Import DXF file in Eagle Pro 6.2.0

On 12/17/2012 1:46 PM, andrew massey wrote:

Hello,

 

Do you know how i can import a dxf file in eagle pro 6.2.0?

 

Hi Andrew,

Try the importdxf ulp that's up on our website www.cadsoftusa.com ->

Downloads -> User Language Programs.

hth,

Jorge Garcia

Personally I didn't have much luck with some user language programs for DXF (maybe they have improved, I checked over a year ago so my

information could be old).

But, I found a nice method which works well, and can work for some other popular file formats too.

Basically the trick is to use an in-between format. I found that inkscape (freeware) is good at reading DXF and can convert to HPGL format.

I picked HPGL format because it is a trivial exercise to convert that to EAGLE script format. More info on it is here.

Thankyou i read your link etc.but i still dont understand what all this process of getting a dxf into eagle is all about.

I mean, the only thing that can be brought into an eagle layout is a part, so do i have to convert the dxf file into a part?

....is there a youtube video that i can see that shows the dxf import process?

Am i just being a bit weak and pathetic here, because this whole concept of dxf import into Eagle via these ULP's sounds liek rocket science to me.

....should i just get on with it, and when i start clcking the conversion ULP, everything will just happen before my eyes , so to speak?

On 12/17/2012 5:27 PM, shabaz wrote:

Personally I didn't have much luck with some user language programs for DXF (maybe they have improved, I checked over a year ago so my

information could be old).

 

But, I found a nice method which works well, and can work for some other popular file formats too.

Basically the trick is to use an in-between format. I found that inkscape (freeware) is good at reading DXF and can convert to HPGL format.

I picked HPGL format because it is a trivial exercise to convert that to EAGLE script format. More info on it is here (http://badcafe.co.uk/2011/03/20/dxf-hpgl-to-eagle-script-conversion/).

 

Hi Shabaz,

This looks very cool, I would encourage you to upload this script to

www.cadsoftusa.com for the benefit of other EAGLE users. Additionally I

would like your permission to port the code over to EAGLE's ULP language

to make a more integrated utility in EAGLE.

The importdxf utility I mentioned is newer than a year old and I

basically combined the best parts of the existing DXF import tools along

with some new functionality to make a ULP that could import 75% of the

DXF files you'll run into. I would like to do something similar with

your utility especially for the possibility to import various image

formats into EAGLE. I will give proper attribution as would be expected

in the open source community.

Best Regards,

Jorge Garcia

Cadsoft Support

On 12/18/2012 3:01 AM, grigson prendergast wrote:

Thankyou i read your link etc.but i still dont understand what all this process of getting a dxf into eagle is all about.

 

I mean, the only thing that can be brought into an eagle layotu is a part, so do i have to convert the dxf file into a part?

No you don't convert the DXF file into a part, although you can if you

want to.

 

...is there a youtube video that i can see that shows the dxf import process?

 

Am i just being a bit weak and pathetic here, because this whole concept of dxf import into Eagle via these ULP's sounds liek rocket science to me.

 

...should i just get on with it, and when i start clcking the conversion ULP, everything will just happen before my eyes , so to speak?

 

I've attached the dxfimport.ulp, hopefully it makes it to you. All you

have to do to use it is type RUN followed by enter in one of the

editors. Browse to the ULP and hit open. The ULP will now run and

present you with an easy to follow dialog.

Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Best Regards,

Jorge Garcia.

Hi Jorge,

No problem at all, you're welcome to port or to make use of it however you wish. Unfortunately I was only familiar with the script commands, not ULP.

HPGL is a nice format because it is quite simplistic!

On 12/18/2012 6:42 PM, shabaz wrote:

Hi Jorge,

 

No problem at all, you're welcome to port or to make use of it however you wish. Unfortunately I was only familiar with the script commands, not ULP.

HPGL is a nice format because it is quite simplistic!

 

Thanks Shabaz,

I will get on it, and thanks for your contribution to the community.

Best Regards,

Jorge Garcia

I tried using the ULP "dxfimport".  It worked on a .dxf file that I exported from Visio, but it did not work on a file I exported from a mechanical engineering program.  In the latter case, it said there were zero wires, etc; zero of everything.  The file that worked had Imperial units and the one that didn't was metric.  I did remember to select the correct units in the dialog box.  What other reason would explain a file being DOA?  BTW, the file imports into Visio OK.

Rick Karlquist

On 4/11/2013 10:44 PM, Richard Karlquist wrote:

I tried using the ULP "dxfimport".  It worked on a .dxf file that I

exported from Visio, but it did not work on a file I exported from a

mechanical engineering program.  In the latter case, it said there were

zero wires, etc; zero of everything.  The file that worked had Imperial

units and the one that didn't was metric.  I did remember to select the

correct units in the dialog box.  What other reason would explain a file

being DOA?  BTW, the file imports into Visio OK.

 

Rick Karlquist

 

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Hi Rick,

I hope you're doing well. The DXF standard supports many types of

objects, texts, lines, arcs, polylines, etc. The dxfimport.ulp currently

implements the most common objects. However there are still programs

that export designs as SPLINES or other less frequent object types and

the ULP currently can't handle them. Also Binary DXFs exist versus the

text based ones the ULP is setup to handle so you have to make sure

you're using a text based DXF file.

If you're program can export various types of DXF files try the

different forms out and see what you get.

hth,

Jorge Garcia

Both the successful and unsuccessful .dxf files use splines.  They are not binary files.  The only unique type in the unsuccessful one is "CEPSN TYPE".  However, shouldn't the ULP at least import the types it knows about, or produce some sort of error message?  It just happily reports zero lines, zero circles, etc.  The .dxf files are being produced by my mechanical engineer with his CAD program, so I am not in a position to waste his time with endless experimentation with .dxf files.  He already tried several different CAD programs that output .dxf.   I guess there is no documentation as to what is or is not supported.