Fusion360 “can” import SVG for use with sketches, but as far as I can tell, it’s just an easy way to set up for later crashes. I’d like a decent (ie. works every time without messing with the svg manually) way to convert from svg to a usable dxf. Anyone have any recommendations -other- than “just use inkscape?” Inkscape somehow manages to make my insides turn around and decide to be on the outside.
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I’ve been having a lot of luck with this tool http://kabeja.sourceforge.net/ (don’t let looks deceive you 
).
It works for me where most tools produce garbage results. Also Inkscape is notoriously bad with DXF. Both import and export. I’ve found Illustrator is much better, but it’s not free.
While we’re on the subject, here’s a tip: what I recently started doing when working with different vector softwares is to include a line of predetermined length, say 10mm, in my design. Then when I import that file in a different application, I’ll make sure that line is 10mm. If it’s not, I’ll scale everything in the file to the correct size (whatever % needed to get the line to 10mm). If I have something else in my file that’s easy to reference, I’ll use that instead of the line. This makes sure that the design ‘survives’ the conversions happening between the different appilcations, which seem to have trouble conforming to file formats.
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Good tip, thanks. kabeja seems to be working pretty well for dxf -> svg, but in this case, I need to go the other way, and it doesn’t seem to have that capability (svg -> dxf)
Oh, should have read more carefully. Curious what trouble were you having with importing svg? Do you have a sample file? I’d like to see where F360 struggles.
In the few times I needed dxf (usually to send files to laser cutting services), I did the exporting through Illustrator and it worked every time. But like I said it’s not free.
They seem to pretty reliably come into F360, the problems are all later. That makes it a little hard to demonstrate with just the file. I attached an SVG that is one of these “ok now, wait until later” instigators.
- I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how to move/scale an imported SVG after initial import. Something about them doesn’t work like other objects. I can scale and move DXF after insert, but not SVG.
- You can stick them in a sketch, which is great. You can then create geometry from them via push/pull, which is again great. This is where things start to come apart though. Because you can’t move the inserted SVG geometry in the sketch it turns into a lot of extra fussing with the initial insert.
- Generating CAM operations (usually after changing parameters) very, very, frequently results in a crash. This doesn’t happen with geometry in the model that is exclusively “native”, and DXF derived geometry seems better behaved as well (ie. no crashes). I crashed F360 probably 50-60 times over the course of a couple days messing with toolpaths against SVG derived geometry. The problem is particularly bad if you adjust a sketch/geometry, then go back and regenerate the toolpaths. Learned to -always- save before regenerating the toolpaths or changing a toolpath parameter.
- DXF derived stuff appears better behaved - I haven’t done as much, but it hasn’t blown up yet. DXF’s off of “problem” SVG worked fine.
ps. I found “https://convertio.co” which does a better job for me that some of the other web services for file conversion, and free.
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Are you unfixing the vectors before trying to move/scale? After an import Fusion will fix it (lines are green) so you can’t touch it.
In general, for the reasons you stated and others, I will do all the editing before importing to Fusion. Even if that means I have to redo work. I also found it is highly prone to crashes.
Tried “unfixing” but it acted really weird when I did so, and didn’t go back there. Could have been something already in a funny state from other work I as doing. Thanks for the tip though, I’ll play with that too.
Here’s another idea for ya: import the svg into Fusion and export the sketch to dxf. Then import the dxf. No idea if that makes the vectors easier to work with down the line.
That’s a great idea, I’ll give that a try too.