.tap to a .dxf

Problems and questions
1

Hello,

Does anyone know of a “free” program out there where I can take a .tap file from sheetcam and make a .dxf file.

I’d like to be able to take the tap to dxf file and overlay it on top of the original .dxf file drawn in AutoCAD.

Seem simple enough, just put it on a different layer. There’s been talk of Les and other people comparing files, but how?

I’m sure there’s one, but I’ve never investigated it before.

I could do some problem solving in house if I had a hint on how to do it.

Any help, ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Aj

2

Have you tried using the DXF post processor? It generates a dxf directly from the tool paths.

3

Les,

What program would I find the dxf post processor in?? Sheet Cam??

The simplest things are the hardest sometimes.

Thanks, Aj

4

Yes. Go to Options->machine->post processor. You should find it in the list of posts.

5

wow, so much I haven’t seen…

I’m using a .tap file from sheetcam that was made with my post processor that you wrote. It cuts fine. No problems.

I’m taking that .tap and opening it up in sheet cam -
file - import drawing - browse to file and open - “Excellon file type”

Drawing options tab shows up. scale is correct, drawing position correct, number format? it shows 2.4
trailing zeros is selected?

Click OK and it puts a part on the screen but it shows most of the curves and arcs as straight lines - photo 1

Photo 2 is when I load the .dxf the regular way as a part.

Am I doing something that’s not normally done? I want to make a drawing from g-code to compare to the original .dxf drawing file.

Thank You! for the assistance you always offer.

Aj

6

I’m surprised you got anything using the Excellon filter. Excellon is a specialized format designed for drilling circuit boards. Try importing the drawing as g-code.

7

Now I’m getting somewhere…

Imported as G-code and it puts a nice looking drawing on the screen.
Photo 3

Next I created a jet cutting operation with no offset.
Photo 4

And posted it using the dxf post processor and saved the file.

Opened both files up in AutoCAD using layers and put them on top of each other.
(yellow is tool path - photo 5)

It looks good, I may of just got lucky, but did I do it correctly from what you can see?

That is good information for finding problems like the one using the dynatorch controller I mentioned to you the other day. Hopefully I can get that figured out without having to bother you for help.

Thank You so much for taking time.

aj

8

here’s the CAD drawing

9

That all looks fine to me. Generally if the tool paths look right in SheetCam the paths will be correct. It is very rare for the code to not match up with the tool paths. The display in SheetCam is actually a specialized internal post processor so it should accurately show what will be generated.

10

What makes this exercise so nice, I’ll be able to check tool paths that were made by other programs an post processors like the dynatorch software my buddy has.

It doesn’t have one tenth of the features your SheetCAM program has. I’ll get the “bugs” out of his machine soon and he’ll be buying a copy of SheetCAM, he just doesn’t know it yet…

The Dynatorch software is the controller with a very simple dxf to tool path conversion package. No lead in or out and sometimes it doesn’t even cut on the correct side of the part… It’s not really worth squat in my opinion.

The only thing thats good about it it does control the torch height and peirce very well…

Sheet Cam is so much more robust and intuitive for making the tool path!

Thanks for the help again!

Aj