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Written by Super User

Parent Category: Big Blue Saw Blog

Created: 02 September 2020

If you're using Creo and need custom parts from Big Blue Saw, we've got you covered. Using the technique below, you will be able to export a clean DXF file from Creo that includes just the outline of the part to cut, suitable for use with Big Blue Saw's instant quoting system, as well as other laser, waterjet and CAM system. Our online quoting system needs a file that has just the outline of the design to be made, with no extra lines or annotations. Following this step-by-step procedure will create a drawing file which automatically updates every time the part updates, making exporting much easier the next time.

This tutorial was created with Creo 7.

Let's start with a typical design for a bracket in Creo as shown below. 

Create a drawing by selecting New from the File menu.

In the dialog that appears, choose Drawing for the file type.You'll also want to fill in an appropriate file name, something easy to recognize and understand. (Read The Best Way to Name Your Files for some tips. My favorite: "Pretend future you will be drunk or senile (or both) when looking at these filenames and make the name easy to understand.")

The New Drawing dialog will appear. Choose Empty for the template to use.

Creo will open a window in Drawing mode.

Click the General View button in the toolbar. The Select Combined State dialog will appear.

Choose No Combined State then click OK.

Click in the drawing area to add the part to the drawing.

Click the Drawing View Information button in the toolbar to show the Drawing View dialog.

There are a couple different settings we need to change in this dialog to get a clean DXF output. Click the View Type category, then use the TOP view orientation (or FRONT/RIGHT, depending on how your part is set up).

Under Scale, we need to set the scale to 1 for ease of use with Big Blue Saw's online quoting system.

Under View Display, change the Display Style to Hidden. This will ensure that the DXF file will contain the outline of the part to be cut, with no other lines.

Creo likes to put some extra stuff in the drawing that we don't need. In the Drawing Tree pane, use the drop down menu to see the Layer Tree.

Select all the items in the Layer Tree, right-click, then pick Hide from the menu.

On the Layout tab of the toolbar, click Sheet Setup to see the dialog.

Make sure Show format is unchecked in order to get rid of some more superfluous items. In this case, it's getting rid of the frame around the drawing. Remember, we just want the outline of the part.

The drawing should now  look something like the one shown below.

Next, choose File | Save As | Export from the menu.

The toolbar will change. Select DXF from the list of export types.

Then click the Export button.

You will be prompted for a file name. Make it a name you will remember and can distinguish from all of your files. Also be sure to keep track of where you saved the file!

Now you should have a file ready for Big Blue Saw's online quoting system. Just upload the file and get a quote to have your part made from aluminum, polycarbonate, and dozens more materials.

Once you've got the drawing set up the way you like it, you can easily export again if the design changes. Just click File | Save As | Export on the menu again and follow the steps from there.

Need more help turning your Creo design into a real part? Have some CAD tips that would help our customers? Contact us!