Got a flat part and need the folded 3D model? Draw the bend lines on the 2D part in the Part Editor, press Convert to STEP, and CUTL builds a folded STEP model you can review in 3D. Converting is free.
What it does
DXF to STEP takes a flat sheet-metal part and turns it into a 3D solid:
- With bend lines, every flange is folded up or down at the angle, inner radius and K-factor you set, and you get the bent part as a STEP model.
- Without bend lines, the part is extruded to the sheet thickness, so you get a flat plate as a STEP model.
The result is saved as a STEP review in your team's STEP library (STEP > Viewer), and CUTL opens it for you as soon as it is ready. From there you can rotate it, measure it, share it with a customer or create a PDF drawing, all covered in STEP viewer & review.
When to use it
- A customer sends a flat DXF of a bracket and asks to see the bent part before ordering.
- You want to check that the flanges clear each other before the part goes to the press brake.
- You need a STEP model of a simple bent part or plate for a review or a drawing, and nobody has a CAD seat free.
It is built for simple bent parts: a base with independent flanges folded along straight lines. For complex sheet metal with flanges on flanges, use your CAD system.
Step by step
1. Get the part into the editor
Open Part Editor from the side menu at app.cutl.online. You need to be signed in. The start screen offers four ways in:
| Start card | What you give it | Coins |
|---|---|---|
| Upload DXF | One .dxf file, max 1 MB | Free |
| Pick a shape | A common laser-cut part (plate, disc, L-bracket, flange and so on) with your dimensions | Free |
| Upload photo | One PNG or JPEG, max 2 MB; AI turns it into a part | 200 |
| Describe it | A text description; AI draws the part | 200 |
Tidy the part first: the outer contour must be one closed outline. The AI DXF editor page covers the drawing tools.
2. Draw the bend lines
Select the Bend tool and draw a straight line across the part where it should fold. A bend line must fully cross the part, from one edge of the outline to the other, so it splits the blank into two pieces.
The first bend line you draw asks you to Set the part's material and thickness. Fill in:
- Material, Grade and Thickness: shared by every bend in the part.
- K-factor: also shared by the whole part.
- Direction: Up or Down.
- Angle: how far the flange turns from flat, between 10° and 170°. It starts at 90°.
- Inner radius and, if you work with one, Bend deduction.
CUTL fills the inner radius, K-factor and bend deduction from its bend-defaults table, matching the grade first and then the thickness. If no row matches, the inner radius equals the thickness and the K-factor is 0.4. If you change a value, Reset to default brings back the table value.
Later bend lines inherit the part's material, thickness and K-factor and start at Up, 90°. Select a bend line to change its own direction, angle or radius.
3. Save and convert
You don't need to save first: every action uses the drawing as it is on screen and saves it on the way. If the menu still shows the hint "Actions use the last saved geometry", ignore it, it is out of date.
Open the menu on the Save button and choose Convert to STEP. The same menu holds Download DXF and Add to project.
If the part has no bend lines and no thickness yet, CUTL asks for Sheet material and thickness and tells you the part will be converted as a flat sheet. Fill it in and click Convert.
While it runs you see Converting to STEP…. When it finishes, STEP model ready appears and CUTL takes you to the new review.
If the conversion is refused, you see Could not convert to STEP with a one-line reason (see below). If it runs for more than 15 minutes, CUTL stops waiting and tells you to check the STEP library later; the model appears there when it is done.
What it refuses
CUTL refuses a part rather than build a wrong model. Each refusal comes with a one-line reason:
| Refused | What to do |
|---|---|
| Bend lines that cross each other (a fold on a flap, chained folds) | Only independent flanges off the base are supported; model chained folds in CAD |
| An outer contour that is not closed, or more than one outer contour | Close the outline so the part is one closed shape |
| Bend zones that overlap or touch | Move bend lines further apart, or reduce the inner radius |
| A bend line that does not split the part | Draw it right across the part, from edge to edge |
| Inner radius smaller than the thickness | Set the inner radius to at least the sheet thickness |
| An implausible bend deduction | Check the value, or clear it and use the K-factor |
All bends of one part share one thickness and one K-factor, so a part that needs different values per bend has to be modelled elsewhere.
Tips
Do
- Clean the outline before you add bends: one closed outer contour, no stray lines.
- Use your own press-brake values for inner radius and bend deduction when the flat blank must match exactly.
Avoid
- Drawing a bend line that stops short of the edge; it turns red and blocks the conversion.
- Expecting the STEP model to land in a project; it goes to your STEP library only.
The converted model is not added to a project automatically. To price the flat part, use Add to project from the same menu, then follow Quoting & cost calculation.
Related pages
- AI DXF editor: the Part Editor and its drawing tools.
- PDF to STEP: when all you have is a PDF drawing.
- STEP viewer & review: what you can do with the finished model.
- Preparing files: how CUTL reads DXF and STEP uploads.