DXF

General

DXF (Drawing Interchange Format) is a data exchange format between different CAD programs of Autodesk Inc. Open it in menu File / Input/Output Formats / File transfer/Documentation / ...

TARGET 3001! saves all details of your schematic and PCB with an internal data structure. The DXF format gives the possibility to make those data being viewed and handled by other CAD programs.

DXF is defined that way that even complicated matters of any programs in any programming language can be generated. The program needs to fulfill two conditions:

• It must be able to read an ASCII-file
  
• It must be able to load and process numbers as pairs out of this file
  

Unfortunately the data transfer with DXF is problematic. This refers to the different qualities of different DXF converters:

• There is no DXF standard. The format has developed organically and still is developing.
• As far as we know DXF is not sufficiently described.
• Autodesk themselves offer the following specifications: http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=8446698
• Nevertheless the format is not unitary. The DXF-Import in many other programs does not use the AutoCAD-reference. Some headers often interdict an import.
• All coordinate- and length values of a DXF file are not showing units.
• The measurement system of a drawing (Millimeter, Inch, ...) is not part of the drawing information itself.
• DXF is suitable very good for the definition of lines but suitable very bad for the definition of filled shapes.

Import a DXF-File

Open TARGET 3001! and choose the schematic view if you want to import a DXF-file as part of a schematic.
Open TARGET 3001! and choose the PCB view if you want to import a DXF-file as part of a PCB layout.
Now choose in TARGET 3001! main menu File / Input/Output-Formats / File transfer/Documentation / "DXF Import".

The opening dialog shows few import restrictions. Accept by OK.
Since V15: A contiguous polyline can completely be highlighted even if does not carry an identical signal.
Since V 16.4.0.33 the POLYLINE command can handle curves too.

Now browse to the *.dxf project which you like to import. Click on "Open".

A further dialog window allows the setting of several import options. Set the scaling, define the destination layer and enter to let the polygons show filled. Now press "START" to activate the import.

Export of a DXF-file

Save your project in "TARGET 3001!". Open the DXF driver in TARGET 3001! menu File / Input/Output Formats / File transfer/Documentations / DXF Output. What you get is:

Choose the destination of the dxf-file to be generated by the button

Now select from the registers for several alternatives. Choose the desired parameters. If you are unsure e. g. in the Options register, please leave the boxes unticked (default settings re used).

Click on Schematic or PCB and choose the desired page respectively layer.

Enter a file name and export your file in DXF format by pressing "Output".

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