topic Re: Archicad 22 DWG translators in Collaboration with other software

Archicad 22 DWG translators

Bob Moore — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 14:08:39 GMT

Last week for the first time since I started using Archicad(2007) my engineers(Who use the latest AutoCAD) are unable to use the DWGs that I send to them. I sent them to two different sets of engineers and got the same response. I used both the built-in translator(the one I've always used) and the one that allows further editing because the first didn't work.

They get a warning saying the drawing was not created with a program not compatible with Autodesk. Basically, it looks like a picture, not a drawing.

Anyone else having this issue?

Thanks

Re: Archicad 22 DWG translators

Erwin Edel — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 14:22:50 GMT

What I do when 3rd party (subcontractor) tells me this is open the file in DWG TrueView, which is the free viewer from AutoDesk. If the file opens fine there, it's a problem on their end (ussually being too novice with autocad, sadly). Sometimes I save back several version (like 2014 or 2010) on the DWG and that works for them, even when they assure me they are running the latest software.

Edit: noticed you are on a mac computer. Sadly there is no OSx version of DWG Trueview, so you'll have to run it in a windows virtual machine or under bootcamp windows.

Re: Archicad 22 DWG translators

Bob Moore — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 14:33:49 GMT

Yes, I've had some issues in the past with certain individuals simply not knowing what they were doing. But these particular subcontractors have not had those issues.

Thanks

Re: Archicad 22 DWG translators

Eduardo Rolon — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 14:37:59 GMT

Draftsight is Free and multiplatform so no need to install bootcamp or a virtual machine.
For "picky" subcrontractors the trick is to get a sample file from them and use that as the base DWG for the translator.

Re: Archicad 22 DWG translators

Laszlo Nagy — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 23:52:42 GMT

Bob wrote:
Last week for the first time since I started using Archicad(2007) my engineers(Who use the latest AutoCAD) are unable to use the DWGs that I send to them. I sent them to two different sets of engineers and got the same response. I used both the built-in translator(the one I've always used) and the one that allows further editing because the first didn't work.

They get a warning saying the drawing was not created with a program not compatible with Autodesk. Basically, it looks like a picture, not a drawing.

Anyone else having this issue?

Thanks

As far as I know, this warning has been in AutoCAD for about 8-10 years.
This is one of the scare tactics employed by Autodesk.
But I think if you just OK this Dialog, the DWG file should open fine in AutoCAD.

Or, did they proceed by OK-ing this Dialog and AutoCAD refused to open the DWG normally?

Re: Archicad 22 DWG translators

Bob Moore — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 15:29:23 GMT

They can open the drawing and see it but it is like seeing a PDF. They can't use it to do their discipline, only as something to trace.

Re: Archicad 22 DWG translators

Laszlo Nagy — Fri, 08 Feb 2019 19:49:14 GMT

I tried this and for me it is working properly. AutoCAD gives the following warning (Image 1).
I click the "Continue opening DWG file" option and it opens the file with no problem.
I was just wondering that could it be displaying one of the Layouts and is this why they think it cannot be edited (Image 2)?
In that case they should switch to Model Space using the TABs in the lower left corner.

Re: Archicad 22 DWG translators

Laszlo Nagy — Fri, 08 Feb 2019 19:53:13 GMT

I encountered a strange thing while checking out this issue.
I have saved 2 DWG from ARCHICAD.
The first I set to be saved in AutoCAD 2004 format. It opened without issue.
The second I set to be saved in AutoCAD 2018 format. When I opened it in AutoCAD 2019 it gave the following warning, stating that it was created in a Student Version so there will be a plot stamp in it. I will report this issue to GRAPHISOFT.

Re: Archicad 22 DWG translators

mikas — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 07:14:23 GMT

When saving the dwg with your preconfigured settings straight from the menu and then again saving through the publishers it is not the same thing. Straight from the project window you get dwg-elements separate and editable to autoCAD and the likes. Through the publisher it is always one big block, no matter what the settings are (no matter if they are exatly the same saved settings, it still gives a diffrent result).

Some consultants and constructors can use they programs efficiently and can get by with this difference. Some don't though, and they always whine about it.

I'd prefer to use publisher, it's way more convenient than separately saving every story etc.

I am publishing a lot of dwg:s today. I changed to publisher because of my own convenience, and I am waiting for comments later on. Let's see how it goes this time..

ps. I hope a true BIM-approach is getting more and more accepted over time by the ones involved in construction processes, and thus no dwg would be needed anymore (too high hopes maybe..).

Re: Archicad 22 DWG translators

Daniel Kovacs — Tue, 09 Apr 2019 12:23:31 GMT

Hello Everyone,

I think the original issue of the subcontractors is probably how mikas explained. I just wanted to comment on the issue Laszlo Nagy pitched:

LaszloNagy wrote:
I encountered a strange thing while checking out this issue.
I have saved 2 DWG from ARCHICAD.
The first I set to be saved in AutoCAD 2004 format. It opened without issue.
The second I set to be saved in AutoCAD 2018 format. When I opened it in AutoCAD 2019 it gave the following warning, stating that it was created in a Student Version so there will be a plot stamp in it. I will report this issue to GRAPHISOFT.

This is because of an error in the engine we use for the export of AutoCAD 2018 DWG files. We have identified the issue and planning to solve it in ARCHICAD 23 (fix #258978).
Since this issue only affects AutoCAD 2018 DWG export, if you export to any other earlier version (e.g. 2017), it will work fine.

Regards,

Re: Archicad 22 DWG translators

Laszlo Nagy — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 14:12:41 GMT

Thanks Daniel.

Re: Archicad 22 DWG translators

davor_r — Mon, 24 Jun 2019 15:56:01 GMT

I use a pln to dwg translation every day. There is no problem just need to understand things. as Mikas said, saving from the model is the direct saving of the working file. While saving from the layout (which I presume is the case here) is another matter.
Namely, when you save from the layout, with the frames and margins set, the layout view also opens in the autocad. When you click the model view (lover left part of the AutoCAD interface screen), there is a "stiffed" drawing that looks like jpg or pdf. This is the way to work with the so-called x-ref files (referenced files). They serve only as a basis, through which it is drawn into the autocad. When you send new x-ref files to colleagues, they only replace them. As an old system of manual drawing and stacking of paus paper one over the other.

You can set the option to send x-ref files or editable drawings in the translator.

Re: Archicad 22 DWG translators

William Yan — Sun, 18 Aug 2019 04:29:52 GMT

davor_r wrote:
I use a pln to dwg translation every day. There is no problem just need to understand things. as Mikas said, saving from the model is the direct saving of the working file. While saving from the layout (which I presume is the case here) is another matter.
Namely, when you save from the layout, with the frames and margins set, the layout view also opens in the autocad. When you click the model view (lover left part of the AutoCAD interface screen), there is a "stiffed" drawing that looks like jpg or pdf. This is the way to work with the so-called x-ref files (referenced files). They serve only as a basis, through which it is drawn into the autocad. When you send new x-ref files to colleagues, they only replace them. As an old system of manual drawing and stacking of paus paper one over the other.

You can set the option to send x-ref files or editable drawings in the translator.

Dear davor, Since you use this translator everyday, can you help out with the dimension error of the exported dwg file? Thanks!
https://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=66959

Re: Archicad 22 DWG translators

Anonymous — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 09:27:07 GMT

Hi, we are having the same problem, and going back to 2017 or earlier doesn't solve it.
The problem is encountered by all consultants over the pas two weeks, and opening the file renders it uneditable.

Re: Archicad 22 DWG translators

Anonymous — Thu, 30 Jan 2020 11:52:23 GMT

RE: ARCHICAD 22 DWG TRANSLATORS#296216
By dkovacsGRAPHISOFT - Tue Apr 09, 2019 1:23 pm
Hello Everyone,

I think the original issue of the subcontractors is probably how mikas explained. I just wanted to comment on the issue Laszlo Nagy pitched:
LaszloNagy wrote:
I encountered a strange thing while checking out this issue.
I have saved 2 DWG from ARCHICAD.
The first I set to be saved in AutoCAD 2004 format. It opened without issue.
The second I set to be saved in AutoCAD 2018 format. When I opened it in AutoCAD 2019 it gave the following warning, stating that it was created in a Student Version so there will be a plot stamp in it. I will report this issue to GRAPHISOFT.
This is because of an error in the engine we use for the export of AutoCAD 2018 DWG files. We have identified the issue and planning to solve it in ARCHICAD 23 (fix #258978).
Since this issue only affects AutoCAD 2018 DWG export, if you export to any other earlier version (e.g. 2017), it will work fine.

Regards,

Daniel Alexander Kovacs
Technical Support Engineer
GRAPHISOFT

Has this been addressed yet? This is still a very contemporary problem for our office. and for the record, it appears to affect any file openned in current versions of autocad, regardless of the file format version we save it down to.

Re: Archicad 22 DWG translators

Eduardo Rolon — Thu, 30 Jan 2020 12:20:45 GMT

I just tried it using Autocad 2010 as format and didn't get they issue.
Just in case if you use a reference file for saving check that it was not overwritten with a 2018 export since that will switch every single version to EDU_DWG.