SheetCam Layers / Creo Export

I am having trouble bringing DXF files into sheet cam from PTC Creo. I have tried multiple export settings but cant seem to find the right combination of settings or a solution. My trouble is when I import the DXF file into sheetcam, is places lines onto multiple layers. One potential solution is to move lines onto the same layer, but that still gives the problem of a jet cutting operation wants to lead in and lead out where the lines meet each other (from the lines that used to be on different layers), where it should be a continuous operation. Because of the layer problem, sheetcam is not recognizing interior part features vs exterior part features.

For creo settings I have:

“Display Style” set to “no hidden”

“Tangent edges display style” set to “none”

“Hidden lines removal for quilts” set to “Yes”

“Hidden line removal for xhatches” set to “Yes”

For export settings I have:

“Splines” set to “Polylines”

“Hatching” as “As Blocks”

“Points” as “As Shapes”

Thanks in advance for your help.

Is the object in creo a 3d object? Even if it is a flat object, if it is extruded with a thickness, any DXF exported from the solid will have top, bottom and side lines.

Exporting a DXF should be from a sketch, not a solid.

The DXF was created from a drawing. The part itself was created as a 3D object, but the drawing was showing a top view only.

I’ve had this issue with a friend who uses SketchUp. Any time he tried to export a DXF from the top view, it still included all of the side and bottom lines of the 3d object. Every time he sends me a file to cut, we go through a number of tries before he figures it out or just sends me a PDF.

@ksdryland

I used SketchUp for years before moving to autodesk fusion.

There should be a parallel projection function for getting the information you want from the 3D image.

Maybe search how to do a parallel projection and then you should be able to get a dxf with the information you need.

Ill research how to do a parallel projection, thanks for the suggestion.

I did stumble across a work around of sorts. In sheetcam, I move all of the lines into one layer, then save the job file, close it, then open it again, then everything works like it normally should. I also adjusted the setting where sheet cam assumes two points or lines to be connected (I dont have sheetcam in front of me at the moment to remember exactly what its called). I think the default was 0.0004”, I bumped it up to 0.005”. I dont know if this effected my results or not. Ill have to run an experiment to try it.

Select Camera→Parallel Projection