remove lead in

[luckyduck]

is there an easy way to save a pcm file without lead ins and/or cut path?
Or an easy way to remove lead ins and export a pcm file to a dxf file for a different plas table?

Im new to this so sorry if this doesn't make sense

[adbuch]

Hi Lucky,
I'm really not sure exactly what you are asking. If you want to save a pcm file without cut paths, then simply delete any existing cut paths before you save the file. If you want to save a pcm file with cut paths, and you don't want lead-ins - delete your current cut paths, then go to Settings, Offset/Convert, and set "Pierce lead-in length" to zero and then convert to cut path. Now you will have cut paths without lead-ins. If you don't want the cut path to be offset from the actual drawing, then set your kerf width to zero as well before converting to cut path.

If you are exporting as g-code, then you would want to keep your lead-ins and adjust your kerf with, cut height, and other parameters to suit the job.
If you simply want to export your pcm drawing as a dxf file, then you don't need cut paths anyway. Just export your drawing as dxf.
Do you understand the difference between a dxf file and a g-code file? Let me know if you need further explanation.
David

[rdj357]

If you have 3.11 or older, save a copy before you convert it to a cut path. Then if you must save the cut path, do so with a separate file name.

(David, 3.11 deletes the original paths when it converts to cut path so they're easy to lose unlike Design Edge where it just adds them to the drawing.)

[adbuch]

If you have 3.11 or older, save a copy before you convert it to a cut path. Then if you must save the cut path, do so with a separate file name.

(David, 3.11 deletes the original paths when it converts to cut path so they're easy to lose unlike Design Edge where it just adds them to the drawing.)

Thanks for the clarification Robert! I wasn't aware that 3.11 deletes the original paths when it converts to cut paths. So now the OP's original question makes more sense to me.
David

[luckyduck]

thanks guys, this helps. I was just wanting to make sure I didn't miss some easy way to not have to clean up all the old designs that were used in plasmacam 3.11, which were saved with cut paths and lead ins. When we export as them as dxf for our new (used) table, the lead ins are causing issues. I am still learning about gcode, and see that is also an option to export from plascam, so may have to play with that also.
Otherwise we will probably just have to take some time and work on cleaning up the pcm files we want to keep
Shari