dwg dxf why such a problem?

[tpars22]

This really is not important but I'm very curious.
Does anyone know the reasons for AD having such a difficult time with dwg and dxf files? I'd like to understand the principles. Other CAD SW seems to open my exported files fine and treats them like simple lines on a plane. But use AD to open those same exported files and you may as well go out and wash the car especially if you intend to measure anything in that drawing.

 

[OTE_TheMissile]

What kinds of drawings are you opening? I've never had a problem with the system bogging down while opening a DWG or DXF, even if it's a model including 3D screw threads, knurled cylinders, or expanded metal. Might take a second or two, but nothing to complain about.

 

[tpars22]

Well, for example: I produce and save an AD (native) 2D file of an assembly (not very complex) and then I export it as a dwg or dxf . If I then open the dwg or dxf it usually opens OK (depending on complexity) and then I click on 'measure' tool Alibre goes nuts with max CPU usage while it performs something and you must wait while it's doing this something and then the image (drawing) is transformed showing all the points? of the drawing. OK now I can finally select a line to obtain a measurement. Is it only due to my old V9 Alibre and how it produces these exports? I sent one to a co-worker who has V11xx
and he's never opened a dwg or dxf with his newest Alibre, he ended up having to reboot his dual core xenon. I have core2 duo E8400 BTW.

If you'd like to tell me your experience with my dwg, just let me know and I'll upload one on the next post

 

[joey247]

And as a newbie, I thought it was me....
I've come to the conclusion that the dxf output side of Ab is quite primitive .....all that business of setting up a drawing, all the options, then the scaling, export file version ( & they dont all work in metric mesurements) yada yada yada. And eventually you're done.....but after all that, I've still had my laser cutting supplier ( sht mtl) call me back to say 'where are the dimensions?'
I've then got to supply 1 or 2 measurements so that they could enter it into their s/w for scaling ..... spoken to my local support , but it seems thats just the way it is?? :cry:
I've seen other 3D software that embeds a table into the dxf drawing showing qty of cuts/bends etc and most measurements so I'm not sure why AB cant do something similar.

For whats it worth (& still open to the fact that I could be doing something wrong ??),
- Mike

 

[NateLiquidGravity]

I'd like to try opening it on my system if that would be possible.

I've had no problems exporting a dwg or dxf to run in our laser. One thing you will want to make sure is that your parts are in the drawing at 1:1 scale. Otherwise they will be a different scale. You even might want to send the parts 1:1 in a dwg/dxf on a sheet without any titleblock or dimensions and additionally send a pdf with all of that included stuff included.

The info table would probably be automatic in sheet metal specific software (with all the fancy bells and whistles at a cost to match them) - however most times I see tables like that a drafter has added them either through editing values in a template or creating the table manually each time.

 

[tpars22]

Immediately after writing my second reply I went investigating. Results below.
1. Open Task Manager and observe Performance tab (Options- Always on top)
2. Alibre 'Home' is already started
3. Open a dwg or dxf made with or without Alibre
4. Once the drawing is displayed just move (no clicking yet) your mouse around on the drawing while watching the Task Manager, tell me what you see?
5. Now move your mouse around a lot, wiggle it etc. What I see is big CPU usage
6. While still moving mouse begin to random click, observe
7. Click on measure tool, observe, you'll need to wait just a little while Alibre converts into "Sketch" mode
8. Hover over a feature you want to measure, observe
9. Click to begin measure, observe

Long and short of this is I now know why Alibre has crashed so many times. CPU usage.The cause is my expectation to having the program react normally. What I mean by this is that when a user goes blindly into these drawings and begins to click on things in quick steps e.g. click on 'measure' then immediately go over and select a feature to measure, seeing that nothing happened, clicking again, seeing nothing happen, and then repeating these actions causes all those commands to cue up for CPU time. Eventually you WILL be Ctrl-Alt-Del end now.

Now I can easily understand why a native Alibre DRW file is a little finicky because it is tied to the 3D part, thereby it contains all the features (fillets,chamfers, hidden parts etc.) and it's evidenced by the file file size when compared to the 3D model file size. Very evident when you compare the Alibre DRW file to an export of say a DWG. I see a 15Meg file export to a 2Meg DWG file.

All this said it still does not explain why all this CPU pressure on, what I term, a simple 2D line drawing with lines and arcs and whatnot.
To joey, I agree with NateLiqGrav's suggestions, all of them.

Hope I've not bored anyone, I'm somewhat ranting but truly just plain curious.

 

[Ralf]

This really is not important but I'm very curious.
Does anyone know the reasons for AD having such a difficult time with dwg and dxf files? I'd like to understand the principles. Other CAD SW seems to open my exported files fine and treats them like simple lines on a plane. But use AD to open those same exported files and you may as well go out and wash the car especially if you intend to measure anything in that drawing.

You have absolutely right.
For daily use, so the 2D opportunities, 2D import and export needs to be substantially improved for 2D data.
It may work for rudimentary designs, but not for the exchange and further processing between design offices in a productive environment.
Each exchange is a lot of additional work and costs extra time.

Some of us have developed different workarounds to work with larger 2D native drawings and 2D import and export.
In each new version of Alibre was improved the speed and the abilities and with V12 will be come some good improvements in this case.

We look forward to the improvements: Center lines in elbows, Ø = Ø and not n, easy creating of 2D drawing templates, spreadsheets (Excel or OO)...

 

[d-space]

This really is not important but I'm very curious.
Does anyone know the reasons for AD having such a difficult time with dwg and dxf files? I'd like to understand the principles. Other CAD SW seems to open my exported files fine and treats them like simple lines on a plane. But use AD to open those same exported files and you may as well go out and wash the car especially if you intend to measure anything in that drawing.

You have absolutely right.
For daily use, so the 2D opportunities, 2D import and export needs to be substantially improved for 2D data.
It may work for rudimentary designs, but not for the exchange and further processing between design offices in a productive environment.
Each exchange is a lot of additional work and costs extra time.

Some of us have developed different workarounds to work with larger 2D native drawings and 2D import and export.
In each new version of Alibre was improved the speed and the abilities and with V12 will be come some good improvements in this case.

We look forward to the improvements: Center lines in elbows, Ø = Ø and not n, easy creating of 2D drawing templates, spreadsheets (Excel or OO)...

Ralf3

Explicit consent :!:

 

[fiddler]

I always open the exported DXF file in another CAD program and save everything on one layer and delete the other layers.
This way the CNC profile machine will always import everything.

This is definitely the way with our in-house Omax Waterjet.

Kim