Convert NC files to DXF

Tekla Structures

Not version-specific

Tekla Structures

DXF

convert

NC files

Environment

Netherlands

Construsoft European

Spain

In Tekla Structures you can convert NC files to DXF files to drive plasma cutters and other cutting devices. In the converted DXF files, all superfluous information, such as dimension lines, are removed. Only the profile (cutting) contour and the position of the holes and text which can be adjusted is included in the DXF file. The DXF file contains only one side of the profile. Maintaining scribing information depends on the conversion tool you use.

For converting NC files to DXF files, you can use the following tools:

	File Construsoft.def is used	Scribing information included
File dstv2dxf.bat (stored in folder C:\TeklaStructures\<version>\nt\dstv2dxf)	Yes	No
Macro CS DSTV to DXFDXF (in the Applications and components database)	Yes	No
Extension DSTVtoDXFConverter (in Tekla Warehouse)	No	Yes

Step plan

1. Go to File > Export > NC-files to create NC files for the plates.
2. Load the setting DSTV2DXF in the NC File Header Information dialog box to have correct output in DXF files:

When you load the setting DSTV2DXF, the position of the elements Phase identification and Drawing identification is correct.

3. Go to the database Applications and components and search for macro "cs dstv":

4. Double-click the macro, a browser opens.
5 Browse for the location of the NC files in the Tekla Structures model, next select the NC files.
6. Click Open, the NC files are converted to DXF files and stored in the subfolder NC_dxf in the model folder. The created NC files have file extension *.nc1 by default.

Settings in the file construsoft.def

The file construsoft.def contains a lot of settings, these can be defined by the user, such as the colors and layers for plates and holes in the DXF file and the height and color of the text. The file construsoft.def is stored in the folder ..:\TeklaStructures\<version>\nt\dstv2dxf and you can open it with any text editor.

Environment settings

The file construsoft.def includes lines under [ENVIRONMENT] to affect the DXF output file.

INCLUDE_SHOP_DATA_SECTION Specify whether to include a special data section in the DXF file to allow the DXF file to be better imported into CNC software written by Shop Data Systems. Including this special data section in the DXF file makes the DXF file unreadable by AutoCAD.

Options: TRUE or FALSE - Default value: FALSE

NO_INFILE_EXT_IN_OUTFILE Use to add the input file extension to the output file.
TRUE: P2.nc1 will become P2.dxf.
FALSE: P2.nc1 will become P2.nc1.dxf.

Options: TRUE or FALSE - Default value: FALSE

DRAW_CROSSHAIRS

Draw crosshair for holes and slotted holes.

Options: HOLES, LONG_HOLES, BOTH or NONE - Default value: NONE

HOLES	Image
LONG_HOLES	Image
BOTH	Image
NONE	Image

SIDE_TO_CONVERT

Defines the part face which is shown from the *.dxf file. The part face can only be created from one side. Therefore, this converter is best suited for plates, but it can create a *.dxf file from one part face of a beam.
Options: FRONT, TOP, BACK or BELOW - Default value: FRONT

When generating NC files, the AK block (= AußenKontur) in the NC file, by default only contains the front side (= vorne) of the outer contour:

To convert the back side via the file dstv2dxf.bat, the outer contour is missing by default.
Set the advanced option XS_DSTV_WRITE_BEHIND_FACE_FOR_PLATE to TRUE to also include the outer contour of the back side (= hinten) of the plates in the NC file:

You can now also convert the back side to dxf.

The extension DSTVtoDXFConverter provides in this by default.

OUTPUT_CONTOURS_AS Convert contours as polylines or lines and arcs.
Options: POLYLINES or LINES_ARCS - Default value: POLYLINES

CONTOUR_DIRECTION Define the contour direction. This option changes the coordinates of the vertices, and the order they are written. You can see the difference if you open the DXF file in a text editor: "reverse" is clockwise and "forward" is counter-clockwise.

Options: REVERSE or FORWARD - Default value: REVERSE

CONVERT_HOLES_TO_POLYLINES Convert holes to polylines.

Options: TRUE or FALSE - Default value: FALSE

MAX_HOLE_DIAMETER_TO_POINTS Convert small holes to points in the DXF file.

Options: - Default value: 4.99

HOLE_POINT_STYLE & HOLE_POINT_SIZE Point style and size for holes.

Options: - Default value: resp. 33 and 1 (do not change)

SCALE_DSTV_BY Scale to imperial or metric units. Use 0.03937 to scale to imperial units, use 1.0 to scale to metric units.

Default value: 1

ADD_OUTER_CONTOUR_ROUNDINGS Add holes to roundings.

Options: TRUE or FALSE - Default value: FALSE

MIN_MATL_BETWEEN_HOLES Define how close the holes can be to each other in slotted hole conversion.
Options: - Default value: 2.0

INPUT_FILE_DIR & OUTPUT_FILE_DIR Folders for input and output files.

DEBUG Show data processing in the DOS window.
Options: TRUE or FALSE - Default value: FALSE

Text settings

The file construsoft.def includes lines under [TEXT_SPECS] to affect the DXF output file.

TEXT_OPTIONS	Define the text options that you want to use in the DXF file: P = Part mark Q = Quantity D = Profile description T = Thickness S = Side mark B = Part mark + side mark G = Grade The text option is set to PQTG (Part mark, Quantity, Thickness and Grade) by default, this results in the following: Image
TEXT_POSITION_X & TEXT_POSITION_Y	The X/Y location of lower-left corner of first line of text from the origin point <0,0> of the DXF file: TEXT_POSITION_X=20.0 TEXT_POSITION_Y=50.0 The origin is in the following position: Image
TEXT_HEIGHT	Text height can be changed by using the line: DSTV2DXF_TEXT_SIZE=5
TEXT_WIDTH_RATIO	Define the text height ratio. Default value=1.0.
PART_MARK_PREFIX SIDE_MARK_PREFIX STEEL_QUALITY_PREFIX QUANTITY_PREFIX THICKNESS_PREFIX DESCRIPTION_PREFIX	You can define several different prefixes for text items, such as ‘Part mark’, ‘Thickness’, etc.
CONCATENATE_TEXT & CONCATENATE_CHAR	By using the line DSTV2DXF_CONCATENATE_TEXT you can concatenate text items. You can use the following values: =0 : Text lines are not combined. Prefixes work only with this option. =1 : Part mark text on one line, other texts combined on another line. =2 : All text on one line. Image The line CONCATENATE_CHAR=+ defines a separator of max 19 characters for the text items. Image

Colors and layers

Use the options in [MISC_LAYERS] to define names and colors for the different parts in the DXF file.

You can for example define the outer contour, the inner contour and texts. The defined numbers for the colors correspond with the Autocad colors (1=red, 2=yellow, 3=green, 4=cyan, 5=blue, 6=magenta, 7=white, 8=dark grey, 9=light grey). Use [HOLE_LAYERS] and [SLOT_LAYERS] to define the layers and colors per diameter for the holes and slotted holes.

`[HOLE_LAYERS]`	`[SLOT_LAYERS]`
Image	Image

You can define the following options for slotted holes (default is type 7 - PHANTOM_NONE to create 1 layer for the slotted holes):

	PHANTOM_OUTLINE	PHANTOM_ARROW	PHANTOM_BOTH	PHANTOM_NONE
Type 1	Image	Image	Image	Image
Type 2	Image	Image	Image	Image
Type 3	Image	Image	Image	Image
Type 4	Image	Image	Image	Image
Type 5	Image	Image	Image	Image
Type 6	Image	Image	Image	Image
Type 7	Image 2 layers are created for the slotted holes.	Image 1 layer is created for the slotted holes.	Image 2 layers slotted holes are created.	Image 1 layer for the slotted holes is created.