FrameCAD Detailer to CSV — No Second Licence Required
The design office has Detailer. The factory needs a machine file. LGSConverter exports machine-ready CSV from FrameCAD XML.
The Detailer licence problem
FrameCAD Detailer is where LGS projects get designed — but generating the machine CSV on the fabrication side traditionally means a second Detailer seat at the factory. For fabricators running non-FrameCAD machines, or shops that only need conversion (not design), that annual licence is hard to justify.
What LGSConverter replaces
LGSConverter takes over the XML-to-machine-CSV step:
- FrameCAD XML — the standard Detailer export, with member and tooling data
Review the project, configure your machine profile, then export CSV. IFC is a separate free IFC-to-XML route, while FCP-to-machine-CSV is currently hidden. IFC to FrameCAD XML is free. FrameCAD XML to machine CSV is US$0.03 per linear metre; reviewing the project is free. Existing account credits may apply.
Faithful to Detailer conventions
Tooling marks follow FrameCAD conventions — lip notches, web notches, swages, dimples, and end-truss chamfers are placed using the same connection rules Detailer applies, and the 2D editor renders them in the same visual language (green lip notches, red web notches, blue swages). Frames where tooling cannot be confidently determined are flagged for review rather than silently exported.
What it doesn't do
LGSConverter is a converter, not a design tool — it will not replace Detailer for panelising a building or engineering a structure. It replaces exactly one thing: the licence you'd otherwise need just to turn Detailer output into machine files.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is LGSConverter affiliated with FrameCAD?
No. LGSConverter is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a product of FrameCAD or any machine manufacturer.
Which FrameCAD Detailer export should I ask the design office for?
Ask for the FrameCAD XML export; it is the supported machine-CSV input. IFC can be converted to XML for free, but IFC and FCP machine-CSV exports are not offered.
Will the CSV match what Detailer itself would produce?
For standard connections the output matches FrameCAD conventions closely, and in many cases byte-for-byte. Every frame is shown in the 2D editor first, and QA checks flag anything that needs human review before export.
Start converting now — free to try, pay only when you export.