DXF Open

DXF Open

DXF is the file extension and generic file type reference for the "Drawing Exchange Format" developed by Autodesk for enabling data interoperability between AuotCAD and other vector graphics applications. EazyDraw has the ability to open these drawing files.

To Import (or Open) a DXF drawing, use the Open navigation and selection panel. he EazyDraw Open command automatically recognizes and enables drawing files of all types understood by EazyDraw.

DXF drawings, being CAD based, usually will require adjustments to compensate for the drawing scale. Frequently the drawing content will be shifted and/or spread out over large expanses. The DXF format has information that should specify these scales and shifts but the implementation is inconsistent and often not present in the DXF file. For this reason EazyDraw has an post-import analysis window to help you locate the drawing content and expanse of the content.

The panel to the left is the DXF analysis panel that appears after the drawing is imported. You may locate and scale the content with the standard drawing window using the Graphic Details and Layers Inspector, typically with very large drawing size (100’s of pages). The Analysis panel is used for the same purpose with a different viewing format to assist in setting the drawing scale, drawing paper size, and content origin.

The top area of the Analysis panel (the area with the black background) is a density plot showing the location of graphics in the drawing. Black means - no content, white indicates larger numbers of graphics in the corresponding area of the drawing.

The red border defines the full extent of the DXF drawing. The values shown in Green area the values found in the drawing. The units are normally inches, sometimes mm. The DXF format allows specification of drawing units, with a default of inches. Here you can see the width and height of the dxf content, this is normally unscaled or "project" units.

The blue border defines the EazyDraw drawing content area. (It may start out very small in the upper left corner of the red-box.) This is defined by the choice of Printer, Paper, and number of Pages. This area will also reflect the drawing scale. Normally the goal is to get a drawing scale and page size that allows the blue border to enclose the dxf content (not always the full red border).

Pages Across and Pages Down are the parameters found and the Page Layout palette. Increase these to add more area to the target drawing. The page boundaries are shown on the analysis summary as blue borders.

Printer, Width, Height (or Paper Name) and Print Scale are the parameters found and the Page Setup palette. Use these to select the output that will be used for the drawing. If Electronic Prepress is chosen for a printer then the paper dimension is fully at your control, if a specific printer is used then select a supported paper size as the definition of a single output page.

Scale and Units are the parameters found and the Scale palette. Use these to select the drawing scale. You will see how a drawing scale (such as 1/4") will increase the coverage area of the unscaled DXF content. The analysis view with the red and blue rectangles will let you see exactly the best scale to choose to display and print the dxf content.

The area of the DXF drawing covered by the EazyDraw drawing is adjusted by positioning the blue outline area using the mouse to click and drag the EazyDraw paper / pages rectangle. Adjust accordingly to include the desired content.

Accept and Adjust - both will close the inspector window. Adjust will take the settings you have provided on this palette (scale, printer, paper, ...) and apply them to the drawing. The DXF content is scaled and positioned as shown on the top area of the analysis panel. Accept does "nothing" the drawing settings remain those of the current defaults for new drawings. If Accept is chosen, then adjustments are still possible using the Morph panel and Scale settings for the drawing.

The example to the right is the result of the import shown upper left. You can see how the density plot indicates content of the drawing. A scale of 1 to 4 (3"=1') allows the 30 x 40 inches of dxf (project) content to fit on a letter size single sheet of paper. The analysis screen after adjustment, before clicking "Adjust" is shown on the lower left.

A drawing content density analysis is needed because it is common for a DXF drawing to have spurious graphics located great distances from the primary drawing area. Recent versions of AutoCad have a blocking parameter to define a drawing area as an attempt to prevent this common problem. But it seems that the limiting parameter even when present is not a reliable indicator. The Density plot allows one to position the drawing area over the actual content and ignore these spurious elements. The density plot will indicate the presence of multiple drawings in one dxf file.

You may instruct the operating system’s Finder to use EazyDraw to automatically open DXF files. From the Finder select a DXF file then execute "Get Info" from the Finder’s File main menu. Near the bottom of the Info panel there is a disclosure tab for "Open With". Use the popup menu found there to select EazyDraw as the application to use with your DXF file - then click the button "Change All". This will instruct the system to use EazyDraw when a DXF drawing is Double-Clicked from the Finder.

If a DXF drawing has more than one area of content, use multiple imports (Open commands). Then position different imports to cover different area so content. This is a likely situation as many times CAD designers will put several "drawings" in one DXF file, each drawing being drawn in different region of project space. In EazyDraw on will normally put these in different drawings. You may even have two or more import-analysis open at the same time on your desk top, adjustments are made to each drawing so there is no logical conflict.