Converting a RoboCAD drawing to a DXF file
Overview
If the drawing you wish to convert is not on the screen, load it. Next save it as an RDF file, and then use the RDF to DXF translator to convert it to a DXF file.Procedure
- Load the drawing, if need be. If the drawing on your screen is the one you wish to convert, then you are already ahead of the game and can skip this step. If this is not the case save your drawing, and switch to a new drawing page - you can use page 1, page 2, or the scratchpad. Next load the drawing you wish to convert.
- Select LIBRARY:Set Pathname:RDF, and choose (or type in) the directory (folder) where you would like the RDF drawing put. RoboCAD is sent out with this set to temp as shown, but it may have been changed so it’s best to check it. Make a note of this path - you'll need it later.
- Select LIBRARY:Export RDF, and type in the RDF filename you want to use (or choose it from the list if you wish to replace that file with your new one). As soon as the drawing cursor returns, the job is done. RDF creation is very quick, so you may not even realize that anything has happened. To check, you can use LIBRARY:Import RDF and see if the file was created - it will be in the file list (you may have to scroll to see it). If it existed before, you may want to go one step further and import it to verify its contents.
- Exit RoboCAD to the System Menu. Choose Run Translator Programs by typing the menu number. It’s #6 on our sample screen, but may well be different in your system, as it will depend on whether you have other Robo programs as part of your system.
- Choose RDF to DXF by typing the number, 2.
- Choose Select Directories (type 2), and set both the source and the target to temp (in our example). If you specified a different path in step 2 above, use that instead. Please use a location on the hard drive. Attempting to write a DXF file direct to a floppy disk is at best slow and may fail altogether. You should translate it first, then copy it to a diskette after, assuming it is small enough to fit.
- Choose Run RDF to DXF Program
- Type in the name of the file to convert to DXF myfile in this example. Press Enter, and notice that the RDF extension is automatically supplied. You may type it if you wish, but you don’t have to. If you have forgotten the file name you can press the F3 key to get a list of RDF files in the chosen path.
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If the file you specified can be found in the directory you
selected in step 6 then the translator will start running. The translator
asks you if you want to change colors - generally you will type N
for no.
You may You may then see some information as translation takes place. This depends on the RDF file’s (drawing’s) contents, and on a fast computer you may not see anything at all. When translation is complete you will be returned to the RDF to DXF menu screen. Press the Esc key repeatedly to return through the menu structure. Here’s the results of the above, as viewed in Windows NT Explorer:
The DXF file name suggested is the same as the RDF file name, but with a DXF extension instead. Accept this (unless you need a different name) by pressing Enter.
The original 1KB file MYFILE.RDF has been joined by the newly
translated MYFILE.DXF. You can see that the DXF file is some 3 times as
big as the RDF file. Size increases of as much as ten times can happen,
since RoboCAD’s file formats are designed to save disk space.