Help! making an inventor file into an autodesk file

[kjhobin]

Hey everyone,
Does anyone know how to make an inventor file into and auto desk file? Ultimately in the end, we need a .DXF file to use a computerized plasma cutter.

Thanks in advance!

-Keith

[JagWire]

Originally Posted by kjhobin

Hey everyone,
Does anyone know how to make an inventor file into and auto desk file? Ultimately in the end, we need a .DXF file to use a computerized plasma cutter.

Thanks in advance!

-Keith

Well, since Inventor doesn't have an export or save as option to .DXF, probably the easiest way is to import the file into another CAD program that does support .DXF. I no longer have an active license of AutoCad, so I don't know if it will do it or not. But, I do have access to a CAM program called BobCad that will save as a .DXF. So I'm sure that it can be done. Sorry I couldn't help more... stupid one year licenses on software... expired about two weeks ago...

~Tim~

Actually, Inventor DOES have an option to export to dxf.

Make a drawing of the part, single view per page. Then delete the ansi box, and side grid. You can then go to save copy as, and choose dxf format. Inventor has a nice little feature that it will export directly into a .zip file.

[kjhobin]

Thank you! im going to try this!

[Andrew Blair]

Yeah, this is really quite nice. Just put your part in an idw. , then save as- dxf, dwg, dwf, etc. Actually, the first time you use it, you can select all the little options like saving or ommiting the drawing box, annotation, zipping, etc.

The only thing I don't like about the idw. is that you cannot save it in .jpg. You can save into .bmp, but it's quality isn't good enough to print it seems.

[JagWire]

doh! ok, then i'm gypped, for some strange reason the Inventor Pro 10 copy I've got installed on my comp. doesn't have that nice little .dxf option... and here I just assumed they were all that way! well, you learn something new every day!