Step 7 of 12 · Ch 5

7. ViaCAD — draw the 2" test part

Chapter 5 step-by-step: closed geometry, units, DXF export.

1. Create the test square
The first test file is intentionally simple. A two-inch square reveals scale, direction, kerf, cut order, height, and dimensional errors without risking a complex job.
- Open ViaCAD; document units = inches
- Rectangle exactly 2.000" × 2.000"
- Optional centered Ø0.500" hole for inside-cut test
- Every contour closed; no duplicate/stacked entities
- Remove construction lines, points, dimensions, text not for cutting
- Geometry near CAD origin on a clearly named cut layer
2. Export DXF
Export as the DXF version proven with the Premier SheetCAM workflow. Do not change export units during the same test. Name clearly, e.g. PP_Test_Square_2in_R1.dxf.
Tip: If SheetCAM later shows 25.4× scale error, CAD and SheetCAM units disagreed — fix and reimport.
3. CAD failure checks
Open contour → join endpoints. Double toolpath → delete duplicates. Jagged motion → clean vectors/arcs. Missing geometry → unsupported entities or wrong layer.

1. Create the test square