Placing/opening/importing DXF broken in Illustrator 2021
- Windows Version 10,Adobe Illustrator V25.0
- Placing DXF into AI dosuments
- Used to work fine in previous version
- No error, just a blank import. Since the new version of Illustrator (2021 / v25), the place or open option for DXF files no longer works for old format DXF files. Autodesk Fusion 360 exports/ saves DXF file in an very old version. (I assume this is to maintain compatibility with older CNC machines.) The version they export is AC1014. We used to be able to open /place these DXF files into Illustrator 2020, but with the release of Illustrator 2021, these DXF come in as a blank page.
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João Almeida commented
olá, a uma outra votação sobre sobre DXF desagrupando.
vote lá tambem. ja temos 58 votos.
import DXF Blocks -
Warren Reynolds commented
Hi,
Just had an update to Illustrator 2021 come down. It's now 25.0.1 and this version appears to have fixed the problem with importing an older DXF (AC1014)
Thanks for addressing this issue quickly. -
Ravi Gupta commented
Thanks Warren for sharing the file.
We are able to reproduce the issue in house now.
We are working to provide fix in the next release. -
Warren Reynolds commented
Missing attachment from previous post.
Sorry Ravi, the attach a file doesn't seem to be working at the moment for me. Probably something to do with our firewall.
I've shared the file through google drive instead. Interestingly google drive previews the file without issue.https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DF27wz6uFoqhtv4CcfBOTfi6tFxK4ToG/view?usp=sharing
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Warren Reynolds commented
Hi Ravi,
Thanks for having a look at this.1. I have attached a sample dxf file that has been created by the Autodesk Fusion 360 program. This file will place OK in Illustrator 2020 and can also be re-imported back into fusion 360 without error. It can also be viewed on any online dxf viewer. It just wont place in Illustrator 2021.
2. I have an issue with this question. You are asking for options in the export dialog box. The problem I'm having is with importing or placing (to use illustrator terminology) a DXF file that is created in another external program into an illustrator file. So to answer your question, there is no dialog box in Autodesk Fusion 360 when you are saving a sketch as a DXF file. You can not choose the version of DXF file that is created. The only dialog box that you get is the standard OS file save as dialog box where you get to browse to a folder and choose a filename. NB: There is only the one entry in the save as type dropdown list, so you are not able to choose a different version here.
From inspection of the saved dxf file I can see that the version of dxf file created by Fusion 360 is AC1014, which is from around 1997. (Yes, this is very old and I've raised this with Autodesk) When you attempt to place one of these files into Illustrator 2021, you are presented with the usual import options of artwork scale. Where I choose 1 unit = 1 mm. After clicking OK you would usually get a thumbnail of the dxf being imported floating around with the cursor waiting for you to click a spot to place the file. This doesn't happen in Illustrator 2021 for these older DXF version files, the cursor just returns to the normal select arrow cursor. I have downloaded a trial version of program that will convert between different versions of DXF and from trial and error I have been able to conclude that Illustrator 2021 (V25) will only place DXF files that are created with a version of year 2000 or newer.Some might argue that this is not illustrators problem. but for me it's just a big pain as it used to work for illustrator 2020 and I have spent hours building workflows and training staff and students in how to do this process (of taking designs created in Fusion 360 to Illustrator for the purpose of laser cutting) and now it no longer works since I upgraded the lab to illustrator 2021 and all most of our students have upgraded their installs of illustrator to 2021. If Adobe don't want to include the functionality of placing DXF files that are 23 year behind the current version, they are probably entitled to do so. It would just be nice for the importer module to actually look at the version of DXF of the file and present an error message saying that this version of DXF is not supported rather than just blindly not working.
Regards
Warren -
Ravi Gupta commented
@warren Thanks for reaching out.
To further debug into the issue would need the following information -
1. Can you please share the file with which you are observing the issue?
2. What options you see for the version in the export DXF/DWG dialog box?Thanks,
-Ravi Gupta