So picked up the Sketchup Pro trial to see if I could export some subwoofer cabinets so that I could have a CNC shop cut them for me. But when I export to DWG or DXF and send those, the shops aren’t able to use them for whatever reason. Most then ask for “2D drawings”, even though I thought that is what a dxf or dwg drawing was. So clearly doing something wrong.
This is the cut sheet…both sides have dimensional cuts on them. Is there some option in the export that maybe I need to do but am not doing?
For CNC Export - look no further then OpenCutList (the extension for Sketchup). It has an excellent 2D-DXF export option that can even give you “true arcs” - which is really important for parts of that size. There is a bit of a learning curve but it’s totally worth it.
Since you have machining on both sides, you’ll need to export two scenes to capture the geometry of both sides. As said, Parrel Projection and Standard Top view
Sketchup can export true arcs and circles (anything with a constant radius) not curves or exploded poly lines. Select an edge and check entity info, it should say circle or arc.
The method of export outlined above using a single plane of geometry viewed in planview/parallel projection and 3D export will yield a single 2D .dwg or .dxf file that shows the edges as real arcs calculated from their radius. This will be a 2D file, suitable for any sheet goods CAM manufacturing method, waterjet, CNC router, plasma cutter, laser, others with no Z information.
This method works for 2D files. There is no method for outputting true curves from SketchUp in 3D. If your shape is not “flat”, in that is has data or shape in 3 dimensions, you will not be able to output a format that the shop can plug directly into their software with curves. You will need to work with them to rebuild your object in their software.
It looks like your circle files are cut through, export them separately via the above method for a 2D file for the shop. The file with a routered chanell will need a different method. Dwg can be 3D or 2D. Export the routered file without curves as a 3D dwg but with all the geometry for a 3D file.
I’m on my phone but if you post your file here I’ll look later.
Basically, yes. I would lay each piece down onto the XY plane side to be machined face up. Standard Top View, Parallel Projection.
Looking at your file: It is only the ‘Sides’ that have machining on both sides.
You will need to send them a dxf of both faces of the sides. You will also have to indicate to them the depth of the dados and that some edges have a round over.
Baffles, Screen, Internal Brace, and Top/Bottom are machined on one side, so you only need to send the dxf of side with machining. Again you will need to call out the depths of dados and holes that are not cut through.
