Importing Geometry¶

FocuZ imports both 2D art and full 3D models. 3D models are sliced into layers for depth-aware marking.

Supported formats¶

Kind	Formats	Notes
2D vector	SVG, DXF, AI	Lines/curves to mark or fill.
3D solid	STEP / STP	True solids (via the built-in 3D engine).
3D mesh	STL, OBJ, 3MF	Triangle meshes.
Images	common raster formats	For reference/placement.

Importing 2D art¶

Add a 2D Import action (or drag a file onto the canvas) and choose your file.

Multi-layer files — if the file has multiple layers, FocuZ asks whether to flatten them into one or keep them separate.
Registration point — choose the reference point used to position the art (a 9-point grid for 2D).
Position / Size / Rotation — place and scale the art on the canvas; link or unlink X/Y scaling.
Border — optionally load a closed path as a clipping boundary so marks stay within it.

Fills need closed paths

A fill can only fill a closed shape. If a fill looks empty, the path probably isn't closed — check it in your design tool, or adjust the closed-path tolerance in Hardware & Device Setup.

Preparing AI and SVG files¶

A little preparation in your design tool makes vector imports land exactly as designed.

Convert text to outlines¶

FocuZ imports vector paths, not fonts. Live text in an AI or SVG file — text still bound to a font — is not imported, and there are no plans to render fonts inside FocuZ: substituting an installed font for the designer's font would mark the wrong shapes with full confidence, which is worse than leaving them out. Convert text to paths before exporting:

Illustrator: select the text → Type ▸ Create Outlines (Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+O).
Inkscape: select the text → Path ▸ Object to Path.

If imported art is missing its lettering, this is almost always why.

Flatten before export¶

Flattening (Illustrator: Object ▸ Flatten Transparency, or Object ▸ Expand / Expand Appearance) bakes advanced constructs down to plain paths — which is exactly what a laser needs:

Clipping masks are applied: geometry is genuinely cropped to the mask, so hidden portions can't come back on import.
Symbols, brushes, patterns and effects become real geometry at their placed positions.

Files saved as Illustrator 8 (the version EZCad2 requires) are largely flattened by the save-down itself, which is why EZCad2-era art usually imports cleanly.

Artboards¶

FocuZ imports the artboard's art: paths entirely outside the artboard are skipped, and the count is recorded in the log ("N paths beyond the artboard were not imported") so a missing element is never a mystery. Artists commonly park scratch material on the pasteboard — that material stays out of your job.

Art crossing the artboard edge imports whole by default. The Preferences ▸ Import option "clip art crossing the artboard closed at its edge" cuts it at the boundary instead, resealing closed shapes along the edge (note the sealed edge marks as a line).
A file with several artboards asks which one to import.
A file with no artboard declaration imports in full.

Sizes and units¶

AI files import at true size (Illustrator's points convert to millimeters). SVG files with real units (mm/cm/in/pt) import exactly; pixel-based SVGs use Preferences ▸ Import ▸ SVG px scale — Auto reads 96 dpi (the web standard) unless the file identifies itself as an Illustrator export (72 dpi), or force either value.

Hidden layers stay hidden

Layers or objects hidden in the file (display: none / hidden visibility in SVG) are not imported — a layer you switched off in your design tool can't silently mark the part.

Importing 3D models (slicing)¶

Add a 3D Slice action and import a STEP/STP or mesh file. FocuZ switches to the 3D canvas and slices the model into layers for marking.

Registration — position the model in the work area (a 27-point grid for 3D).
Sizing & Z position — scale the model and set where it sits along Z (for rotated models see Rotating 3D models).
Perimeter — an optional boundary around the model's footprint (Import / Hull / Circle / Square) — see 3D perimeters.
Fill-Through — whether the bottom slice is marked.
The slice count follows the model's depth and your settings.

Open meshes

STL/OBJ/3MF meshes are checked on import, and FocuZ tells you if a mesh isn't closed ("watertight"). An open mesh can slice unpredictably — repair it in your modeling tool, or use STEP for true solids (always closed).

How slices are marked (Z order, per-slice sublayers) is covered in Marking & Tracing.

Tips¶

Check units/scale on import — confirm the imported size on the canvas grid before marking.
Re-importing the same file is supported; FocuZ can relink originals when you reopen a project (see Projects & Files).