Part of the FastCAM NC System Training guides
Overview: This guide will walk you through opening, saving, and importing different file types in FastCAM Version 9.
1. Opening Existing Files
From the Main Menu, click the Open icon.
Select a file with the CAM extension to open it in the FastCAM Drawing Editor.
2. Configuring File Handling Settings
- Go to the Setup tab and select Options.
- The FastCAM Configuration Menu will appear.
- Under General → Folders, choose your preferred file handling options:
- Last Folder for Files – reuse the last folder or set a default folder.
- Save All File Extensions to the Same Folder – keep all files in one place.
- Create Individual Folders by File Type – organize files by type automatically.
3. Choosing File Types to Import
Click the down arrow under the Open icon.
Select from the available file types:
- DXF
- DWG
- StruCAD
- DSTV (NC1)
4. Importing DXF Files
- When importing a DXF file (single or bulk):
- Review the Drawing Options on the right-hand side:
- Units: Inch, Metric, or User Defined
- CAD Clean / CAD Fix
- Z-Axis Extrusions
- Check for Orphans (set Maximum Gap in Con: 0.200)
- Spline Smoothness: Fine (art designs), Normal, Medium, or Coarse
- Layer Options: Include Layers, Layer Name, Layer Text, and Display Text
5. Importing DSTV (.NC) Files
- When importing a DSTV NC file, the right-hand panel will display part data including:
- Job
- Drawing
- Mark
- Item
- Material
- Thickness
- Quantity
- Number of Entities
6. Importing PDF Files
- Select a PDF file with vector data.
- The PDF Import Options menu will appear:
- Filename (with path)
- Text as Polygons (convert all text to polygons)
- Rotation (Clockwise)
- Keep Text After Scaling
- Page Number
- Click Enter to proceed.
7. Defining PDF Drawing Units and Size
- When prompted, select the drawing units (mm or inch).
- Choose how to determine part size:
- Line Length
- Width or Height
- Extension Lines
- (For this example, use Width and Length.
- Enter the correct dimension values based on the drawing.
- Verify that the measured width matches the PDF file dimensions
8. Cleaning Up Imported PDF Parts
- Draw a box around the part to remove unnecessary text and extra lines.
- Go to the Edit Tab to further clean up and refine the part.
- Confirm the part appears complete and ready for use.