DXF Export in FreeCAD
Contents
FreeCAD 0.18 and up
The issue with the draft-> Shape2DView is that it doesn't produce good circles. I get 13-gons. The CNC machine can do better than the crude approximation the draft workbench gives. Aidan Williamson (talk) 01:43, 8 December 2019 (UTC)
Inkscape Workaround
- In Draft Workbench, go to Draft -> Shape2DView tool if you want to flatten the 3D shape. Use Draft-> Draft to Sketch (still viewing normal to sketch plane)
- Now Export sketch as flattened svg via file->export
- In Inkscape, open svg and save as dxf
- MJ notes - Note that this works in v16, and it works for any original sketch - or sketch generated from 3D using Shape2DView.
MJ Notes 2021
Working Files
Notes: Unit selections in FreeCAD do not affect size of SVG.
Roberto Video
FreeCAD v0.16 and earlier
From Abe Anderson
FreeCAD DXF
To clarify further on the DXF import/export library I had trouble with the plugin so I disabled the automatic one in preferences for FreeCAD v0.16 and I used v1.39 available here https://github.com/yorikvanhavre/Draft-dxf-importer
the instruction say to put the files it into the .Freecad folder not in a subfolder.
restart freecad if needed.
load your part and select it.
Then click File--> Export...
set Files of type: Autodesk DXF (*.dxf)
and save.
From Roberto Log
Sun Jul 30, 2017
I think I've discovered how to get the right DXF files for cutting. First I took these DXF files as an example: File:Trencherdxfs.zip. So, what we need is a 2D drawing for the face to be cut, with DXF format.
These are the steps:
- Follow Abe's procedure: DXF_Export_in_FreeCAD (I'd add that to see the DXF options, I had to go to Draft Workbench before). But do not export yet.
- Open the FreeCAD file to export.
- Go to Draft Workbench.
- Select the object to export.
- Select a standard view (keys 1-6), which shows the face to be cut.
- Go to Draft menu-> Shape 2D view.
- Select the new object Shape2DView and check it's ok.
- Export as Autodesk DXF(*.dxf).
- Open the DXF file in LibreCAD and check it's ok.
File:CEB Press Drawer Side.dxf This is what I got.
