About DXF file from Altium

I exported the DXF format file from Altium PCB. But after importing to ADS2009, the formal copper in the top and bottom layers(2 layer PCB board) disapeared. There is only the outline of the copper in the ADS layout. Is there anybody knows how to prevent such situation? Thanks a lot!

hi,

select that copper outline rightclick polygon actions-repour all..

Hi,
The right way to export the DXF from ALtium is to use Fabrication/generate the gerber files. Once Gerbers were generated Altium will open the Camtastic. From Camtastic you can export the DXF and it will be exactly what you wanted.

Exporting the DXF directly from the PCB editor will only yield the centerline of the tracks.

Thanks a lot!
But I have tried your method. After exporting the DXF file from CAM, there is only the centerline of the tracks but not the DXF directly from the PCB editor.
I think maybe you mix them.

Hi
Well, the method is correct and tested but there is one more thing you need to do to export properly the shapes as outlines (not center line). In the camtastic during export to DXF you need to check Filled(EndCaps). If Zero Width checked (which is default) you'll get only centerline.
Just check Filled(EndCaps) and enjoy the result

Yes, you are right!
I have checked the Filled(EndCaps). And there is no longer only centerline. But the problem still exist that there is only the outline of the copper in the ADS layout.
I will check other setup, and if you have any suggestion, please tell me.
Thanks a lot!

Hi,
If you want to get DXF of the phisical copper of some layer on your board then the suggested method should do the job. Can you describe what is exactly the problem?
There is one other issue with Altium - if you import DXF you'll never get filled copper which is polygone type. DXF is imported in Altium only as polyline and then you need to select the lines and Tools/ConvertSelected Primitives to Polygon. Because in my job I often need to convert the DXF complex shapes in polygones (capacitive sensors) I wrote an application to import the DXF into native PcbDoc format. But until you import simple shapes do:
1. Select the lines of the imported DXF
2. Tools/Convert Selected Primitives to Polygon
3. Set the polygon properties as like (filled copper, hatched, etc.)
Regards
Luben

Thanks again!
But my situation is exporting DXF file from Altium and importing it to ADS2009. Before your suggestion, I just save the DXF file from Altium and import it in ADS2009. This is one method.
And your suggestion is using CAM firstly and export DXF file from CAM files. After the right setting, I got the same result in ADS2009. But the copper problem still exist. So I think the copper is correct in Altium for I saw it from CAM files. But after importing to ADS, there is the lose of the copper in ADS.
So, the real question is how the avoid the situation in ADS? Because I need the copper layer for simulation.

I got it - you can't import the DXF into ADS2009. Do you get missing lines, what is exactly happening (some simple images of what you want and what you get will help). Notice that there are many DXF versions, I would suggest you export the DXF by using some DXF old versions (you can change the settings of DXF export).

Also, can you do a simple test - draw a rectangle in some software (CorelDraw, AI, AutoCad) and try to import it to see how it behaves.

The low version doesn't work(the same result).
I think when I export the DXF file from Altium, there is already no copper there. Because I import the file to Altium again. And there is no copper there.
What do you think about it? I will try you method again, Altium-CAM-DXF and check it.
Thanks!

For sure when you import the DXF in Altium there is no copper - DXF describes the contour of the shape, not the shape inside (at least this is valid for Altoum). Well - some other programs like ORCAD can correctly import DXF, but not Altium.

In order to make it solid copper you need to select the imported segments and convert them into polygone!

Ok. Maybe it is the same for ADS, so I need other solution.
Thanks a lot for all of your reply!

Best regards!