Toolbar Button:
The Export NC (Drill/Mill) command creates an NC file for either drill data, mill data, or both, in the format specified.
It is recommended that you use the Analysis|DRC/MRC command to check for coincident and redundant drill hits, among any other desired checks, prior to exporting your data.
Use the Tools|NC|Optimize command to optimize the NC tooling.
Select the File|Export|NC (Drill/Mill) command. The Export NC dialog box appears.
Select a Destination Folder to place your NC files in. By default, the Samples folder is used. Click the browse button to search for a different folder.
The NC layers are listed at the bottom of the dialog box, with their layer names and numbers for your reference. In the Filename column, select (check) the layers you wish to export, and unselect those you do not want to export. You can change the file name by double-clicking on the name, and typing a new one.
The Data Format button opens the NC Export Format dialog box, which provides the following settings for your file formatting. Change these settings, as desired, and click the OK button to return to the Export NC dialog box.
Dialect
The format of the file to export. Available options are Excellon, Excellon 2, Sieb & Meyer 1000, Sieb & Meyer 3000/5000, and Takeuchi
M.N
This is the coordinate format. For example, a 2.3 format specifies two decimal digits before an implied decimal point and three following. (12250 represents 12.250 if the coordinate format is 2.3).
Mode
Absolute mode is when all X:Y coordinates are referenced to a common origin. Incremental mode is when each X:Y coordinate is a displacement from the previous coordinate.
Zero Suppression
No zero suppression allows coordinates to have zeroes in front or back of integers. Leading zero suppression shows zeroes only at the end of a number, trailing zero suppression shows zeroes only at the beginning of a number.
Special
You may enable Modal mode which will reduce the size of your files by removing all redundant draft codes and coordinates. Metric outputs the file in metric format. The default is imperial (inches).
Character Set
Indicate the character text used in the file.
Set As Default
Saves the current settings as the default settings for this command.
Select whether you wish to export Drill Data, Mill Data, or both, from your NC layers.
Select Use Step & Repeat to export panelized images, as well as any patterns that you defined in the NC Tool Table, as step and repeat data. If this option is not selected, then panelized images and patterns are exported individually (no step and repeat codes used). Use of step and repeat will reduce your file size.
Select Segment Arcs if your machine does not support arcs. This will convert true arcs in your mill paths to line segments.
In Excellon machine controllers, there is a "Tool Diameter Page" where information about a tool may be recorded. When the tool size in a tool definition is processed, the information (if any) from the Tool Diameter Page is loaded, and the location of the tool size in the definition string affects the tool settings. The Override Tool Diameter Page option controls where the system puts the tool size field in the tool definitions. If you select this option, the tool size is put immediately after the tool number, so any settings from the Tool Diameter Page will be overridden by those specified on the tool definition line. If this option is not selected, the tool size is the last entry in the tool definition line, so any settings in the Tool Diameter Page will override those in the tool definition. (Note that settings in the Tool Diameter Page are optional; they override or are overridden only if they exist.)
Tools are normally exported using the tool number defined in the NC Tool Table, and in the defined Export Order. If you select the Renumber Tools Starting With Tool option, the tools are exported in the Export Order, but the first tool number is changed to the number you specify here. Subsequent tools are renumbered, in sequence, accordingly.
Select the Export Unused Tools option if you wish to export all tools, regardless of if they have been used.
The default compensation values in the Compensation Index Table are set at the tool's radius, as that is assumed to be the machine's default. Therefore, if only default values are specified, the Compensation Index table is not exported with the rest of the NC data. However, if you want to always export the Compensation Index Table (because, for example, your machine does not default the compensation to the tool's radius), select the Always Export Compensation Index Table option.
When you are finished making your selections, click the OK button to export your files.
Tools|Convert|Arcs To Segmented Arcs