Guide
DXF/DWG import and layer mapping in Alphacam: a clean path from design to production
How a DXF/DWG from AutoCAD, SketchUp, SolidWorks or a furniture design program is brought into Alphacam: scale/units, layer names, open contours and duplicate lines, block and spline clean-up, layer mapping and preparing for Auto Style; the Move to Layer macro.
Published: 6 min read
In most shops the drawing is not born in Alphacam: the designer draws in AutoCAD, in a kitchen program (KitchenDraw, Polyboard, imos, Cabinet Vision…), SketchUp or SolidWorks and sends a DXF/DWG. Alphacam opens the file, but "opens" and "is machinable" are different things: layer names, units, open contours and splines silently break Auto Style. This article is the checklist for a clean path from DXF to production. Auto Style itself: Alphacam Auto Style setup: automatic machining by layer name
Import: DXF or DWG, which version?
Alphacam opens DXF and DWG directly (File › Open or Import). DXF is more portable: text based, written by every program. A very new DWG version may not open in an older Alphacam; ask the designer to save as 2013 or 2018 DWG/DXF — the widest compatibility. For 3D (SolidWorks/Inventor) use solid model exchange (STEP/SAT) and Alphacam's feature extraction, not DXF; this article is about 2D DXF.
The 7 most common problems and fixes
| Problem | Symptom | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Units / scale | A 600 mm door arrives as 23.6 or 60 units | Unit data in DXF is unreliable; choose mm on import, scale by 25.4 or 10 if needed. Verify one dimension by measuring |
| Open contour | No outside cut assigned, geometry shows as "open" | 0.01 mm gaps at corners. Use Alphacam's join/close with tolerance; give the designer a "closed polyline" rule |
| Duplicate lines | The same edge cut twice, double time | Delete overlapping lines (duplicate clean-up); kitchen programs often create them at corner joints |
| Splines / ellipses | Hundreds of tiny lines instead of arcs; post bloats, surface rough | Convert splines to arcs/lines (tolerance 0.01–0.05 mm); have the designer use arcs |
| Blocks / groups | Part cannot be selected, layer will not change | Explode blocks; inner layer names appear |
| Layer names | 0, Layer1, CUT_LINE, Cut | Layer mapping (below) |
| Text / dimension lines | Labels and dimension arrows machined as cuts | Move text to ETIKET, dimensions to a layer to be deleted; Auto Style must not machine those layers |
Layer mapping: from the designer's names to the shop standard
Auto Style looks at the layer name; the designer's Cut, Drill5, Groove must be translated to the shop's KESIM, DELIK, KANAL. Three ways:
- Fix at the source (cheapest): give the designer a one-page layer list; most kitchen programs let you set export layer names. Set once, every DXF arrives right.
- Rename in Alphacam: Cut → KESIM in the layer list; repeated per DXF, 2–3 minutes.
- Select → move: select geometry and put it on the target layer. The Move to Layer tool in Cabinet Macros moves selected geometry to a standard layer chosen from a list in one click; fastest for the odd part left on the wrong layer.
A 5-minute check after import
- Measure one outer dimension (600 × 720?).
- Look at the layer list: non-standard names, empty layers?
- Search for unclosed contours with "show open geometry".
- Run Auto Style; list the geometry left un-machined — each is a mapping error.
- Check one part in the simulation; then nesting (Alphacam nesting guide: sheet layout, waste, grain direction and labels).
Instead of DXF: drawing directly from dimensions
For rule-based parts such as cabinet doors, interior doors and carcasses, the DXF loop (design → export → clean → map) is unnecessary: the dimension list goes straight into a macro in Alphacam and the part is already drawn on standard layers. DXF stays for free design and custom parts. Macros: products; structure: How Alphacam-based parametric door and cabinet door macros work
Frequently asked
Does DWG open directly, or should I convert to DXF?
Alphacam opens DWG; if there is a problem (new DWG version), have it saved as DXF 2013. DXF being text based also makes debugging easier.
Should my kitchen program export one file per part or one file for all?
One file per part is cleanest (each part at its own origin, label name in the file name); with all parts in one file they must be separated before nesting. If your program supports it: per part + a label layer.
Why is a DXF from SketchUp always open contours?
SketchUp splits faces into edge lines and does not join them at corners. The "polyline" export option and tolerant joining in Alphacam (0.05 mm) fix most; the rest is closed by hand.
Related products
Tools that do the work described here with one click inside Alphacam: the GMacros add-in and macro packages. Purchasing and licensing are explained on How it works.
Written by the GMacros team. Alphacam is a registered trademark of Hexagon AB; this guide is independent.