topic DWG Translator not the same in 14? in Collaboration with other software

DWG Translator not the same in 14?

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 18:42:12 GMT

We use the DWG Translator quite often and fine-tuned the translator to great working shape for our projects in AC13. Now that we are just starting work in AC14, I've noticed the translators are not translating the same as it was in AC13.

One issue is related to the Saving Floor Plan: option under Save Options. We have it set at "Explode complex ArchiCAD Elements" because we were getting comments from AutoCAD users on why all of our walls were coming in as blocks. Since the AutoCAD lines retained its designated layers after exploding, we went with the option to explode complex elements.

The bulk of our DWG Translators are relied on layer attributes. The designated AutoCAD layers are in line with AIA layer format (A-WALL-FULL, A-WALL-PATT, A-DOOR, A-GLAZ, etc.). The issue with AC14 DWG Translators is that with the option to explode complex elements, the doors and windows that would've been part of a wall block in AutoCAD get "exploded" into the same layer name as the designated layer for the wall. In other words, the doors and windows show up in AutoCAD on the A-WALL-FULL or A-WALL-PATT layers instead of the designated A-DOOR or A-GLAZ layers. Was that change intentional? I liked how it worked much better from AC13.

Back in AC14, I can change the Saving Floor Plan: option to "Convert complex elements to Blocks" and the doors, windows, walls, etc. will show the right layers within the AutoCAD Block Editor. One glitch with that option is while the curtain wall block is on the right layer, the block editor has the 2D work on the designated layer of Cut Fills instead of the curtain wall layer from my ArchiCAD file.

The big question is how or why did the DWG Translator change from AC13 to AC14? Anyone else out there having similar issues?

Re: DWG Translator not the same in 14?

Laszlo Nagy — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:56:30 GMT

I checked the AC14 New Feature Guide and this is what it says about new DWG/DXF features:

• New options in Drawing Tool Settings enable you to control a drawing’s visibility based on
the layers of the linked file, independently of the project’s layers. This way, you can place a
DWG in your project without importing all the source file attributes, yet still control the
visibility of its layers.
• Support for DWG formats used by all Autocad 2010-based applications
• Other usability enhancements:
- Save Marquee area as DWG: save only the parts you need from the window
- When opening XREF file, filter the imported drawing by layer (Partial Open)
- XREF Manager shows feedback on translator used by each XREF file

So I don't think the export process changed.
So if you have the exact same settings and they work differently, I would suggest reporting it.

Re: DWG Translator not the same in 14?

Thomas Holm — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 19:03:18 GMT

the doors and windows that would've been part of a wall block in AutoCAD get "exploded" into the same layer name as the designated layer for the wall

Sounds like a bug to me.
But the history of the DWG translator is full of undocumented tricks, quirks, version changes and "by design" issues that look like bugs to the user. In my view, this important part of Archicad constitutes a documentation catastrophe. This fact makes it fully possible that the issue might be an intentional change that hasn't been (publicly) documented. (You might find other examples if you search in this forum).

So please report this as a bug through your reseller, and keep on nagging until you get an answer! And please report back here if possible.