Big size of dxf files

Athanasios Karathanassis

Hello to everyone.
After finishing my work in a dwg file (DWG 2007 format), I export part of the drawing to a new dxf file, using the dxfout command.
The strange thing is that while the dwg file is about 80 kB of size, the dxf file is much bigger (~200 kB).

Is this normal?
I tried changing some settings (eg Thumbnail preview image size), but the dxf size will not change
I am working the latest version (14.2.13) on a Win7 64bit pc, but the same happens with other Bricscad versions and with 32bit Windows.

Any help, please?

Joe Dunfee

DXF is a text file format.  It is designed to be readable by a human who knows what all the codes mean.  So, by its nature, it takes up more file space.  I don't have enough experience it to know if your 80k to 200k expansion is normal, but one I just tested went from 600k to 3,700k as a DXF with 6 decimal places of accuracy.  You can reduce the file size if you save it with less precision (if you use the DXFOUT command you are prompted to choose the number of decimal places).

-Joe

Athanasios Karathanassis

Thank you for your reply Joe!
I forgot to mention that my Bricscad license is Pro. I don't know if Pro saves more data to the dxf file, hence the bigger size

I also tried the following
- I found a dwg file from 2010 that was created in autocad (I think 2000). It's dwg size was 85kB and it's autocad dxf size 73kB
- I exported the dxf with my machine and the size was 180 kB (with 4 decimal places)
- I exported the dxf with a colleagues machine (running 13.1.20, win-xp 32bit, Bricscad classic) and the dxf size was 80 kB

It looks to me like a 14 version bug, or that Bricscad Pro adds more data to the file
If it's the second, is there a option to "strip" the unnessecary data?

Joe Dunfee

 I also have the pro version.

One way to reduce the amount of stuff that goes into a DXF file is to export only the entities you select.  With the DXFOUT command, after choosing the file name, you will have several choices at the command prompt. If you choose Entities, then you will be prompted to select what you want to export into the DXF. You can select everything.

In my case, when I tried that on my file, it only reduced it from 3,700k to 3,200k.  I also tried the DXF version back to 2000, but it made very little difference. Going back to R12 brought it down to 2,600k.

-Joe

Roy Klein Gebbinck

The _DXFOUT command has a version option. You should check if V13.1.20 and V14.2.13 use the same version by default. The SAVEROUNDTRIP variable may also play a part. Note that you can also create DXF files using the _SAVEAS command.

Athanasios Karathanassis

Changing the _DXFOUT version did not work.
Thankfully, changing the SAVEROUNDTRIP parameter worked.
From 175kB, the new dxf size was reduced to 80kB.

Thank you both for your time and help!