I am totally ignorant about 3D printing and would like to ask if the printer can work off an AutoCad 3D drawing in DWG format or do I have to make a solid prototype first so that it can copy that?
The 3D printer requires gcode to operate, but the steps involved to create that are straightforward.
A slicer (the program creating the g-code for you) will happily take an STL file as input, which should be easy to export from within AutoCAD.
If you’re keen to experiment, find some free STL (Stereo Lithograpy) files and import them into AutoCAD to compare them to your models, i.e. dimensions, are supports necessary and the sorts…
One example would be a “benchy”:
https://www.printables.com/model/3161-3d-benchy/files
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Thanks. My hopes of doing direct from the DWG file just evaporated.
As I dont do CAD , I have commissioned someone (a wounded Ukrainian) to produce the 3D drawing but he is working through an on-line translation service so it might get a bit complicated.
Do you have AutoCad? If so just open the DWG in that, go to file - export and choose .stl as format and save to that. If you don’t have AutoCad, then could open the DWG in Blender and export it to stl there. Blender is on the MacPro in the clean room if you don’t want to install it all just for that. You might also look to see if there is online conversion tool - there often are - just google it.
No I don’t have Autocad. The guy who has has created the drawing og the item in AutoCad 2017 said he tried to export it to STL but it wouldn’t do it. He also tried a STEP conversion and that failed.
I installed Blender and tried to open the DWG file but it would no do so.
I asked ChatGPT if Blender could do it and it said No.
It should work using Autodesk Fusion 360 though… and there is a free version that does all the tricks!
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If you have the drawing as a DXF, this is a open standard and is more widely supported than DWG, you can drop that into Fusion 360 and extrude the profiles you need.(apparently autoCAD can export the DXF file type) Then you can export from fusion 360 into a range of 3D model file types.
Edit: Looking at the export parameters on autoCAD you should be able to export as a .OBJ or .STL directly from AutoCAD. (Though this is the most recent version spec.) If this is a 3D illustration this should be possible. Make sure all the objects are correctly selected before trying to export, otherwise it will not realise you are trying to export a 3D model.
Formats such as DWG, DXF and SVG are all flat, 2D files. You can take these into modelling software to aid in creating the 3D model.
Formats such as 3mf, obj, stl are all 3D model files and are accepted by almost all 3D printing software.
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Hi Mark,
I down loaded Fusion 360 but could not get it to work.
I’ve spent 2 days trying to find a way to get a STL file out of my DWG and DXF file but I’m just getting nowhere.
I can view the file in AutoDesk on-line viewer . so it can’t be corrupt. Blender doesn’t do any thing.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
you will not be able to get a stl file directly out of a swg or DXF file. these need to be used essentially as plans in 3d modelling software to create the 3D object and then you can export the model created. You mentioned in your first post that you have a 3D drawing, I’m guessing as these are svg format this is actually sets of 2D drawings that describe the 3D shape?
I guessed I had a 3D DWG file as I could view it as 3D in the on-line Autodesk site.Maybe I was wrong. Please excuse my ignorance on the subject.
This what I see…
Autodesk Viewer | Free Online File ViewerObject
could you share a copy of the DXF file itself. I will see if i am able to open it as a DXF file on the desktop version of Fusion 360.
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also one of these might help:
I have uploaded the file. Hope you can see it OK.
Shroud only dxf.dxf (1.4 MB)
No Luck this end I’m afraid. I think the 3D it is projecting all lines into a flat plane on fusion. When I import it into illustrator, i can rotate it to some extent but it is still only working as a flat projection.
Many thanks for trying. I guess something must be wrong with it. I will keep trying other options.
Doesn’t look right to me but i’ve exported 2 bits for u 1 of them doesn’t look correct tbh. But depends on what u want to do.
Shroud Only with extra bits.stl (61.0 KB) Shroud Only.stl (55.7 KB)
You should be able to print these no problem just be mindful of the orientation when u print
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@father,
Marvellous and I am so grateful!, That looks exactly. How did you manage it?
The guy drew it up it originally worked from a 2007 edition of Autocad so i guess it was compromised by lack of backwards compatibility from later versions.
If I may, could I possibly impose on you a request to produce an STP conversion of the DWG attached. I would be most grateful as that would get my project off the groundbaseonly.dwg (969.9 KB)
sorry i don’t have the fusion 360 licence to import dwg files. but what do you need from it? maybe we can rebuild it. or maybe if you can ask for dxf files?
I can’t even select the objects in onshape with the dwg format.
This is the DXF version if that helps.
ThanksBase only.dxf (1.8 MB)
Yeah that works better.
The objects are not connected thought Did u wanted a STEP file with all of them?
If you want STL’s i have to merge a few things around.
Btw this model looks like it’s for a metal sheet.
I’ll get a step file and generate some stl’s