[Plugin] FreeDXF Importer

blackcat1313 · 5 Oct 2012, 04:24

Hi -

I am having trouble getting the plugin to run. I'm on a Mac running OSX 10.6.8 and Sketchup 8.0. I downloaded the latest version v0.57 and put the .rbz file in my plugin folder. There are lots of other plugins there, though no others of type rbz.

When I start Sketchup, there is no FreeDXF Importer item in the Plugins menu. I am probably missing something really simple -- I'm a pretty new Sketchup user. Any help is much appreciated! Thanks!

Bill

pbacot · 5 Oct 2012, 05:02

Hi! try this:

http://support.google.com/sketchup/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=38583

blackcat1313 · 5 Oct 2012, 14:40

@pbacot said:

Hi! try this:

http://support.google.com/sketchup/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=38583

Doh - thanks for that, it's all working now!

Bill

Braikenridge · 8 Apr 2013, 16:48

I have sketchup 8.0 free and have put this .rbz ruby into the plugins folder but its not appearing when I load sketchup. Incidentally, nowhere does it let you unzip it either? Am I missing something? i'm trying to import a vector file from scan2cad

kind regards

thomthom · 8 Apr 2013, 18:14

@braikenridge said:

I have sketchup 8.0 free and have put this .rbz ruby into the plugins folder but its not appearing when I load sketchup. Incidentally, nowhere does it let you unzip it either? Am I missing something? i'm trying to import a vector file from scan2cad

To use RBZ packages you need to install them using the Install Extension feature in SketchUp: http://www.thomthom.net/thoughts/2012/01/installing-plugins-for-google-sketchup/#the-easy-way-8211-rbz-packages

Jim · 17 Mar 2014, 21:55

I bumped the version to 0.7.1. For v0.7.0 I must have uploaded the wrong file. If your version says anything other than v0.7.1 then please update.

Thanks.

srknytgn · 18 Mar 2014, 20:48

import in cm or mm would be nice, thanks.

Jim · 19 Mar 2014, 07:57

@srknytgn said:

import in cm or mm would be nice, thanks.

I agree, and I am working on it.

TIG · 19 Mar 2014, 22:41

@jim said:

@srknytgn said:

import in cm or mm would be nice, thanks.

I agree, and I am working on it.
Rather than recode any stuff in the 'data-processing' could you have an opening dialog to just ask the user to choose the input 'units'?
Then after the import is done [inside its own 'container' [definition]], you can simply apply an XYZ scaling transformation to the container's entities, based at the ORIGIN.
A simple lookup list of 'scaling_factors' based on inches to feet/m/cm/mm is all that is needed to make a single 'transform_entities' ?
You could also ask for the 'Keep-CAD-Origin?', or NOT. If not, then the entities can be transformed [translated] by the vector from their bounds.min back to the ORIGIN - i.e. the instance's insertion-point...

Jim · 25 Mar 2014, 00:04

Just updated to v 0.8.0 with a dialog for selecting the import units.

srknytgn · 25 Mar 2014, 09:16

hey jim,

i'm trying to import a dxf file but it comes in scaled to inches.
as an example i tried to import 1000x1000 square with a unitless autocad setting dxf and it came to sketchup 2540 x 2540 mm. i've choosen mm when the pop up displayed.

do you think something was wrong?

dxf_import.dxf

TIG · 25 Mar 2014, 14:05

1000 'units' read from a DXF file are taken as 1000 inches.
When you 'scale' it 'to mm' the 1000" --> 25400mm NOT the displayed 2540mm ?
BUT looking into your DXF file... the box's edges are actually 100 'units' long! NOT 1000, so therefore it ought to produce 2540mm when 'scaled' as you showed ??

If your DXF says something is 100 'units' long [taken as 100" as SketchUp's base-units are inches] and you tell it to scale it to 'mm' - then logically you will get something 2540mm long [which is 100" !]

If you want to get it to assume the 100 'units' is actually 100mm then the scaling needs to be NOT 'TO mm' but 'FROM mm'.
The scaling factor would then be:

100.mm / 100.inch

which is actually 1/25.4

So 100 'units' --> 100" - which is then rescaled to be the smaller 'mm' dimension of exactly 100mm [100 / 25.4 = ~4" (3.93700787401574803") in base-units ]

srknytgn · 25 Mar 2014, 14:29

I don't understand why should i scale imported drawing. I have nothing to do with inches, want to import like SU Pro. My base SU file always in cm or mm unit and always draw in Autocad unitless.

Finally my su file's unit is cm and I draw a 100 x 100 square in Autocad and I want to see it in SU as 100 x 100 cm. Is it possible with that plugin or not?

TIG · 25 Mar 2014, 14:43

This importer always takes the DXF length of 100 as 100".
Jim's latest update is intended to allow you to 'scale' the input to whatever units you desire.
So if you choose "to-mm" then it currently applies a scaling factor to make 100 into 2540mm
My point was that it should take 1/25.4 as the scaling factor 'from-mm' and therefore you'd get 100mm as your result.
I'm sure Jim will address this shortly...

Jim · 25 Mar 2014, 21:53

@srknytgn said:

hey jim,

i'm trying to import a dxf file but it comes in scaled to inches.
as an example i tried to import 1000x1000 square with a unitless autocad setting dxf and it came to sketchup 2540 x 2540 mm. i've choosen mm when the pop up displayed.

do you think something was wrong?

Yes I botched the importer scale. It is now fixed and version 0.8.1 is available in the Plugin Store.

srknytgn · 26 Mar 2014, 08:26

Hey Jim, please don't mention it : )
But the same problem is here, I've attached the screenshot.
I've also tried clean install, but no way.

100x100_square.dxf

Jim · 26 Mar 2014, 08:55

I found it - this had to do with updating the options from the UI rather than incorrect scaling factors. Check for version 0.8.2 soon.

srknytgn · 26 Mar 2014, 10:23

thanks Jim!

rungek · 7 Apr 2014, 20:23

Just today loaded and tried with Make 2014 on Win 7 x64. Does not work!
Removed

Box · 8 Apr 2014, 11:35

Then you must be doing something wrong, but as you've given no information about how it hasn't worked for you nobody can help.