Import Part Contours

The Import Part Contours is a feature that lets you import an .xml file generated from DELMIA to DraftSight, so that you can inspect, modify, and edit the contours. You can save the DraftSight drawing to a .dxf file format and use it in a computer numerical control (CNC) machine for cutting purposes.

Importing Process

To use the Import Part Contours feature:

  1. Do one of the following:
    • On the ribbon, from Drafting and Annotation, click Add-Ins > Import Part Contour.
    • On the menu, from the Tools menu, click Delmia > Import Part Contour.
    • Type _xmltodwg at the command prompt.
  2. In the Open dialog box, select the DELMIA.xml file for import and click Open.
  3. During the import process, a warning may display if there is a mismatch in segment length conflicting the preset MINIMUMSEGLENGTH setting in the DSDelmiaConverterConfig.xml.
    If this warning displays, it only appears once per session.

    Click OK to bypass the warning and complete the import process.

    All segment errors are recorded in a log file called DSDelmiaLog.txt located in C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\DraftSight.
  4. After import, check each drawing for geometric accuracy. Use 2D drafting and annotation features in DraftSight to modify or add entities such as lines, text notes, dimensions and other annotations.
  5. Click File > Save As to save the file in the .dxf file format that the CNC machine can process.

Modifying the Config.xml File

DraftSight provides a config.xml file, which stores user customizable values to suit and conform the limit of the CNC machine.

To modify the config.xml file:

  1. Before making any changes, make a backup of the config.xml.

    This file, DSDelmiaConverterConfig.xml, is stored in C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\DraftSight.

  2. Use a text editor to modify the values stored in DSDelmiaConverterConfig.xml.
    Element Definition
    SMALLCURVEMINIMUMSEGLENGTH If curve length is smaller than SEGLENGTHTHRESHOLD * MINIMUMSEGLENGTH, use SMALLCURVEMINIMUMSEGLENGTH instead for breaking the curve. This edit adds more segments to a small curve. Otherwise, the broken segments are replaced by a single line and the curve loses fidelity.
    PRECISIONTOLERANCE If the difference between coordinate values is less than this value, they are considered equal.
    MAXIMUMRADIUS Maximum radius when the arc is converted into a line.
    MINIMUMSEGLENGTH Minimum length of each segment when a curve is broken.
    MAXIMUMSAG Maximum chordal deviation of the curve with the broken polyline.

The following image is an example of the elements in DSDelmiaConverterConfig.xml: