lines of the beginning and end are close enough. If you have thousands (or even hundreds) its not going to be fun editing each and every one . Might want to find a combination of programs that will let you preserve the closed objects . The trick is to find a program that will import DXF polylines and arcs and let you save them in a format like SVG, AI, or EPS . Sounds easy but the majory of true CAD programs that will export in another standard Vector format are few in number. Because there is no hard published standard for DXF, the import and export "filters" in different programs support various revisions of the format Be thankful the DXF export does support polylines or you would be SOL .
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Re: plasmacam dxf will not open in Inkscape

Post by rdj357 »

DXF wrote: Wed Jun 12, 2019 3:26 pm.....just tried it with a DXF exported with PlasmaCam 1.2
:HaHa Oh my, maybe if you open it on a computer running Windows 3.11? Sorry, just joking but that is a 20 year old piece of software. My experience is with exporting files as a DXF from Design Edge. Attached is a file exported with lines, arcs, and circles but not polylines which from my experience in the past, will open OK in Inkscape. Somebody want to give it a try?

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Re: plasmacam dxf will not open in Inkscape

Post by ben de lappe »

HI Robert! The file opened in both TM cad as well as Inkscape, no issues. Though I lack experience with Inkscape all appears fine
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Re: plasmacam dxf will not open in Inkscape

Post by rdj357 »

Thanks Ben! I have made files for quite a few folks and exported them this way and all works well. The other programs that I use (LightBurn for laser and VinylMaster DSR for vinyl/signage) will import them correctly with Polylines so I'm always switching back and forth. As Tom said, the lack of universal standards in DXF format pose a problem sometimes.
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Re: plasmacam dxf will not open in Inkscape

Post by DXF »

rdj357 wrote: Sat Jun 15, 2019 10:21 am
DXF wrote: Wed Jun 12, 2019 3:26 pm.....just tried it with a DXF exported with PlasmaCam 1.2
:HaHa Oh my, maybe if you open it on a computer running Windows 3.11? Sorry, just joking but that is a 20 year old piece of software. My experience is with exporting files as a DXF from Design Edge. Attached is a file exported with lines, arcs, and circles but not polylines which from my experience in the past, will open OK in Inkscape. Somebody want to give it a try?
Yes it is 20 years old but it works great and I haven't purchased another seat for DesignEdge yet. I have DesignEdge but haven't absorbed all of it for now. After I imported it you can save as something else such as a PNG, SVG and then fill with color. Got it!

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