Convert DWG to NC1

A CNC beam line, drill, saw, or coping machine may require DSTV/NC1 files when the design is stored as a DWG. The conversion must preserve structural-member and machining data, so it is normally performed in steel-detailing software rather than by a general CAD converter.

What the DWG format is

DWG is a CAD drawing format associated with AutoCAD and supported by applications such as Autodesk Advance Steel, BricsCAD, and DraftSight. It can contain 2D lines, dimensions, blocks, layers, 3D solids, and, in specialized applications, data for modeled steel members.

DWG is used for architectural, mechanical, structural, and fabrication drawings. A drawing that visually shows a beam may contain only lines and annotations; it may not contain the profile, material, member axis, orientation, connections, holes, cuts, welds, or numbering information required for fabrication.

What the NC1 format is

NC1 is a text-based DSTV exchange format used by structural-steel fabrication equipment. It describes a specific part or member, including its profile, length, material, cut geometry, holes, slots, copes, and other supported machining operations.

NC1 supplies manufacturing coordinates and machine-readable fabrication data rather than presentation geometry. An export normally creates multiple .nc1 files—often one for each numbered fabrication part—not one file for the complete DWG.

How to convert DWG to NC1

Using Autodesk Advance Steel

1. Open the DWG in Advance Steel. If it contains only 2D geometry or imported solids, model the steel members or rebuild them as Advance Steel objects; do not export the drawing lines directly.
2. Assign the correct profile, material, length, orientation, reference system, and fabrication features. Model holes, slots, copes, end cuts, and other operations as actual member or plate features.
3. Run Advance Steel numbering and resolve duplicate, unnumbered, or modified objects before export.
4. Open the NC/DSTV export command, commonly available through Output → NC Files; the exact menu name depends on the Advance Steel release and workspace.
5. Select the required model objects and configure the DSTV settings, including units, naming, coordinate conventions, and supported machining options. Export to a dedicated folder.
6. Open representative files in the fabrication system or a DSTV viewer. Check units, profile orientation, face designation, cut ends, hole positions, material, and part numbers before production.

Using Tekla Structures

1. Import the DWG as a reference or recreate its geometry in a Tekla steel model. A referenced drawing does not automatically become fabrication members.
2. Verify profiles, materials, member orientations, cuts, holes, phases or lots, numbering, and fabrication attributes.
3. Use the NC/DSTV export command, commonly found under Export → NC files; the menu and available options depend on the Tekla Structures version and environment.
4. Set the required profile, unit, coordinate, filename, and data-field options, then export the .nc1 files.
5. Validate the output in the target machine software or a compatible DSTV viewer before releasing it to fabrication.

Advance Steel is generally the direct choice when the DWG already contains an Advance Steel model. Tekla Structures is appropriate when the fabrication model is maintained in Tekla. AutoCAD by itself does not reliably convert arbitrary DWG geometry into structural-steel NC1 data.

Quality and compatibility limits

• A 2D DWG usually lacks the manufacturing semantics needed for automatic export. Circles or lines that represent holes, cuts, or members must be interpreted and rebuilt as modeled fabrication features.
• NC1 compatibility depends on the target machine and its DSTV dialect. Confirm support for profile designations, metric or imperial units, slots, countersinks, copes, contour cuts, special characters, and machine-specific header fields.
• Correct geometry does not guarantee a usable part. An incorrect profile orientation, mirrored face, zero point, material designation, member rotation, or coordinate convention can produce an incorrect cut or drilling operation.
• Inspect the NC1 header and machining records, preview each part in a DSTV viewer or machine simulator, and use a test part when introducing a new postprocessor, machine, profile family, or export configuration.
• General online DWG converters are not suitable for this task: they may convert drawing geometry but do not normally understand structural-member data or machine-specific DSTV rules. No general-purpose online service should be treated as a reliable DWG-to-NC1 solution. Use a controlled service supplied by the machine or detailing vendor only when its output specification and data-handling terms are verified.