using a DXF for a sketch

[michaelpaul]

What's the best way to accomplish this:

I have a PCB and I'd like to create a sketch of the silkscreen layer from the PCB CAD package and place it onto my PCB. This way, I can place components in my assembly and get them onto the PAD area more quickly than measuring the X-Y coordinates of each and every component.

My issue is: my PCB has quite a few entities so every time I've tried to import it into my sketch I get a message saying I have too many entities and Pro/E vomits.

Is there a good way to do this or am I screwed? I could do this pretty easily in my former life so I'd really like to do this now that I"m using pro/E. I find it makes the PCB easier to understand in Pro if I can see the layout when I'm working so that I can find out if there are going to be any part inteferences faster.

If anybody has done something similiar, please let me know. I can use brute force and ignorance to get the information that I need but it won't be that efficient or user friendly.

Thanks

Michael

 

[rmatija]

Pro/Engineer say You have too many entities


best regads

 

[jeff4136]

Will it do you any good to import into part mode (not sketcher) referencing an appropriately placed csys?

 

[james.lynch]

Michael, I;d go with Jeffs plan, import it into the part referencinga coordinate sys and then use multiple sketches if necessary to reference all entities.


James

 

[manley]

I'm Going to ride on micheal's topic. I know the feeling... Ialso have the same problem when I import sketches I made that are letterings.This are customer supplied so no way of using the preset fonts of ProE.


Also with with the design silhoutes provided by customers. It takes me three days modifying it and altering it so thatproE would accept it and it's just part of the design.


We will be very thankful...

 

[jeff4136]

It would be interesting to see an example of what you fellers are working with.


Shucks, I think I could do a page of text in three days.

Have either of you a copy of Rhino? It might be a pretty decent program for working that sorta stuff.

 

[Isair]

Hi


Look at this thread it got a lot of useful tips, maybe importing Illustrator's file will be better then dxf


[url]http://www.mcadcentral.com/proe/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=29 566&KW=Skint&TPN=1[/url]

 

[narducci]

I do this quite frequently and typically I need to bring in the artwork as another part and assemble to working part using a csys reference. Truly the best way to work with PCB info in pro is through ECAD. The pcb designer can export the data to you in a emn file and you import it and it places all the components for you based on a reference. You have to have all the components made in a library. Also depending on the options the pcb designer uses when exporting, they can export traces of artwork.

 

[cmindler]

I find that .dwg files work far better than .dxf within pro/e, but I'm not sure what formats you have available. I prefer to import .dwg's from illustrator into an assembly within pro/e. The grouped items come in as separate parts in that assembly.

 

[michaelpaul]

Will it do you any good to import into part mode (not sketcher) referencing an appropriately placed csys?

Jeff,

After I posted my message I started messing around with what you suggest. It works, but...............

I got the top layer of my PCB in okay but my bottom layer still has too many entities. I have to open it in a drawing to relocate the a corner to 0,0 so that it will place at the CSYS in the part. My problem now is that I still have too many entities and Pro/E says "you have more than 12,000 entities, please select fewer to translate" or something of the sort.

I have to work now to see if A) I can eliminate entities (such as hatching and such) or B) my PCB guy can create several DXF's of the different layers rather than lumping it all into one file for me.

It's just tedious and not very straightforward but I guess it'll work. We'll see.

Thanks

Michael

 

[jeff4136]

12,000 entities .... Ouch!It is a polyline type object? I'd look at ways to simplify if possible, loosen the fit tolerance on arcs, etc.?


Might also try creating a new CSys, reference itfor import. If you have to move the import feature redefine the CSys offsetting, rotating as necessary.

 

[james.lynch]

I think as previously suggested take a look at ECAD - for more information take a look at the following link - flash player required.


http://www.ptc.com/company/mail/express200404/ecad/index.htm


It's really good andI thnk it would benifit you greatly!


James

 

[michaelpaul]

12,000 entities .... Ouch!It is a polyline type object? I'd look at ways to simplify if possible, loosen the fit tolerance on arcs, etc.?


Might also try creating a new CSys, reference itfor import. If you have to move the import feature redefine the CSys offsetting, rotating as necessary.

Ther problem seemed to be the conversion that my sparky gave me from his PCB CAD package. it was converting everyting into line segments so my circles had 8 lines, every text item to designate a component was segmented, etc.

I just went in and cleaned up a bunch of crapola that I didn't need and reduced the number of entities. Then, I could move my layout to the 0,0 position, scale it, save it as an IGES and bring it into my model as shared data at the CSYS I specified. Kind of tedious but it works. Now if I can just figure out the DXF export options that the EE has maybe I can get it to come in without a hitch. we'll see..........

Michael