Exporting for cnc machining?

If i was to design a cabinet in sketchup could i export it to be used in Enroute to add toolpaths for cnc machining? or would the individual parts have to be designed separately in 2D? I tried extorting a 2D part in .dxf but when i imported it into Enroute the sizing was incorrect. When designing a custom cabinet/furniture i would like to be able to use the parts i already designed in sketchup. Instead of drawing them again in Enroute so that they can be machined.

Just a question: If you used the File menu>export>2d image function in Sketchup Pro to create your DXF, did you remember both to switch to an orthogonal view and to switch your camera to parallel projection?

Exports using perspective projection cannot, for obvious reasons, be to scale.

SketchUp uses the units set in Window>Model Info>Units to export, but if you re-import the DXF back into SketchUp to check it, the units used when importing are set in the Options dialog that opens via the Options button on the Import File dialog - these should be set to the units used in the DWG/DXF file. Make sure that your model units are the same as what Enroute expects.

Anssi

So the only way this will work is if all the parts are facing the same way in sketchup? As in if i have a cabinet i would have to take all the parts and turn them the same way. Or is there a way to label the components/groups so that they export with the proper face showing?

Not necessarily. You can export the parts one by one. When you right-click on a face, the context menu has the option “Align view” that sets your camera direction perpendicular to the selected face. Now you can hide everything else and export that part to DXF, and then repeat with the others.

Anssi

Im curious if you got this to work Zander.

Any tips would be most helpful as I am attempting the same process.

If this is something you want to do all the time, check out Vectic / Vcarve

I have never used it but it looks like it can import skp files and “flatten” the model into parts on a sheet.

CD

I use Vcarve and am happy to help anyone interested in picking it up. I’m not an expert but I can do what I need to.