Author Topic: Text in DXF files  (Read 9683 times)

Offline awemawson

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Text in DXF files
« on: May 11, 2016, 06:56:29 AM »
Can someone please enlighten me? Can text exist in DXF files - surely it must be able to :scratch:

I've drawn up the attached chart as an Autocad 2012 drawing then saved it as a DXF file, as DXF is one format that I can import into my Laser Engraver software (RDWorks V8)

The lines come in fine, but the text is dropped. I've tried saving in each variant of DXF that Autocad gives as options, but the results are always the same. I can re-generate the text within RD Works but to do so is a pain as it isn't as easy to get things aligned  :bang:

... any help would be appreciated

NB the 'TXT' file is a re-named DXF to get it uploaded
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline Country Bubba

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Re: Text in DXF files
« Reply #1 on: May 11, 2016, 07:47:33 AM »
Back when I used autocad, it was necessary to "explode" the text using EXPRESS TOOLS that are available as an addin for autocad. In lieu of that, I now use StickFont V1.1 which will generate either an appropriate dxf file or gcode file.

HTH

 
Art
Country Bubba

Offline PekkaNF

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Re: Text in DXF files
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2016, 07:51:07 AM »
Not sure if this is any use, but we use PlotDXF "format" to export drawings from the cad system into customer cad-systems, plotting and printting. Autocad has same type transfer. Basically it strips out all cad metadata and explodes everything into vectors, even alfanumerals. Files are smaller and all visible data is shown same (no problems with different character sets and visible/hidden parts).

Sounds like character set is not supported or defined.

Pekka

Offline awemawson

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Re: Text in DXF files
« Reply #3 on: May 11, 2016, 08:32:53 AM »
Thanks chaps for the prompt responses - I've SORTED it  :thumbup:

Turns out that the RDworks software has a file option menu with a tick box to not EXPORT text in DXFs, however it seems it also strips text out on IMPORT if it is set  :bang:

DXF imported and chart now engraved  :wave:
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline PekkaNF

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Re: Text in DXF files
« Reply #4 on: May 11, 2016, 02:44:46 PM »
Nice to hear it's sorted...those can be sometimes tricky and it helps if there are several viewers to compare results and settings. Sometimes it is difficult to see if one quirk is a bug or feature.

Pekka