DXF and SVG file preparation guides
Find import problems, check dimensions and prepare the contours your cutting workflow needs.
DXF imports at the wrong size: measure before scaling
Measure a known feature in the source drawing and after import. The ratio tells you more than the overall appearance of the preview.
Open contours: find the gap before closing a path
A contour can look closed at normal zoom while its endpoints remain separate. First decide whether the path is meant to enclose an area or remain an open engraving or profile line.
Open paths in CAM: choose a profile or repair a boundary
An open path is not automatically an error. The relevant question is whether the selected CAM operation needs a closed region or is intended to follow an open line.
Laser cuts twice: check duplicate geometry and pass settings
Watch the cutting preview before changing power or speed. A repeated path can come from overlapping entities, multiple operations or an intentional pass count.
Blank DXF import: check the view, layers and entities
A blank viewport does not prove that a DXF is empty. Separate a display problem from missing or unsupported geometry before exporting the file again.
DXF splines: preserve the curve when preparing a simpler export
A spline may be valid in CAD and unsupported by the receiving cutting program. Convert only when the receiving tool requires it, and compare the approximation with the original curve.
Missing DXF text: turn the intended lettering into geometry
Text in a CAD drawing is not always imported as cutting geometry. Decide whether you need an engraved centreline, filled lettering or cut-out letter shapes before converting it.
Self-intersecting contours: resolve the crossing in the drawing
A contour that crosses itself can represent a valid visual SVG shape while remaining unsuitable for a particular cutting operation. Identify the intended boundary before repairing it.
SVG imports at the wrong size: inspect dimensions and viewBox
SVG size depends on the relationship between its physical dimensions, coordinate system and transforms. Correct the source of the mismatch before applying a blanket scaling factor.
Blank SVG import: check paths, styles and the viewBox
An SVG can display in a browser while relying on images, styles or effects that a cutting importer does not support. Check the objects as well as their appearance.
Export a Fusion sketch DXF for a cutting workflow
Start with a planar sketch that represents the part at its intended size. A drawing sheet, projected view and manufacturing outline can contain different geometry.
Convert DWG to DXF and check the cutting geometry
Convert a copy of the DWG in a program that supports DWG. Renaming the file extension does not change its format, and DXF Medic does not read DWG directly.