DXF or DWG Import

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Dahzee

Apologies if this has already been asked, but does anybody know how to get DXF or DWG CAD files into Scribus as vector files.

I searched the net and the Scribus Wiki says it has been done using Uniconverter?

http://wiki.scribus.net/canvas/File_formats_that_should_be_supported_by_Scribus_%28wish_list%29

How has this been achieved and how do I do it?

I create layouts for packaging which people need to apply artwork to, so I need 100% accuracy from my CAD file into Scribus, including true Arcs and Circles.

Thanks in advance.

Dahzee

GarryP

Dahzee, Inkscape will probably do the trick.

Save your file as DXF, then open the DXF file in Inkscape, then "Save As" in SVG (or whatever other format you want that Scribus can import).

I couldn't give any guarantees on accuracy but Inkscape is totally free (not trial) so it's worth a try.

If the above doesn't work then you might want to look at which types of file your CAD program can export to.

For instance, I haven't used AutoCAD for a long time but I vaguely remember there being an "output as WMF" command/function (WMFOUT?) that I used to get diagrams into Word for creating manuals etc.

If your CAD can export something that Scribus can import then that's another option without too many extra steps which might sacrifice accuracy.

Dahzee

Garry,

Thanks for taking the time to respond.

This is how I am doing it at the moment, I just got my hopes up when I saw the link I put in my last post.

What does the reference in that Wiki mean when it says it is done, when it plainly isn't.

A trifle misleading wouldn't you say?

Cheers,

Dahzee

GarryP

Yeah, that wiki page isn't particularly informative in this instance is it?

Reading it one way it seems to say that Scribus could read DXF from 2008, reading another way it sounds like you have to use UniConvertor (but the UniConvertor info page doesn't show DXF as an import filter, so that doesn't sound right at first look either).

I know the page is titled as a "wish list" but it doesn't give the correct info.

The wiki isn't great at the moment. It's part manual (some bits outdated), part tutorial (which is great), part developer notes (which are confusing for most users, especially newbies), part showcase (which has some brilliant examples), and part "dumping ground" for stuff that doesn't fit in anywhere else.

I'm in no way knocking the people who look after the wiki. Without them it wouldn't exist and the info would be nowhere. (I've made a couple of small contributions myself.) It just needs a bit of a "clean up" (and possible reorganisation) is all.

I would say that a "clean up" would be a good project for a student who wants to get into documentation management, project management, or something similar. (I think I've said this elsewhere on the forum but my memory is rubbish.)

Anyway, here's hoping that someone feels up to the challenge, and has the time!