Your best bet is to export to a universal data exchange format  (ASTM). This is done from the Export to CAD-CAM file Function which is part of the Optitex Package.

Follow the steps below:

1. In PDS or Marker go to File > Data Exchange > Export to CAD/CAM files.The Export to CAD-CAM file dialog opens:

2. Select ASTM.

3. Click Browse to select a destination folder and file name.

4. Select ASTM from the Save As Type field.

5. Click Ok to create the ASTM file. If the file includes grading, a grading rule file will also be created in the same location and will have the same name as the file.

6. Make sure the file extension is RUL not TXT. You can change this in the Save section under PDS Preferences.

Note: You can also use Optitex PDSExporter utility to convert PDS files directly to Gerber Zip native files.
To do so go to Windows Start menu > Optitex XX > Converters > PDSexport , select the PDS file you want to convert and the destination folder and click OK.

This usually happens when importing AAMA files as DXF.
In the Import dialog, make sure you have AAMA selected from the list of formats as follows:

Verify that you imported using the right format, units and scale.

1. To select the correct format, in theImportdialog, underFile Format, select the appropriate format (e.g., ASTM, AAMA, etc.,) as follows:

2. To change the units and scale, import the file again.

   1. UnderWorking Units, select the correct units.

   2. In theScale Factorfield, change the value as required.

The AI file has to be saved without compression. Make sure that you clear the relevant field when saving the file in Adobe Illustrator.

For systems which require you to include the grading data within the AAMA /ASTM file (instead of external  RUL File), clear the checkbox next to Build Grade Rules Table in the Export Setup dialog.

1. Go to File > Data Exchange > Export to CAD/CAM.

2. From the Format drop-down list, select AAMA/ASTM.

3. ClickSetup,then clear theBuild Grade Rules Tablecheckbox as follows:

To open DXF files, you have to use the Import Module in PDS or Marker.

Although the file extension is DXF , the actual format can be AAMA or ASTM, which are an advanced form of the DXF file. It is recommended that you find out which CAD created the file. Based on that you can most likely know which format to use.

• If the file was created on an engineered CAD software such as Autocad ,Autodesk, Solidworks - Select DXF from the list of formats to import.

• In case the file was generated on apparel CAD software such as Gerber or Lectra - use the AAMA format to retrieve the pieces.

• If the DXF file comes with an RUL file , save it at the same location as the DXF file prior to importing it.

• ASTM is mainly used by Gerber  - use it for importing patterns that were created on a Gerber Accumark System.

Starting from version O/15.6 you can import TIIP files directly from the PDS Import dialog:

Most of the file types do not support seam data. If the file that was exported includes seam allowance, Optitex will import the sew lines as internal lines. You can convert the internal contours into seam allowances after. For more information, see Converting Internal Contours to Seam Allowances.

Note:After this conversion, thePiece Properties>Behavior>Lock Auto Reseam checkbox isselected.

You need to hide the piece descriptions from the pieces.Go to Preferences>Export Setup and in theExport Description section,select As Viewas follows:

1. Check the size of the file. Small files (15-70 KB) cannot be imported.

2. Check the tesselation resolution of the file. High tessellation resolution value should be reduced.

3. If import crashed, PDS probably ran out of memory. Even if you decrease the tessellation resolution in the advanced import setting dialog, no crash will occur but you will still receive an error message that the tessellation resolution is too high. Check the content of the file. PDS only needs external surfaces. Exclude all unnecessary internal parts. Re-export file with only the visible parts.

• The PDS import module needs the RUL file in addition to AAMA/ASTM, in order to precisely create styles and sizes when importing (AAMA/ASTM contains references to the RUL file to get precise information about the sizes).

• Not adding the RUL file causes the PDS import module's algorithms to search for grading point on sizes' contours on its own, and finds correspondences between the base size and other sizes. This is not always possible however; sometimes it might not be found and other times may be incorrect.

• The RUL file should be available in each CAD/CAM system that generates AAMA/ASTM files. Using RUL files is required in such cases.

• The name of the RUL file should be readable in the computer that receives a DXF; i.e., if the computer doesn't have Chinese, it won't open the RUL that has Chinese within.

This is due to the way of the export to AAMA/ASTM. From the Gerber system, you can define if the export is graded nest or separated sizes.