[Plugin] FreeDXF Importer

Jim · 11 Jul 2011, 21:52

it splits out into layers, but doesn't group those items, I haven't read the script yet but is that addable? i.e. each layer's geometry is also a group so it doesn't stick on first opening with all layers on.

Yes, I think it's addable. I was using SketchUp Pro's dxf importer as my example; which does not group geometry by layer. But it seems like a better way to import geometry seeing as cad layers are more like SketchUp Groups than SketchUp Layers. So would all entities in the group be on the cad layer, or just the group on the cad layer with the raw geom on Layer0?

@driven said:

also does it do faces?, I'm not sure if this test file has any... a lot of them don't.

Not really yet. It does import 3DFACE entities, but I think they are not common in dxf's.

I appreciate the feedback. (send test files.)

Humpmetwice · 12 Jul 2011, 01:31

By reading everything I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong or its not able to import text yet? It would really be a helpful tool if it did!

Thanks Kurt

Jim · 12 Jul 2011, 07:22

Thanks Kurt. It should import text and mtext entities. I would be interested in testing your .dxf file, if possible.

Humpmetwice · 12 Jul 2011, 17:31

@jim said:

Thanks Kurt. It should import text and mtext entities. I would be interested in testing your .dxf file, if possible.

Hope this helps, I think its just the type of text we used but I'm not sure. I was thinking it was standard MTEXT but may have been wrong?

B05-7947EP.dxf

honoluludesktop · 12 Jul 2011, 18:30

I just accidentally discovered that you can drag and drop some dxf files into IE and it will open to view. Jim's reference file opens, but humpmetwice's doesn't. Is it a Acad created file?

Jim · 12 Jul 2011, 19:33

@honoluludesktop said:

I just accidentally discovered that you can drag and drop some dxf files into IE and it will open to view. Jim's reference file opens, but humpmetwice's doesn't. Is it a Acad created file?

@HDT - Do you have AutoCAD installed, or a dxf/dwg viewer that enables the browser to display them using a add-on? (My guess.)

@Kurt - Thanks. This is what I get when importing your .dxf. It looks mostly OK, except the texts are not rotated (which I am aware but haven't fixed that yet.)

honoluludesktop · 12 Jul 2011, 19:40

I have a old copy of volo, but it was a popup that prompted a activeX download to then open the dxf to view. Are they related?

Btw, Jim, do you know if the majority of the non text/dimension entities in your reference file are polylines?

Humpmetwice · 12 Jul 2011, 20:27

@jim said:

@Kurt - Thanks. This is what I get when importing your .dxf. It looks mostly OK, except the texts are not rotated (which I am aware but haven't fixed that yet.)

Far more than what I get! I think I could work with that if you would tell me the secret to what I may be doing wrong. Is it the text we use?
Thanks Kurt

driven · 12 Jul 2011, 21:58

when I first import and use zoom extents I get this

then in SU, I deleted the \A1; text, I did 'select-all' to changed the font to momo 12pt, moved a couple of overlaps and in 'parallel projection' & 'top view'
I get this.

the text is on Layer0
the model and dim lines are on the text layer,
and the dimensionline layer is empty

john
@Kurt hope you don't mind me testing your file, consistency helps debugging...

Jim · 12 Jul 2011, 22:21

@John - Select "No" for the Screen Text option to use 3D text (well, 3D in only 2D.)

Jim · 12 Jul 2011, 22:23

@unknownuser said:

@jim said:

@Kurt - Thanks. This is what I get when importing your .dxf. It looks mostly OK, except the texts are not rotated (which I am aware but haven't fixed that yet.)

Far more than what I get! I think I could work with that if you would tell me the secret to what I may be doing wrong. Is it the text we use?
Thanks Kurt

Just try the latest version. (This link is always the most recent.)

Jim · 12 Jul 2011, 23:02

@driven said:

the text is on Layer0
the model and dim lines are on the text layer,
and the dimensionline layer is empty

Yes, this is similar to what I get when using SketchUp's Pro dxf importer.

(added text rotation, btw in latest. v0.6.1)

thomthom · 22 Aug 2011, 09:19

I've been looking around at the various ruby based importers for SketchUp and I see that no one uses the Importer class. If this class is used the importer can be found in the native import list which would be very nice.
http://code.google.com/apis/sketchup/docs/ourdoc/importer.html

Dekker · 12 Nov 2011, 13:49

It looks like the "inputbox.rb" plugin is no longer found in bitbucket

Any alternates available?

EDIT: Never mind... Found it! For the reference of others, the source is located here: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=19103&p=347871&hilit=+inputbox.rb+#p347871

Jim · 12 Nov 2011, 15:52

Sorry 'bout that, Dekker. I am haphazard with my plugins - but I'm glad you found inputbox.rb

Any thoughts on the importer?

thomthom · 20 Dec 2011, 14:04

The link to inputbox.rb is dead.

thomthom · 20 Dec 2011, 14:17

Does it handle materials in any way?

Jim · 21 Dec 2011, 21:46

@thomthom said:

Does it handle materials in any way?

No. I don't remember seeing a "material" or "color" property for dxf entities. Isn't the color based on an entities' layer?

TIG · 21 Dec 2011, 22:28

You are right.
A DXF file gives objects layers, and those layers have colors.
If you take the SKP layers the colors export as random colors.
Even with similar SKPs newly made layers get unconnected colors.
It's possible to rationalize a DXF by post processing it's text - I have a commercial tool I've written which uses the native DXF exporter, but where the client wanted all DXF layers to be consistently colored; so it has a 'lookup table' and ensures consistency by 'stream-editing' the DXF's text after it's made.
Another way to have materials==colors is to export a custom made DXF but ignore the SKP's layers and using each material as if it were a DXF-layer... that way objects in the DXF are then grouped by each DXF 'layer' which is really made from the SKP's material-color rather than the proper SKP-layer...

Jim · 21 Dec 2011, 22:42

Dec 2011 - I have removed the external dependency on my inputbox.rb - it is no longer required as a separate download. Also, I attached the download to the first post of this topic rather than linking to an external site. Hopefully, these changes will make it easier for folks to try.