RE: Adobe Illustrator Art Pattern Created that Have Problems When Exported into CAD Files

[d2morrison]

I create and manage public art projects. Many of these involve cutting artistic patterns out of sheetmetal. I routinely run into a problem that I think may be an easy solution (or I hope there is an easy solution). I hire digital artists to create art pattners in illustrator that are converted into DWG/DFX file to be laser cut into metal. Most of the artists create the artwork patterns in Adobe Illustrator, which is ideal, but the problem I'm having is that the curves and lines endpoints are not merged, once exported to .dxf, causing many headaches. The files then have to be cleaned up in CAD and that can very expensive. Is there a setting in Illustrator that will cause it to merge the endpoints, so that when exporting to dxf, upon opening the .dxf in any program that the closed loops will be one selectable shape instead of a bunch of loose and separate segments?

[Monika Gause · Accepted solution]

If you check the source files in Illustrator with the document info panel, then are paths reported as "open"?

If not, then obviously the export creates the problem.

[Jacob Bugge]

d2morrison,

I hire digital artists to create art pattners in illustrator

Have you explained the complete requirements, including the exact way that the paths have to be constructed for the laser cutting?

Otherwise, you are probably ending up with unfinished work from them.