Your other posts indicate that your model in not parallel to the red/green plane (âgroundâ) but that it is vertical. Your CNC software seems to expect everything to be on the red/green (xy) plane. The âFrontâ view in Sketchup is parallel to the red/blue (xz) plane.
Another thing that could confuse the CNC software are faces, if they are included in the export.
No, it doesnât. DXF and DWG have the same contents. DXF is an ASCII version of a binary DWG. The difference lies between a 2D and 3D export. A 2D export splits things to segments.
Anssi
The plasma cutter seems to accept the dxf file as long as a choose the front standard view, zoom to extents, parallel projection, and a 2D dxf file is chosen. The drawing is in the plane defined by the red & blue axes.
For the 3D export to work, your model should look ânormalâ when in the Top standard view. That is why I inferred that you have drawn your object on its side and not flat on the ground.
SketchUp and most âCADâ or âBIMâ type modelling software have their default plane flat on the ground, with the Z axis pointing upwards. Some older 3D animation software see their âworldâ as a âstageâ, with the âbackdropâ in place of the ground plane.
Exporting a 2D file works for you because it flattens your model back down on the red/green(xy) plane. So in a way, yes, it is wrong to hang things that should be on the floor on a wall. When you proceed to real 3D modelling, you will notice that, for instance, 3D orbiting to work as expected, the model has to be conceived right.
Anssi
Thatâs not how I did it. Is it wrong to draw it in the plane defined by the red and blue axes? Everything seems to be working now.
This link makes some valid points for SheetCAM input filesâŚ
never use dxf unless you have to or when you âknowâ it works better
john
Hi!
Just thought Iâd add my two bits worth⌠for what itâs worth,
When I need to print something as simple as a rectangle to scale (e.g. for a cutout template), instead of waging a (usually losing) battle with SU to get it to print correctly, I donât even try to do it in SU.
Usually I open a blank 1-page MS Word document (sorry, SU!) and create the shapes using Wordâs built-in shapes (rectangles, circles, lines, etc.). First I draw the shapes I need approximately in their proper sizes and positions, Then I use the shape properties (right-click it for a context menu) and manually type in the exact size and position (relative to page or margin etc⌠as you prefer).
I do admit that I only do this in metric units (decimal centimeters/millimeters), not in mixed fraction inches (hate those!), e.g. 2 7/16". I never tried doing this in Word so I have no idea if it will accept fractions. If not, then I guess youâre stuck with doing it in SU or another drawing program.
Just an idea⌠
Thank you very much for contributing the idea. And perhaps that would work as it seems to for you. But if one would want to go directly to a plasma cutter or any other cnc device, is that going to work?
Those 5 steps that I listed did work in this instance for both printing the drawing and creating an accurate dxf file for the plasma cutter.
But I just found it irksome that there is this wonderful program where one can quickly drawing something up accurately. But then, in order to have it communicate to the real cnc world, there are such contortions to jump through. It worked once, but will that always work? It would seem that for printing smaller items, it should be a basic function to both output to the printer or a dxf file an accurate representation of what was created. The program has all the information to create such output and if itâs smaller than a 8.5" x 11 sheet of paper, why wouldnât that be the default?
My pleasure! I will be happy if my suggestion will help even only one person. My method definitely works - I used it several times for printing cutout templates that I paste onto my work-piece (sheet metal, wooden boards, aluminium heat sinks). This makes it easy to get cutouts and holes in the right place and the right size. My applications are purely hobby, so I have no access to cnc machines of any kind, thus being able to output to them is not relevant for me. I would LOVE any sort of cnc machine, or even a pc-controlled X-Y table on my drill press, but I cannot justify the expense for these right now. I have plans to build something myself someday. I do not believe that Word can output to dxf, but I have not checked what file formats it can export to.
You have my total agreement regarding SU and its limitations, specially on output. Even for larger items, it would be useful to be able to print to scale on A3-size paper, or split over 2 (or more) A4 sheets (approx. the same size as your 8.5" x 11" sheets) which should have bullet-marks (or similar) to help accurately tape them together. The default behaviour should be settable in the program setup.
I have not used SU for a while, so I still have SU 2014 on my PC - havenât got round to updating it 
I find it interesting that some people insist that it is impossible to print to scale from SketchUp. It is indeed possible to do. I just printed the following directly from the attached SketchUp file. It was quick and easy to do and the printout is as close to dead on correct as my Brown&Sharpe rule can measure.
Print2Scale.skp (15.6 KB)
I agree with @DaveR that it is indeed possible to print to scale. I make templates for woodworking parts that way fairly often. However, I also agree with the sentiment behind many of the complaints. Namely that it should be easy and natural to do this rather than requiring one to carefully follow a specific workflow.
Maybe a couple of features/bug fixes would help:
- make the âuse model extentsâ checkbox work regardless of model size
- add an option to print selected objects only
Anssi
I donât see the workflow for this being any more difficult than the workflow for making good, reusable components that are easy to use or creating good textures. Sure. there are steps to learn but it isnât difficult.
I did a video for the blog a few days ago that shows how to print to scale.
Ok. Iâll concede that point to a point. There are steps. I have gotten them to work one time on a single design, The steps are not completely published or werenât at the time that I started this thread. And the steps were not in the help. They were in the forum spread amongst 2/3 posts. And if you didnât get them in the correct order, they wouldnât work. My only gripe was that there should be a checkbox in the print dialog called print to dimension or something like that and that printing one to one should be the default. Even the scaling is grayed out unless you change some settings to allow it to be changed. And then, if I remember correctly, you have to change them back in order to get the 1:1 printing.
As far as outputting a dxf file goes, that is more open to debate. If a design is output to a dxf file, shouldnât it be dimensionally correct? When my design was output to a dxf, it wasnât. It was just like the print file.
my according post describing all steps required is from 16.03.2016:
Thatâs a good example of what I was saying, checking fit to page and âUse model extentsâ doesnât always work. I put the steps that I had to do in order to get it to print to scale in a reply that is contained on the forumâŚ
again, shrinking the SU program window to the model extents is the important step especially in connection with small models, not adhering to this policy may lead to the issue described.
Iâm new to sketch up and am trying to use sketch up for drawing out for cnc plasma cutter i have and am feeling I wasted my money on the License because i am having trouble with scaling as well. I import my files into sheet cam tng that turns it to a gcode but if i use autocad or solid works the scaling is dead on with sketch up it isnât, the other two programs are way over my head and i like sketch up because itâs more user friendly but I have tried doing your method and it worked for a circle but other objects it hasnât. I know this is a old post but are you still using sketch up and are you still having scaling issues??
Thanks
Chris
Iâm still using sketchup. I havenât had to print again until about a week ago when I wanted to use sketchup to make a part on a 3d printer. I need to try this procedure and see if it works as Iâm having difficulty getting a good stl file. Iâll try it and get back to you tomorrow. I am a good example of why printing needs to be simplified. I hadnât used it for a year. If I were to print a Word Doc, I would just have to print and would get a 1:1 print
Like I said in an earlier post, when you go to print, you should get a 1:1 print unless you specify that you want it done differently. This is supposed to be a quick easy to use program. Printing is neither quick nor easy.
That should also go for the logins. Since I hadnât logged in since my last post on this topic, they said that my password was too old. This is not a banking site or any other site that requires that kind of security.