SW 2008 - Export to dwg/dxf scaling

Discussion in 'SolidWorks' started by TOP, Apr 24, 2008.

  1. TOP

    TOP Guest

    I just got a bunch of parts from a vendor scaled 1:4. I have been
    exporting parts like this for a long time and have never had this
    problem before. Here is what SW did:

    On the second sheet of my print I had no title block visible and the
    sheet scale was set to 1:1. The view the part was on was set to sheet
    scale. In the past this would result in a dxf/dwg file 1:1. What
    happened is that SW put this view into paper space in dxf/dwg and
    scaled it to match the other drawing sheet in the SW file. When opened
    in DWGEditor the part measured OK (because it was in paper space) and
    I had to really dig to find the setting that told me the part had been
    scaled. In addition the other sheet in the SW drawing was in model
    space with title block. The result was the vendor burning parts 1/4
    actual size. Fortunately there were only 8 parts in the order.

    In speaking with the vendor's CAD jocky he has been seeing this
    problem from SW in the last little while.

    Why wasn't this caught by SW, beta or anybody? When SW starts making
    bad parts that is a problem.

    TOP
     
    TOP, Apr 24, 2008
    #1
  2. TOP

    Cliff Guest

    Quite the savings on material & processing costs.
     
    Cliff, Apr 25, 2008
    #2
  3. TOP

    Ronni Guest

    Thanks for info.

    We havent changed to 2008, dont have the time to deal with that many
    bugs atm. Will be testing it soon though so info like this is
    essential we make lots of stuff based on dxf export and have tried in
    older versions that the scale was wrong.

    What are you doing to get it to the right scale? Does the scaling come
    from the scale on the initial sheet (Sheet 1)? Even if you only save
    the sheet which you want the DXF from?

    We are doing the same. Making a sheet called "DXF" A4 sheet with no
    frame or anything scaled 1:1. And we just save it as DXF and our
    workshop load it into their CAM.
     
    Ronni, Apr 25, 2008
    #3
  4. TOP

    pfarnham Guest

    We just had the same problem after sending a DFX file from Solidworks
    to a supplier!

    To be fair to Solidworks, there is a popup window, that warns of this
    possible error.
    Hold on though! How is the programmer/operator ment to know?
    Hmmmmm......

    How it works:
    1, export DXF file
    2, email to supplier with a note warning of possible scale errors if
    entering straight into cam.
    3, supplier's office bod, sends DFX file to programmer/operator,
    obmitting the warning note. ( too busy, forgot ect....)
    4, programmer/operator enter DFX data into cam, makes cockedup job,
    lol

    Option 1,
    If the DXF is loaded straight into cam, then I think that it is the
    programmer/operator's job to check a couple of dimensions, just to be
    sure.
    "DO NOT SCALE" is the thing to have on any exported or translated
    file, as a minimum!

    Option 2,
    Solidwork's gets their arse into gear and sorts out the hundreds of
    cockups in their program.

    I think option 1 is the only workable one
     
    pfarnham, Apr 25, 2008
    #4
  5. TOP

    TOP Guest

    I'm not seeing the popup.

    I checked last night with 2004 and SW used to put a dxf into model
    space, not paper space. In my case it put the drawing sheet into model
    space and the second, CNC sheet into paper space at the scale of the
    sheet in model space. I don't think the pop up (that isn't there)
    warns about this.

    TOP
     
    TOP, Apr 25, 2008
    #5
  6. TOP

    BentPilot Guest

    I have the second sheet go into paper space in 2007. The scaling
    problem has been on going for years. 2007 was better and it rarely
    happened. I usually open in AutoCAD if it is likely to cause an
    error.

    Eldon CSWP
     
    BentPilot, Apr 25, 2008
    #6
  7. TOP

    pfarnham Guest

    Sorry top, to be a bit clearer, the popup window apprears when saving
    as a DFX file.

    Quote:-

    One or more drawing views are scaled differently from the sheet.
    Some dimensions translated from these drawing views may appear
    out of scale with any new dimensions created in the target system

    unquote.

    Clear as mud!

    lol
     
    pfarnham, Apr 25, 2008
    #7
  8. TOP

    TOP Guest

    And this make sense because? For detail parts the second sheet is most
    likely going to be the 1:1 CNC geometry. Arrrgh.

    Anybody want some really cool paperweights before they rust?

    TOP
     
    TOP, Apr 26, 2008
    #8
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