Export DXF for CNC

GWS50

To create a file for CNC cutting (In my present software)  I usually create a blank drawing with the view of the part that I require for export. When there is a recess or pocket in the design I often draw over the top of the drawing view to create an extended area of the pocket or recess and/or offset the outer edge of the part outline. This is often because of tool radius needs to extend outside the outline of the object to get a 'clean' (non-radius corners) recessed area.
Is there a way of drawing over a view in a drawing to add these areas? At the moment there is only a line tool, more drawing tools would be useful and the ability to offset the outline of the view would be helpful?
I hope this makes sense, any help is gratefully received.

cody_armstrong

One thing you may consider is using a sketch in a part studio for these purposes. Any sketch can be exported to a DXF by right clicking it in the feature list. 

cody_armstrong

One thing you may consider is using a sketch in a part studio for these purposes. Any sketch can be exported to a DXF by right clicking it in the feature list. 

GWS50

Ah, I didn't think of that, thank you, I'll give it a go

nicolas_7

cody_armstrong said:

One thing you may consider is using a sketch in a part studio for these purposes. Any sketch can be exported to a DXF by right clicking it in the feature list. 

One problem with this approach is (unless I couldn't find the right way to do it) that we need to rework the DXF afterwards.

For example if I want to extract the profile of a shape before milling, I can create a sketch, "use" the edges on it and then export the DXF. Sadly, when imported in Inkscape, the shape won't be one continuous closed path, but a bunch of disconnected line segments, even if you were careful to "use" a surface and not an edge in your sketch. I couldn't find any easy way to re-connect the fragments of lines in Inkscape.

That's a shame, because I was really thinking about extracting both 3D and 2.5D milling data from Onshape.

Narayan_K

@ nicolas_7, Some user already raised improvement request for that.You can vote for them.Please find the below link for that,
https://forum.onshape.com/discussion/1547/line-ends-not-connected-at-dxf-import#latest

cody_armstrong

nicolas_7 said:

cody_armstrong said:

One thing you may consider is using a sketch in a part studio for these purposes. Any sketch can be exported to a DXF by right clicking it in the feature list. 

One problem with this approach is (unless I couldn't find the right way to do it) that we need to rework the DXF afterwards.

For example if I want to extract the profile of a shape before milling, I can create a sketch, "use" the edges on it and then export the DXF. Sadly, when imported in Inkscape, the shape won't be one continuous closed path, but a bunch of disconnected line segments, even if you were careful to "use" a surface and not an edge in your sketch. I couldn't find any easy way to re-connect the fragments of lines in Inkscape.

That's a shame, because I was really thinking about extracting both 3D and 2.5D milling data from Onshape.

@nicolas_7 If you import the DXF back into Onshape (into a sketch for example) does it look correct?  The problem might be the face that you are using and how the face is being converted (and exported), or how DXF's are imported and exported from Inkscape.  The end of this thread also mentions an issue with Inkscape specifically that is very similar.

If you find that after importing the DXF back into Onshape, that it still has unexplainable disconnected line segments, please consider using the feedback tool to submit a ticket.