BURLINGTON AUTOMATION PythonX®

DXF GENERATOR AND SPECIFICATION GUIDE

Version 2.0

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

DXF GENERATOR AND SPECIFICATION GUIDE ..................................................................................... 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................... 2
GETTING STARTED ...................................................................................................................... 4
DXF GENERATOR ....................................................................................................................... 4
DXF GENERATOR INSTALLATION .......................................................................................................................... 5
OPERATIONS ..................................................................................................................................................... 8
Properties and Referencing .......................................................................................................................................... 8
All section ...................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Left, Top, Right, Bottom................................................................................................................................................ 9
Standard ...................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Material Type .............................................................................................................................................................. 10
Measurement Units .................................................................................................................................................... 11
Material Type .............................................................................................................................................................. 11
Length .......................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Saving .......................................................................................................................................................................... 12
DXF GENERATOR TROUBLESHOOTING ................................................................................................................ 13
Can't Open File ............................................................................................................................................................ 13
Error -2145320845 Description Invalid file name ..................................................................................................... 13
Could not save document, make sure you do not have the document open ........................................................... 14
Run-time error -2145320861 (80210063) Error saving the document .................................................................... 14
Could not Automate AutoCAD, make sure that you have AutoCAD on this computer ............................................ 15
Error -2145386390 No Database ............................................................................................................................... 16
Run-time error ‘462’: The remote server machine does not exist or is unavailable ................................................ 16

DXF DRAWING STANDARD ......................................................................................................... 17

GENERAL AUTOCAD CONSIDERATIONS ............................................................................................................... 17
DRAWING CONSIDERATIONS.............................................................................................................................. 18
Properties Table .......................................................................................................................................................... 18
Face Properties............................................................................................................................................................ 19
Views ........................................................................................................................................................................... 19
Operations ................................................................................................................................................................... 21
GENERAL DRAWING GUIDELINES AND SUGGESTIONS ............................................................................................. 22
Beveling ....................................................................................................................................................................... 22
Flush Cuts .................................................................................................................................................................... 23
Scribing ........................................................................................................................................................................ 23
CREATING COMPATIBLE FILES FROM EXISTING AUTOCAD FILES ................................................................................ 23

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AUTOCAD COMMANDS COMMONLY USED FOR PYTHONX FILE CREATION. ................................................................ 23

TROUBLESHOOTING ......................................................................................................................................... 24
Problem: Cuts or faces missing in the VersaFAB Studio part view ........................................................................... 24
Problem: Bevel values not showing in versafab, drawn part view. (See beveling section) .................................... 25
Reviewing the file in VersaFAB Studio ........................................................................................................................ 26
Opening the file ........................................................................................................................................................... 26
Part View ..................................................................................................................................................................... 28
Management Screen................................................................................................................................................... 30
Further Information .................................................................................................................................................... 31

FAQ ..................................................................................................................................... 32
TO MAKE BEVELS IN AUTOCAD FOR DXF FILES ...................................................................................................... 32
FLUSH CUTS.................................................................................................................................................... 36
Processing ................................................................................................................................................................... 39
ROTATING AN OBJECT ...................................................................................................................................... 41
WELD ACCESS / RAT HOLE ................................................................................................................................ 44
SPLIT CUTS ..................................................................................................................................................... 46
Rules for the drawing of the beam: ........................................................................................................................... 46
Visual representation of how to split the beam ........................................................................................................ 47

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GETTING STARTED

To start creating a DXF file for use on the PythonX a base template file will be required to work
from. The DXF Generator is used in creating a base template. The following section will
describe the use of the DXF Generator. To obtain a copy of the DXF Generator installer, please
contact PythonX Support (support@pythonx.com).

DXF GENERATOR

The VersaFAB DXF Generator is a time saving software utility that creates a DXF files that
contain the layers and associated data required by VersaFAB Studio to interpret the file into
part information. An AutoCAD DXF (Drawing Interchange Format, or Drawing Exchange Format)
is a CAD data file format developed by Autodesk for enabling data interoperability between
AutoCAD and other programs.

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The VersaFAB DXF Generator requires AutoCAD 2004 or a later revision. At this time, AutoCAD
LT versions, Mechanical or other non standard versions are not supported by the VersaFAB DXF
Generator.

The following are minimum system requirements to run VersaFAB DXF Generator:
 Intel Pentium III or newer with 800MHz or faster processor
 Windows 2000, Windows XP
 256MB Ram
1. Run the provided setup executable file from either the provided media or a copy on
your local hard drive. Follow the prompts installing the utility to the default location.
2. Select Next on the Welcome screen

3. Read the terms and conditions, select the “I accept..” radial button, and hit Next

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4. Hit Next on the Release notes screen

5. Enter the User name and Organization, then hit Next

6. Hit Install

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7. Hit Finish to complete the installation process

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This section of the DXF Generator defines the

properties of the selected material such as the
widths and thickness of each part face (Right,
Top, Left and Bottom) as well as allowing the
user to specify the desired referencing for
individual faces.

Name
This is an identifier for the drawing file.

Material Designation
AISC or related steel identifier as currently selected

Date Created
Automatically populated with current date.

Profile
Displays the letter abbreviation of material profile.

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Width
Specifies the width or gauge of the identified face (Left, Top, Right, Bottom).

Thickness
Specifies the thickness of the identified face (Left, Top, Right, Bottom).

Outer Reference
Specifies the default reference edge used to locate any points which are part of the outer
polyline of the face. Valid references include.
Top – Specified point is referenced to the top edge
Center – Specified point is referenced to the center
Bottom – Specified point is referenced to the bottom edge

Inner Reference
Features contained within but not a part of the outer polyline. Valid references include.
Top – Specified feature is referenced to the top edge
Center – Specified feature is referenced to the center
Bottom – Specified feature is referenced to the bottom edge
Closest - Specified feature is referenced to the closest edge bottom or top

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The selection box is to specify “American”,

“Australian” or “European” steel
measurements.

Use this selection box to specify the profile

shape required. The selections will vary depending on which standard (American, European or
Australian) the user has selected.

American Standard:
 W - Wide Flange Beam
 C - Channel
 L - Angle
 HSS - Hollow Structural Section
 FB – Flat Bar
 CFLC – Cold Formed Lipped Channel

European Standard:
 IPE - I-Section, Parallel Flanges
 HEA - H-Section, Light
 HEB – H-Section, Normal
 HEM – H-Section, Reinforced
 UAP – U-Section, Straight Leg
 UPE – U-Section, Straight Leg
 UPN – U-Section, Tapered Leg

Australian Standard:
 WB – I-Section, Welded Beam
 WC – I-Section, Welded Columns
 UB – I-Section, Universal Beam
 UC – I-Section, Universal Columns
 UBP – I-Section, Universal Bearing Piles
 PFC – U-Section, Straight Leg
 EA – L-Section, Equal Leg
 UA – L-Section, Unequal Leg
 RHS – HSS-Section, Rectangular Hollow Section
 SHS – HSS-Section, Square Hollow Section

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This selection box specifies which

measurement units that will be used in the
generated DXF file.

This drop down menu allows the selection of

the desired material size. The material sizes
available on this menu will reflect the material
profile that was selected under “Material
Type”.

The number that is entered into this text box

will reflect the length of the part that will be
generated.

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The user is able to browse for a location to save their generated DXF file. Furthermore, the text
that is entered in the “File Name” text box will reflect the file name of the generated DXF file.

After the user has finished selecting all of their desired material selections; press “Output
AutoCAD” to generate the DXF file. The generated DXF file can now be modified to suit in
AutoCAD or a DXF compatible CAD package.

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If the template is not opening in AutoCAD after pressing output check the following items;

 The generator is only compatible with full AutoCAD; AutoCAD LT and AutoCAD
Mechanical do not work with the generator. If you have one of these versions contact
PythonX Support for the Pre-Generated templates.
 Have AutoCAD open to a blank file when attempting to output a template.
 Having multiple installations of AutoCAD may cause issues.
 Make sure you have access to the location you have selected as the output location.

1) Check that the file is not already open or being used by another program.
2) File name contains symbols not recognized by AutoCAD. Try renaming it.

1) Check the “Output Location” at the bottom on the DXF Generator.

2) If the saved location is a memory stick or a server address try saving locally to your
desktop instead.

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1) Check that the file is not already open or being used by another program.
2) File name may contain symbols not recognized by AutoCAD. Try renaming it.

3) If the saved location is a memory stick or a server address try saving locally to your
desktop instead.

1) Check the “Output Location” at the bottom on the DXF Generator.

2) If the saved location is a memory stick or a server address try saving locally to your
desktop instead.

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1) Make sure not to run the DXF Generator as admin. To verify right click on DXF
Generator icon-> Select properties-> Click on Compatibility tab-> ”Run this program as
an administrator” should be un-checked.
2) Open AutoCAD and leave it open before attempting to run the DXF Generator.
3) When the error comes up try pressing ok and continuing.
4) Run AutoCAD as administrator.
5) Use a full installation of AutoCAD and not AutoCAD lite.
6) Ensure any extra programs on top of AutoCAD are not preventing a proper opening.
There should be no prompts that come up from AutoCAD.
7) Only one instance of AutoCAD is open.

8) Output any drawing to the desktop. There have been issues in the past with saving to
customer’s servers or a memory stick.

9) Only have one version of AutoCAD installed on the computer. If not, check help pages
with AutoCAD on how to fully remove other versions. Once confirmed only one version
is installed then re-run the DXF generator installer.

10) If all else fails uninstall all instances of AutoCAD, DXF Generator, and clear Common Files
folder. The AutoCAD website would have information on complete uninstall
instructions. Then re-install full versions of AutoCAD and the DXF Generator.

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1) Generator not installed properly, corrupted, or database deleted and DXF Generator
program cannot locate database.
2) Re-install DXF Generator program with the latest exe file.

1) Check the “Output Location” at the bottom on the DXF Generator.

2) If the saved location is a memory stick or a server address. Save locally to the desktop.

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DXF DRAWING STANDARD

With a properly generated template use the following guidelines to ensure proper formatting of
the DXF file so it will be read correctly in VersaFAB Studio.

In order for VersaFAB Studio to accept structural steel detail drawings created in AutoCad or
other compatible CAD programs, they must conform to the following standard. VersaFAB
Studio is the name of the PythonX machine interface software. Once completed, the drawing
must be saved to AutoCAD 2000 DXF format which can then be translated by VersaFAB Studio
into its native VersaFAB Studio Part format. During the translation process, the DXF file is
verified for conformance to this standard and any exceptions are noted. Only files which pass
this validation process are translated.

1. Drawings are to be made using template DXF files either generated by the DXF
Generator provided or by using pre-generated templates. The DXF generator is only
compatible with full AutoCAD; AutoCAD LT requires the pre-generated templates.
2. AutoCAD 2004 or newer is required for compatibility.
3. Drawings are to be created in 2d. 3d is not supported at this time.
4. Drawings are created in a 1:1 scale
5. The AutoCAD system variable “Measurement” must be set to “Imperial” (0) or “Metric”
(1) to indicate the units Inches or Millimeters respectively.
6. Object Snap to be set ON, Grid Snap to be set OFF
 If Grid Snap is used, points can be inadvertently placed to look connected but are
in fact not connected.
7. The following layer names are reserved for translator operation.
 PSProperties
 PSBottom
 PSLeft
 PSTop
 PSRight
Information located on all other layers is ignored by the translator.
8. MText associated with Leaders must be justified “Top left”.

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Information for an individual part is to be included on a single drawing. Up to four views of the
part may be included along with additional information in the Properties table.

The Properties Table is a block which is to be inserted on the Properties Layer. This table is
used to indicate general information regarding the part and referencing information.

Part Properties
Name – Name of the part
Material Designation – Basic dimensional size of the material
Date Created – Date that the part drawing was created
Profile – Material type. Valid types include.
 W = Wide Flange Beam
 L = Angle
 C = Channel
 HSS = Hollow Structural Section
 FB = Flat Bar
 CFCL = Cold Formed Lipped Channel

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Width – The mill size width of the corresponding face of the material.
Note that the drawn width of the face must match the value listed in the properties
table.

Thickness – Material thickness of specified face

Outer Reference – Specifies the default reference edge used to locate any cut
operations which are part of the outer contour of the part. Valid references
include;
 Top – Specified point is referenced to the top edge
 Center – Specified point is referenced to the center
 Bottom – Specified point is referenced to the bottom edge

Inner Reference – Cut operation contained within the outer contour (ex. Inner shapes
and holes). Valid references include;
 Closest – Specified feature is referenced to the closest edge (Top or
Bottom)
 Top – Specified feature is referenced to the top edge
 Center – Specified feature is referenced to the center
 Bottom – Specified feature is referenced to the bottom edge

Note that inner references can be overridden by dimensioning a given point to the preferred
reference as described at the bottom of the chart below.

Up to four views can be shown to detail an individual part. Each view defines a specific face of
the part in rolling succession. (Bottom, Left, Top and Right views) Information pertaining to a
specified view is drawn on its associated layer. Only 1 outer shape can be drawn per view, tabs
can be used to connect multiple outer faces on one view, often found on split face parts.

It is important to note that a view must begin at the same x position relative to each other view.
This is necessary for the translator to be able to calculate the overall length of material required
to produce the part.

All views must be located in the positive X and Y coordinates of the drawing. Negative X or Y
position values will result in a translation error.

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The 2D representation of the material can be thought as a fold out version of the 3D shape.
See below example. To determine the left and right flange based on the machine layout; face
the measuring cart, when facing the measuring cart the right flange will be on your right hand
side and left flange on your left side. The front end of the beam away from the cart will be the
end of the drawing closest to the properties table.

Note that the web width is from the outside of the flanges, meaning the flange thickness is
included in the web view.

The same layout is used for all material profiles.

Note for CFLC the bottom face will show the full top face width in the properties table but will
be drawn with two outer contours to represent the two bottom flanges.

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The DXF translator looks for various AutoCad objects on the specified layers in order to
determine what operations are required to process the part. The following table shows the
features which the translator identifies along with the associated AutoCad objects. All other
objects which appear on the specified layer are ignored.
Feature Description Acad Object Notes
Outline Defines the outer contour Closed PLine There may only be one outline per view.
of the face of a part on Features not necessarily required by the
(1.0 In the specified view. translator but provided for clarity (eg behind the
Sample file) (External cuts) specified face) must be drawn on a separate
layer.
Limit polyline arc segments to 90 degrees.
Holes (1.1) Specifies a hole through Circle
Use a circle command in AutoCAD.
the face.
Bevels Bevel angle of the Leader/MText Relative to outlines only. +/- 50deg. Positive
specified cut. Must use angles are those specifying a bevel in which the
(1.2) AutoCAD edge angles towards either the positive x or y
qleader direction from the face of the material. Bevel
command angles are specified on the first point of an edge
only. Outline points occur in a clockwise order
whiled shape points occur in counter clockwise
order.
Leaders are to be composed of 2 line segments
only.
Shapes A shape within and cut Closed PLine Limit polyline arc segments to 90 degrees.
through the specified
(1.3) face which is not a hole.
Pop A reference mark placed Point
Marks/Layout on the specified face.
Marks

(1.4)
Labels (1.5) Reference text placed on Text See scribing page 18.
the specified face.
Stencils (1.6) Reference markings Line / Arc All lines and arcs will be read as individual
placed on the specified operations initially. A Line or Arc starting on
face. another segment’s end point will be added to the
same Stencil operation.
Reference Used to specify point to Dimension When referencing a shape, it is only necessary to
which feature is to be dimension any single point of the shape. Note
referenced if other than that only vertical dimensions are considered. All
default as set in the other dimensions are ignored.
properties table.

Use of any of these AutoCad objects within the specified layer for purposes other than those
defined above will result in a translation error.

Review the Intro DXF file to see an example of the above operations.

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Bevels can be used on external cut offs only and run along the width of the part. Bevels down
the length of the part and double bevels (Types Y,X or K) are not supported. Full penetration
bevels between -45 to +45 degrees are supported. The following steps can be used to add a
leader to a cut; this will tell the machine that the cut is to be beveled.

To determine if a positive or negative bevel is required, see the example below.

For a positive bevel, the torch will point to the back of the beam.
For a negative bevel, the torch will point to the front of the beam.

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When drawing flush cuts around the web of the beam it is recommended to leave 1/16” above
and below the thickness of the web. The thickness of the web is listed in the properties table.

It is recommended to use a text height size of at least 1” for the text to be legible. Use the text
command to input desired characters to be scribed. Scribing depth can be adjusted by the
machine operator from the Plasma System screen. Double click on the “Marking” cut chart; the
amperage can be increased to increase the marking depth. Note the amperage should not be
set above 25 amps or the plasma will start to cut instead of scribe. The marking speed can also
be reduced to increase scribing depth.

When pasting content from another AutoCAD file into a DXF template remember the following;

- The pasted content should have a scale of 1:1.

- The units from the donor file should match the template open. Ex; Both are metric files.
- Make sure to remove any duplicate lines or extra line segments.
- The content pasted needs to follow all other guidelines in this document in regards to layer
and object type.
- Make sure to align the faces appropriately.
- Ensure holes are done with a circle command, and check for arc segments over 90 degrees
that need to be broken, ex; slots or dog bones.

Pedit (Edit Polylines) – Used for closing polylines. All inner shapes and exterior
contours need to be one closed polyline. Usage: pedit>m (multiple)>select all lines
that are to be joined>enter>join>close. Confirm the polyline is closed with the AutoCAD
properties window.

Explode or x (Break Closed Polylines) – Used to break a closed polyline back into the
original created line segments.

Break at point – Used to break arc segments that are over 90 degrees. Ex; when creating a slot
both ends would need to be broken once so the arc segments do not exceed 90 degrees.

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Review the below common errors if problems arise when attempting to open the created DXF
file in VersaFAB Studio.

Possible Causes:

 Open polyline – The face missing is not composed of a single closed polyline. Use the
pedit command in AutoCAD to close the face. Don’t try to close the polyline by
changing the properties of the polyline to closed, this will not correctly close the
polyline.
 Extra line segments – Check for extra unnecessary line segments or inline points these
can cause translation errors. Exploding the external polyline may be necessary to find
the line segments. You can also try using the ‘Overkill’ command, check to not break
polylines.
 The drawn face is slightly skewed – If a mitred cut is not snapped square on an external
contour this can cause the entire face to be skewed out of square.
 The drawn width of the face does not match the width specified in template properties
table. The drawn outer contour must match the width listed in the properties table at
one point in the drawing.
 The contour is on the wrong layer. – Make sure object is on the appropriate layer of the
drawing.
 Duplicate lines over top of each other.
 Try setting the precision in autocad to 4 decimal places to confirm that values are exact.

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Possible Causes:

 The leader and bevel value are not on the appropriate layer
 The leader is on the incorrect edge. The leader should be in the bottom left corner for
bevels on the front of the part and at the top right for bevels on the rear of the part.
Refer to the Intro DXF file for work flow.
 The bevel data is entered during the qleader command properties. – After typing the
qleader command and drawing up to two line segments off the appropriate corner press
enter until the mtext box shows up in the drawing itself. Don’t enter the bevel value as
part of the command options.
 The bevel value is invalid. The text entered after the qleader command can be between
45 to -45 degrees, there should be no other text when the text is viewed in the AutoCAD
properties window. Leader mtext should be justified “Top Left”

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Once a DXF file has been created it can be checked for potential problems in the software run
on the machine. This software is called VersaFAB studio. This software will be installed on the
machine. Licenses can also be purchased for offline copies to be used in the office for file
review. Contact PythonX Support for details on obtaining an offline license.

Select the file menu on VersaFAB studio; press Open to open a file selection window where you
can navigate to the location your DXF file is stored.

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Once the file is open review the following items to check for potential file errors:

(1) Review the run screen looking at the status of the operations that have been
generated. Pending means an operation is ready to be processed; invalid means the
operation will be skipped. An operation may be set invalid due to a machine
limitation ex; bevels over 50 degrees or an operation too close to the inner flange of
a wide flange beam.

(2) The job information screen will display the values entered into the properties table
of your DXF template. These values should match the size of the beam intended to
be cut.

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To see a graphical representation of the file you have created on VersaFAB select the “Part
View” tab at the top of the screen.

The two main views to be aware of here are the drawn part view and the run job view.

The drawn part view pictured above shows the file as it was drawn in AutoCAD. Another useful
feature of this view is the ability to view if a cut will be beveled. This is indicated by grey values
at the start and end of the cut. Refer to the yellow selected area in the image for an example of
a beveled cut.

If you have a file that has a bevel added and the bevel is not showing on the drawn part view
ensure “Show Point Bevel Values” is enabled. Right click in the black area of the part view and
look for a check mark next to this option. If the bevel is still not showing refer to the beveling
section in the manual as well as the FAQ section on bevel troubleshooting.

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After reviewing the drawn part view it’s also important to check the run job view. This can be
selected by the radio buttons at the bottom of the part view screen.

The run job view pictured above shows white lines in all areas the machine will cut. Ensure that
the white lines depict all items you are expecting to be cut. Make sure there are no
irregularities such as lines off the face of the material.

If there are any irregularities review your file and refer to the troubleshooting section in this
manual.

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The management tab of VersaFAB studio has some additional tools that can be of use when
reviewing a file.

The image above shows the layout of the management screen. To expand one of the menus on
the left side of the screen you can double click on the menu. In this example the DXF File and
Current Job menus have been expanded.

Under the DXF File menu the Errors section can indicate some common errors with the file such
as an open polyline.

Under the Current Job menu the log section can be of use when trying to determine the cause
of an “Invalid” operation on the run screen. Here you can review the log of adjustments being
made when the cut path is generated. If you have an invalid operation on the run screen you
can review here for the related operation number, looking for the reason the operation is
invalid in the description. To expand the description drag the right corner of the description
heading.

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For further information on navigating the VersaFAB Studio software please refer to the PythonX
Operators manual for a complete explanation of each available screen.

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FAQ

1. Select the layer, you would like to work on

2. Type ‘QLEADER’ in the command bar and press enter (if ‘QLEADER’ does not work try
“LEADER’)

3. Select the first point, at the start of the cut path. For example, if you would like the
bevel on the front edge of the material, then select the bottom left corner of the drawn
part. If you would like the bevel on the rear of the material, select the top right corner
of the drawn part.

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4. Pick a second point off of the outer contour

5. Keep pressing enter until a text box appears as shown in step 6.

Do not enter the bevel angle in Mtext box as seen in the picture below:

6. Enter the bevel degrees.

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7. The result should be similar to this in AutoCad:

Check the leader’s text properties in AutoCad. If the contents section says anything
other than a numerical value (for example \A1;45) then the bevel value was not entered
in the correct spot. The following picture shows the correct format.

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In VersaFab, the drawn part should look similar to this:

If you cannot see bevels in VersaFab PartView (Drawn Part selected), make sure ‘Show
Point Bevel Values’ is selected when you right click on the Part View screen.

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Flush cuts are done with the purpose of removing the flange but leaving the web intact.
Detailing flush cuts is usually drawn like image 1a and 1b. This is fine for perfect world scenarios
however, with structural steel there is always variances to take in to account and compensated
for (web thicker than specified thickness, positioning of the web, skew of the web, etc.).

IMG1a: how flush cuts are normally drawn. This method does not take into account variances in
the web and can lead to cutting into the web.

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IMG1b: 3D representation of flush cut

When drawing flush cuts for processing extra material should be added to account for the
variances. The amount of material to add will vary between machine and condition of the
beam. A good starting point would be to add a 1/16” | 1.5mm to the top and bottom of the
flush cut.

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IMG2a: how flush cuts for processing on the PythonX. This method takes into account variances
in the web and adds extra material to the flush cut.

IMG2b: 3D representation of flush cut drawn with tolerances for the python.
The amount of material to add varies and there may need to be adjustments made to the
added amount of material in accordance to the process. With this incorporated the chances of
burning into the web decreases.

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In terms of processing the material on the machine the operator will need to make sure that
the web setting on the run screen is set to job or index and that the flush cuts do not sit directly
on the web in the part view screen. In addition, the same principles will apply to cut-out’s that
sit directly above the web.

IMG3: Web locate setting on versafab run screen.

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IMG4a: cut outs sitting on the web may burn into it. As such adding material above/below the
web is advised.

IMG4b: Cut out sitting above the web

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1) Type ‘dsettings’ to open the Drafting Settings

2) Turn polar tracking on with an increment angle so that it will snap to 90 degrees.

3) Use the ‘rotate’ command and select the object you want to rotate

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4) Select the base point

5) Type ‘reference’ or ‘r’

6) Select the base point

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7) Select the second point along the line you would want to line up flat

8) Rotate the object until the object reference line is at 0 degrees (or enter the angle at
which you would like it to rotate to. Example: type 45 to rotate the piece to 45 degrees

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 The Hypertherm plasma torch is 2-1/2” | 63.5mm wide, so it can only make straight cuts 1-
1/4” | 31.75mm plus your set clearance distance away from the inner flange. The robot can
cut closer than this in many cases but it tilts the torch to complete those cuts. To adjust this
angle on VersaFAB, go to:
o Management > Application > Settings Job > Web Flange Interference > X Torch Angle
Maximum: Set this value to 8 Degrees.
 8 Degrees is the maximum value for this setting as the back side of the torch
will tilt into the robot if it is any higher.
o This setting allows us to get about 1/2” | 12.7mm away from the flange as long as a
beveled edge is acceptable.

 The robot would not be able to complete the Rat Hole as seen below. The cut tight against
the flange would be left for post processing. (See yellow highlighted areas)

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 If they were to be drawn as seen below, the robot will be able to complete almost the entire
cut. There will be a small amount left for post processing against the inner flange due to the
width of the torch. This type of Rat Hole still allows plenty of room for welding and it allows
the Python to complete most of the cut.

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The following will discuss how to draw a split cut operation for stripping flanges and splitting
beams. This process will be the same for most profiles. Note: if you are looking to split a wide
flange beam down the center of the web (making it into two “T” beams) please refer to the
“How to split a beam without a file” article.

When splitting the flanges on a beam, keep in mind that the beam is sitting on that flange and if
it were to be cut away the material could fall or warp causing the beam to move outside the
safe working area of the torch and thus the torch may be damaged due to material contact.
Best practice is to make multiple slots along the length of the split. This will keep the material
intact where the tabs will simply need to be cut off after.

When drawing in the slots keep in mind that they are inside shapes and as such the lead in
distance can be adjusted making it smaller if necessary.

VersaFAB Setting path: Management – Application – Settings, Jobs – Inside Shape, Cut Lead In
Distance

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The following is an example of how to draw a split cut on a piece of angle:

Intended cut that would require a split on the bottom of one of the angles legs.

How the cut would need to be drawn in order for the machine to process the cut on the angles
legs.

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This AutoCAD command creates an equilateral closed polyline. Used for situations where
shapes requires multiple points to help force a specific path.

1) Open AutoCAD
2) Open the drawing and locate the shape that requires more points to help force the
specific path.
3) Locate the AutoCAD command line and type “pol” and press enter.

4) Enter number of sides and press enter. The more points the smoother and more
accurate the shape will be. (Note: Suggested 40)

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5) Specify center: Choose the center point of the radius (the center of the circle)

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6) Choose Circumscribe about the circle.

7) Stretch circle to cover the shape and click.

8) This will make a shape composed of straight lines around the diameter. Next, explode
original shape as needed and trim out the unnecessary lines. Re-polyline the new shape.

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