--- title: How to use CurveData with myCADtools description: This article will inform you on how to use text data and translate it into SOLIDWORKS using myCADtools. --- [Skip to content](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/how-to-use-curvedata-in-mycadtools#main-content) English Show submenu for translations [More support](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/kb-tickets/new?hsLang=en) [![MECAD Systems Logo - Original 2](https://faq.mecad.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/MECAD%20Systems%20Logo%20-%20Original%202.png?width=190&height=60&name=MECAD%20Systems%20Logo%20-%20Original%202.png)](https://mecad.co.za/) - [About](https://mecad.co.za/about/) - [Products](https://mecad.co.za/products/) - [Training](https://mecad.co.za/solidworks-training/) - Support Show submenu for Support - [Request Support](https://mecad.co.za/request-support/) - [Contact Us](https://mecad.co.za/contact-us/) - Resources Show submenu for Resources - [Promotions](https://mecad.co.za/end-of-promotion/) - [Product Brochures](https://mecad.co.za/solidworks-product-brochures/) - [Customer Stories](https://mecad.co.za/solidworks-customer-stories/) - [Blog](https://mecad.co.za/solidworks-blog/) - [Webinars](https://www.youtube.com/@mecadsystems-solidworksand4875) - [Events](https://mecad.co.za/events/) - [Careers](https://mecad.co.za/careers/) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [About](https://mecad.co.za/about/) - [Products](https://mecad.co.za/products/) - [Training](https://mecad.co.za/solidworks-training/) - Support Show submenu for Support - [Request Support](https://mecad.co.za/request-support/) - [Contact Us](https://mecad.co.za/contact-us/) - Resources Show submenu for Resources - [Promotions](https://mecad.co.za/end-of-promotion/) - [Product Brochures](https://mecad.co.za/solidworks-product-brochures/) - [Customer Stories](https://mecad.co.za/solidworks-customer-stories/) - [Blog](https://mecad.co.za/solidworks-blog/) - [Webinars](https://www.youtube.com/@mecadsystems-solidworksand4875) - [Events](https://mecad.co.za/events/) - [Careers](https://mecad.co.za/careers/) - English Show submenu for translations - [More support](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/kb-tickets/new) - [Contact us](https://mecad.co.za/contact-us/) [Contact us](https://mecad.co.za/contact-us/) How can we help you? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [MECAD Systems Knowledge Base](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge?hsLang=en) 2. [SOLIDWORKS Gold Products](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/solidworks-gold-products?hsLang=en) 3. [myCADtools](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/solidworks-gold-products?hsLang=en#mycadtools) # How to use CurveData with myCADtools ## This article will inform you on how to use text data and translate it into SOLIDWORKS using myCADtools. **How to Use CurveData in myCADtools** The Curve Data tool, found under the design tab in MyCADtools, allows us to take coordinates from a text or CSV file and translate them to SOLIDWORKS entities such as sketches, points, or curves. This is very handy for transforming text to curves or making sense of coordinate-based data such as gcode. **Text File Format**![myCADtools CurveData interface in SOLIDWORKS showing the tool options.](https://faq.mecad.co.za/hubfs/image-png-May-10-2022-02-06-43-03-PM.png)The X, Y and Z coordinates are by default separated by a “;”.The points in the curve are separated by a new line and a new curve is separated by a blank space. In this example, we have two curves with the first containing four points and the second containing two points. The blank space acts as a separator between the two separate curves. **The interface** The interface is quite simple as it asks us to import the text file and select what curve type we would like the tool to output. In this example, we are just outputting points into the sketches. ![Selecting a curve in myCADtools CurveData to analyze its properties.](https://faq.mecad.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-May-10-2022-02-08-58-02-PM.png?width=671&name=image-png-May-10-2022-02-08-58-02-PM.png)Figure 1: CurveData Interface We can also customize the settings such as changing the input coordinate type from Cartesian to Polar coordinates or adding tolerances to the interpolation between splines/lines as shown below: ![CurveData tool displaying the detailed properties of the selected curve in SOLIDWORKS.](https://faq.mecad.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-May-10-2022-02-10-16-91-PM.png?width=532&name=image-png-May-10-2022-02-10-16-91-PM.png)Figure 2: CurveData Settings Interface Once we have selected the file and applied it, it will generate the curves, as seen below, using the settings shown in Figure 1. Here we can see two separate sketches, one with four points and one with two points. ![Graphical representation of curve data in myCADtools CurveData within SOLIDWORKS.](https://faq.mecad.co.za/hubfs/image-png-May-10-2022-02-09-15-79-PM.png)Figure 3: Output Example   *Date published: 11/05/2022*       - [SOLIDWORKS PDM](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/solidworks-pdm?hsLang=en) - [SOLIDWORKS CAM](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/solidworks-cam?hsLang=en) - [SOLIDWORKS Visualize](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/solidworks-visualize?hsLang=en) - [SOLIDWORKS Simulation](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/solidworks-simulation?hsLang=en#main-content) - [SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/solidworks-simulation?hsLang=en#solidworks-flow-simulation) - [SOLIDWORKS Simulation](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/solidworks-simulation?hsLang=en#solidworks-simulation) - [SOLIDWORKS Electrical](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/solidworks-electrical?hsLang=en) - [SOLIDWORKS Inspection](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/solidworks-inspection?hsLang=en) - [General FAQ](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/general-faq?hsLang=en#main-content) - [BOM](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/general-faq?hsLang=en#bom) - [Sheet Metal](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/general-faq?hsLang=en#sheet-metal) - [Files](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/general-faq?hsLang=en#files) - [PDM](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/general-faq?hsLang=en#pdm) - [Weldments](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/general-faq?hsLang=en#weldments) - [Assembly](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/general-faq?hsLang=en#assembly) - [Installation](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/general-faq?hsLang=en#installation) - [SolidWorks Standalone License](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/general-faq?hsLang=en#solidworks-standalone-license) - [File Locations](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/general-faq?hsLang=en#file-locations) - [Certifications](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/general-faq?hsLang=en#certifications) - [3DEXPERIENCE Platform](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/3dexperience-platform?hsLang=en#main-content) - [FAQ](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/3dexperience-platform?hsLang=en#faq) - [Updates](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/3dexperience-platform?hsLang=en#updates) - [SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/solidworks-3d-cad?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Activation](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/solidworks-3d-cad?hsLang=en#activation) - [Tips & Tricks](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/solidworks-3d-cad?hsLang=en#tips-tricks) - [Installation](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/solidworks-3d-cad?hsLang=en#installation) - [Custom](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/solidworks-3d-cad?hsLang=en#custom) - [Configurations](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/solidworks-3d-cad?hsLang=en#configurations) - [Drawings](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/solidworks-3d-cad?hsLang=en#drawings) - [PDM](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/solidworks-3d-cad?hsLang=en#pdm) - [Assemblies](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/solidworks-3d-cad?hsLang=en#assemblies) - [SOLIDWORKS Gold Products](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/solidworks-gold-products?hsLang=en#main-content) - [myCADtools](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/solidworks-gold-products?hsLang=en#mycadtools) - [Licensing FAQ](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/licensing-faq?hsLang=en#main-content) - [July 2023 SOLIDWORKS License & Subscription Changes](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/licensing-faq?hsLang=en#july-2023-solidworks-license-subscription-changes) - [DraftSight](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/draftsight?hsLang=en) - [MECAD Events](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/mecad-events?hsLang=en#main-content) - [MECAD Accelerate](https://faq.mecad.co.za/knowledge/mecad-events?hsLang=en#mecad-accelerate) - [About](https://mecad.co.za/about/) - [Products](https://mecad.co.za/products/) - [Training](https://mecad.co.za/solidworks-training/) - [Support](https://mecad.co.za/request-support/) - [Request a quote](https://mecad.co.za/request-a-quote/) [![Chill listening crop-3](https://faq.mecad.co.za/hs-fs/hubfs/download.png?width=137&height=24&name=download.png "Chill listening crop-3")](https://mecad.co.za/) **Centurion Offices** Rosehip Office Park, 29 Landmarks Ave, Kosmosdal Ext 11, Samrand Centurion Gauteng +27 12 645 4300   **Cape Town Offices** Unit E1, Centurion Business Park, Cnr Bosmansdam & Democracy Road, Milnerton Cape Town, Western Cape +27 21 555 1513   **Durban Offices** Fairway Green Office Park, Gardenia House, 3 Abrey Road, Kloof Durban KwaZulu-Natal +27 31 764 7658 [mailto:email@email.com](mailto:email@email.com) Copyright © 2025, MECAD