Develop and Export Sheets

If you click on this icon, you choose the export of a development as DXF or DWG file (AutoCAD). In the DXF settings you can choose between DXF and DWG. You can either export a complete development or a section contour.

If you click on this icon, you can export the sheet developments from HiCAD as XML file for CADMAN-B (from Version 7.5 onwards) by LVD. Also, an additional DXF file will be created.

A prerequisite for the output of LVD data is the assigning of bending tools to the bend zone with the Bend zone tooling function.

The ToPs GEO icon allows a direct export of the development from HiCAD to the GEO file format. The GEO data can be directly loaded into the individual modules (Laser etc.) of the ToPs family.

Use this option to load the parameters of the default settings for the drawing. The default setting for new drawings can be specified at Sheet Metal > Sheet development > Default setting.

Clicking the icon opens the Sheet development parameters dialogue window.

The Favourites saved for the development parameters, e.g. LVD, Bytronic or COBUS are offered for selection here.

Here you enter the directory for the export files. Click on the folder icon to choose an existing folder on your computer or to create a new one.

Clicking on the icon while the Manual settings are active opens the Annotation Editor. Here you can configure the file name, e.g. by applying the part attributes of the Sheet Metal part from which the development has been derived.

The annotation settings can also be saved as Favourites. The file format is *.FTD. In the HiCAD SYS directory you will find the pre-configured file SheetToDXF.FTD. You load the file by activating the option From configuration file.

Here you specify whether only the section contours or the complete developments are to be exported.

For the DXF export you will need the file HCADACAD.DAT. This file contains:

• the assignment of the HiCAD elements to specific AUTOCAD layers,
• the assignment of the HiCAD line types to the AUTOCAD line type,
• the correspondence between the symbols in HiCAD and the blocks in AUTOCAD, and
• the setting determining whether a complete DXF file including the HEADER section, TABLES section etc. is to be transferred, or only an ENTITIES section.

The file can be customized and is located in the HiCAD SYS directory. After customization, do not save the file with the extension .DAT, but with .DA1, .DA2 or .DA3.

For the export of developments to COBUS NCAD use the file HCADACAD_COBUS.DAT in the HiCAD SYS directory. If you want to use this file, save it with the matching file extension (e.g. HCADACAD.DA1).Click here for more information.

When outputting GEO data, the assignment from the file CAMIntHICAD_TEO.ini will be evaluated.

If you have chosen DXF/DWG as output file, you can specify the file extension here.

The layer on which the edge is located (e.g. bend lines on Layer 2) will be transferred during export.

The colour will be transferred during export. If you have deactivated this option, you cannot use the Export fits information via surface colour option (see below).

By activating or deactivating this checkbox you can determine whether fits information are to be exported by means of a surface colour. For this to happen, the Transfer colours checkbox (see above) needs to be deactivated. The diameter of the corresponding bore will then be highlighted in a different colour in the imported STEP part. In the SYS directory of your HiCAD installation you find the configuration file FITINFO_COLOR.DAT, in which it is determined which RGB value are to be assigned to which fits information.

By activating or deactivating this checkbox you can determine whether the exporting of free points in the model drawing should be allowed or suppressed (if they could cause problems in other places).

By activating or deactivating this checkbox you can determine whether the export of free edges in the model drawing should be allowed or suppressed (if they could cause problems in other places).

Use this icon to select the sheets for export in the drawing.

This icon shows all sheets contained in the drawing in the export list.

Use this icon to delete selected sheets from the export list.

If the part attributes set in the Editor cannot be applied to the sheets, you have the option to enter your own file name. To do this, activate the checkbox and enter the file name.

When you click on the Export button, temporary developments will be generated and output of all sheets in the export list, according to the specified parameters. The status icon will indicate problems that may occur. The files will then be located in the specified directory.

The Close & Report button activates the Report Manager and creates a BOM. If you did not itemize the Sheet Metal part in HiCAD, quantities will be set on 0 here.

All attributes will be transferred to the Report Manager (as with drawing creation) and, additionally, the file name and the file path of the export. You can configure a RMS file with the Report Manager, determining which data are to be written.

To export a CSV file via the Report Manager, call the Settings function and go to the Export - Text tab. Activate the option Query file name before saving and deactivate Transfer header information. Enter a comma or a semicolon for Separator for column. Confirm with OK. Then, call the Exp.Text function and choose the file type *.CSV.