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Last modified by Alex Troyer on 2026/01/29 02:56
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1 == Motivation: ==
2
3 3D printing takes a 3D part file as input into your slicer (usually an STL). You need that third dimension of data to specify what your part looks like. 2D subtractive methods such as Laser Cutting, Waterjet Cutting, CNC Routering, and Plasma torch cutting do not (typically) need a third dimension from your part file. Instead, the third dimension of your part is specified with your stock material. Whatever the thickness of your material, that will be the thickness of the finished part. You will need to specify this thickness to your CAM software, but you can't tell the software to change this thickness.
4
5 Because different data is needed, a different file type is needed too. This is usually a DXF or SVG file. This article will walk you through exporting a DXF from Solidworks and will discuss the basic ideas when designing for these manufacturing methods.
6
7 == Relevant Manufacturing Methods: ==
8
9 * CNC Routering
10 * Waterjet cutting
11 * Laser Cutting
12 * Plasma Cutting
13
14 == Basic Part Design: ==
15
16 When designing a part for these manufacturing methods, you should be able to complete the entire part (component) in 1 sketch and 1 boss extrude (except for very special cases). This is because the machine can really only trace on a plane, like a standard sketch, and your material selection is almost certainly just a piece of sheet stock.
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18 Because you will want to use your part/component in a Solidworks assembly to check that everything lines up and looks as expected, the following process is how you will typically model a part:
19
20 == Basic Modeling Process: ==
21
22 1. Create a planar sketch that contains all of the details you want on your part.
23 1. Extrude your sketch to the thickness of your material. Now you have an object that should be very close to the product of these manufacturing methods. You can use this model in your assemblies to verify fit and function.
24
25 == Exporting the DXF: ==
26
27 Now that you have your part, we can export the DXF.
28
29 First, go normal to the cut plane by right clicking on the cut face and selecting the normal view:
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31
32 [[image:dxf_guide1.jpeg||height="580" width="928"]]
33
34
35 Once you are in the normal view, go to "File">"Save as" and change the output type to .dxf.
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37
38 [[image:dxf_guide2.jpeg||height="581" width="929"]]
39
40
41 [[image:dxf_guide3.jpeg||height="579" width="926"]]
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43
44 This will bring you to a view selection menu. Since we selected normal to the surface, we can leave the "Views To Export" option as "*Current". We could select one of the sketch planes here instead, if we knew which perspective we wanted. Cick "Ok" to continue.
45
46
47 [[image:dxf_guide4.jpeg||height="583" width="932"]]
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49
50 Solidworks will now generate a view of the DXF. You should see the outline of your part. You should not see any lines showing depth, this should be a planar projection of your part. You also should not see any dimensions. If this view looks correct, select "Save" to save your part.
51
52
53 [[image:dxf_guide5.jpeg||height="582" width="931"]]
54
55 >When loading a DXF into a piece of CAM software, you should always verify that the imported file matches the expected size. The prescribed method appears to work correctly for more modern pieces of software, but dated CAM software is **EXTREMELY** common in industry. Always use a scale in your CAM software to double check the size.
56
57
58 = Another Way: Exporting DXFs from Drawings =
59
60 == Creating New Drawing File ==
61
62 Hovering over the top left "SOLIDWORKS" text will reveal the standard "file/edit/view/insert/tools/window" ribbon. In the 'File' window, find the 'New' ribbon and select.
63
64
65 [[image:sld_2d_export_1_2.png||height="454" width="931"]]
66
67 ----
68
69 It will open a menu for you to choose which kind of file to create. Click on the Solidworks Drawing icon and click 'Ok'.
70
71
72 [[image:sld_2d_export_2_1.png||height="546" width="931"]]
73
74 ----
75
76 Alternatively, you can click 'Make Drawing From Part', but the aformentioned method is still good to know.
77
78
79 [[image:sld_2d_export_19.png||height="457" width="740"]]
80
81 ----
82
83 == Picking Drawing Sheet Size ==
84
85 Once the drawing opens, a menu will appear in the middle of the screen asking for the size page you want to create. It is best to pick a standard sheet size, and different projects will require a different size. **The closest to a typical sheet of paper is A4.** You will notice this guide uses the A0 sheet size, however it is apartent that a different sheet size would have fit the task better.
86
87 Standard Dimensions for ISO A Series Sheets:
88
89 |=Sheet|=Metric Dimensions|=English Dimensions
90 |A0|841 mm x 1,189 mm|33.11 in. x 46.81 in.
91 |A1|594 mm x 841 mm|23.39 in. x 33.11 in.
92 |A2|420 mm x 594 mm|16.54 in. x 23.39 in. in.
93 |A3|297 mm x 420 mm|11.69 in. x 16.54 in. in.
94 |A4|210 mm x 297 mm|8.27 in. x 11.69 in.
95
96 [[image:sld_2d_export_3.png]]
97
98 ----
99
100 However, you can also do a custom sheet size by clicking the circle next to the Custom Sheet Size and entering the dimensions you would like.
101
102 It is important to pick the right sheet size for your project. Drawings will have a scale factor, and you do not want to have too large/small of a scale for both visual appeal and for manufacturing. The decision of course is not final, and you are able to change it later if needed.
103
104
105 [[image:sld_2d_export_14.png]]
106
107 ----
108
109 == Opening Model View ==
110
111 After clicking 'Ok', the sheet will open in Model View. Look to the left side of the screen. There will be two options depending on whether or not if the 3D part is already open.
112
113 ----
114
115 === No Model View Shown? ===
116
117 If in the rare case the Model View does not open by default, it is possible to find the Model View in the top left of the screen.
118
119
120 [[image:sld_2d_export_16.png||height="590" width="924"]]
121
122 ----
123
124 === Case 1: Part Already Open ===
125
126 If you already have the part open on your machine either by using the 'Make Drawing From Part' ribbon or other methods, the part will be shown in the 'Open Documents' box.
127
128
129 [[image:1769099354318-714.png]]
130
131 ----
132
133 === Case 2: Part Not Open ===
134
135 If there is no Solidworks part open, likely from creating a drawing upon opening the software, you will have to browse for the part.
136 \\[[image:sld_2d_export_4.png]]
137
138 After clicking browse, select the part file and click open.
139
140 [[image:sld_2d_export_5.png]]
141
142 ----
143
144 == Creating Model Views ==
145
146 Next, on the left side of the screen you will be able to create 2D views of the 3D part. There are a lot of options on this menu, and as you get more experienced with creating drawings, it is very useful (and even fun!) to make more complicated drawings of a part. For now, we will stick to the standard views of the product. Since this is written in mind for planar manufacturing, you are only cutting from one plane/surface at a time.
147
148 Boxed below are the standard views. Depending on how you created the part, the plane you want to cut will be any one of the options. You can see which view you need to use based on the right side of the screen, it will show a basic outline of what the part will look like.
149
150
151 [[image:sld_2d_export_6.png]]
152
153 ----
154
155 In the case of this specific part, the view we actually want is not the automatic view.
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157 The automatic view in the center shows a side profile of our part. The primary reason for this is which plane you sketch on when creating your part.
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159
160 [[image:sld_2d_export_17.png]]
161
162 The view we want is the top view, since we want to make a drawing of the part with the text on it. These are things you have to consider when making a drawing and submitting the file to us.
163
164
165 [[image:sld_2d_export_18.png]]
166
167 ----
168
169 Move the mouse to the desired position you would like the 2D model view to be. Click for the view to appear instead of only an outline.
170
171
172 [[image:sld_2d_export_8.png||height="464" width="887"]]
173
174 ----
175
176 Solidworks will assume you would like to make different views of the part on the same drawing file. This is very typical since engineering drawings typically have several different views. It allows you to represent your 3D geometry across a set of 2D images. Since we want to make a single 2D representation of our part, you do not want several views.
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178
179 [[image:sld_2d_export_9.png||height="530" width="892"]]
180
181 ----
182
183 Avoid clicking anywhere on the drawing page plane, and instead go to the left side of the screen and click the green checkbox.
184
185
186 [[image:sld_2d_export_10.png||height="678" width="897"]]
187
188 ----
189
190 == Exporting The File ==
191
192 Hovering over the top left "SOLIDWORKS" text will reveal the standard "file/edit/view/insert/tools/window" ribbon. In the 'File' window, find the 'Save As' ribbon and select.
193
194
195 [[image:sld_2d_export_11.png||height="470" width="891"]]
196
197 ----
198
199 Save the drawing file as your desired file type. As mentioned before, .dxf files are the most commonly used. Though it depends on what the CAM software you want to use requires.
200
201
202 [[image:sld_2d_export_12.png||height="530" width="886"]]
203
204 ----
205
206 Clicking the 'Options' tab before saving the file will give you a variety of specifics you can make. Generally it is best to leave this alone, but as you get more experienced and have more specific needs for projects, this is a great tool.
207
208
209 [[image:sld_2d_export_13.png||height="560" width="889"]]
210
211 ----
212
213 = Sketching on a Drawing =
214
215 Another method is to create a sketch on a drawing directly.
216
217 == Creating The Drawing ==
218
219 When first opening Solidworks you will be prompted with the following screen. Click on the 'Drawing' button.
220
221
222 [[image:sld_2d_export_20.png||height="570" width="893"]]
223
224 ----
225
226 If for some reason, it does not appear, then you can go to the top left and select 'File' and then 'New'.
227
228
229 [[image:sld_2d_export_21.png||height="578" width="899"]]
230
231 ----
232
233 Now select 'Drawing' and click 'Ok'.
234
235
236 [[image:sld_2d_export_22.png||height="577" width="899"]]
237
238 ----
239
240 == Creating The Sketch ==
241
242 Exit out of the Model View by clicking on the red 'X' that says 'Cancel' while hovering over it.
243
244
245 [[image:sld_2d_export_23.png||height="574" width="898"]]
246
247 ----
248
249 Underneath the main toolbar, you will see that you are on the 'Model' tab. We do not have a model since we are sketching directly on the drawing. Click the 'Sketch' tab.
250
251
252 [[image:sld_2d_export_24.png||height="578" width="902"]]
253
254 ----
255
256 Now you will be able to create your sketch using the typical sketch tools boxed below. Since this is a guide on how to export a 2D part from Solidworks, this will not cover creating the sketch itself. However, it is idential to creating a sketch normally in a part file.
257
258
259 [[image:https://wikijs.rapidprototypingstudio.com/theresia_stuff/2d_solidworks/sld_2d_export_25.png||height="583" width="911"]]
260
261 = Notes on Dimensions =
262
263 When making DXFs for your CAM software you do not normally want to include dimensions. You can include them, but you will have to remove them in the CAM software so that they aren't registered as cuts in your stock. If you don't, the machine will attempt to cut them. The advantage of leaving them on is that it is a reminder to check the size of your import in the CAM software.