Output Issues

[Robert Sponsler]

Hi, I'm new to GM an having a lot of fun figuring things out.  I've finished the gear part of a project and wanted to bring it in to Alibre Design for modeling as well as wanting to bring it in to Adobe Illustrat or for laser cutting. 
When I try to export, Alibre does not see the 3d DXF file as a 3d file.  When I import it, it shows up as a blank 2d image.  I can bring a 2d DXF into Alibre but it shows up as something without vertices but rather more like a bitmap with a HUGE file size.  When I try to extrude the gears in Alibre it often crashes my system due to file size - then when done the edges are not smooth - its as if ALibre is not seeing the gear as a continuou s vertex file but rather thousands of short, straight lines.  Has anyone else had this issue - or know of a more viable solution? 
Thanks,
Bob

[ArtF]

Hi Bob:

  I too use Alibre. But I find its dxf handling to be abysmal. Always has been. DXF is the worst standard in the world, and various cad programs handle the files variously .   Id try the DXF's in other programs, there are quite a few on the web. When you find one that loads it, see if you can save it to another format that alibre might like better. I use vectric for near everythin g so I never have much of a problem, I use alibre rarely now for that exact reason, it isnt very friendly with formats other than its own. I wish I could do something about it to make it more solid for various cad programs, but in the end they vary so much that its a never reachable target. GM's output is verified on many programs though, both in 2d and 3d so Im pretty confident they are fine.

  There are issues in 3d with some types of gears such as bevels where the shaft holes are not closed, but I have fixed up some of those as well for the next
version. I will probably re-release in early september as I start a new developme nt season, but I have been adding things in the off season so that we can start with more capabilit es. Perhaps by then Ill be able to better the dxf's for more programs as well , though I cannot promise that one.

Thx
Art