TLDR - what’s the best way to produce a CNC layout in a DXF file with the machining components shown as individual DXF layers.
I have built a furniture model in SketchUp 2017 that I want to have cut by a CNC workshop. They need a DXF file, which I am producing using the “Export to DXF or STL” extension from guitar-list.com, and they want each of the different milling components on a separate DXF layer. So a layer each for the profile cut outside the line, profile cut inside the line, 6mm holes 5mm deep, 13mm holes full depth etc.
So far it looks like a layer in the DXF file is the equivalent of a component in SketchUp.
I have been using components to be individual objects in the furniture such as a rail, end piece or drawer front. This means that I have to lay all my components out in 2D to reflect the sheet they’ll be cut from, explode all the components and build a new set of components that each reflect all the holes, all the external profile cuts etc.
This is OK to do once or twice but every time I find I need to make a change to an original component I have to repeat the process all over again and this is both tedious and also prone to error.
Is there a better way to do this?
Firstly is there a better way to layout each of the components for the cut sheet rather than twisting and rotating each component to be horizontal and slicing it back to just a face.
Is a way to create the DXF layers without destroying all of my existing components and then building a new set to represent the CNC profiles?
I’m also looking for any feedback on how other people have produced CNC layouts.