topic Re: System for DWG convertion & use in AC 10 in Collaboration with other software

System for DWG convertion & use in AC 10

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 18:37:58 GMT

OK guys...how do I take an autocad (file mess) and use it as the basis for an AC 10 model. I am prepared to just redraw this 8,000 sq.ft. building, but do I, put the imported files on a another NEW layer...etc. etc...? and use the file as a background etc. etc..?
Thanks

Re: System for DWG convertion & use in AC 10

Steve Jepson — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 05:20:01 GMT

Lots of ways to skin that cat.

First of all, is there any 3D data in the AutoCAD that you want to preserve or is is all just 2D stuff. ??

It will help alot if you can provide information about what version of ArchiCAD you are using and what version of AutoCAD the file you want to convert is.

Click the "Profile" icon above. Edit your profile to show information something like this....

Windows XP Pro 2002 SP2 ArchiCAD 10 (1010 USA FULL), Art*Lantis R-V1.1.0.12 ENU, Maxwell Render 1.1, Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional, The ultimate ArchiCAD add-on.

You could copy the lines above and past them into the Signature box, then edit the parts not in [ ]. Delet what you don't want. Change font size, what ever.

Re: System for DWG convertion & use in AC 10

Anonymous — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 05:40:48 GMT

atelier wrote:
OK guys...how do I take an autocad (file mess) and use it as the basis for an AC 10 model. I am prepared to just redraw this 8,000 sq.ft. building, but do I, put the imported files on a another NEW layer...etc. etc...? and use the file as a background etc. etc..?
Thanks

1. Open the DWG in a separate archicad session.
2. Flatten all entities to the archicad layer.
3. Delete all the autocad generated layers.
4. Select all and copy.
5. Open a new archicad file you want to build the model in and create a dummy story with 0 height for each DWG story you might import.
6. Paste the data to the appropriate story.
7. When model is done delete the ACAD stories.

Note: By placing this information on 0' stories you can use the ghost story to show the info you need and build the model directly on top of it.

Additionnal Note: this technique does not require you to create addtional layers in your model

Typical Stories:
Foundation
1st floor
2nd floor
Roof

Typical Stories w/ ACAD linework template:
ACAD FND (to be removed)
Foundation
ACAD 1st (to be removed)
1st floor
ACAD 2nd (to be removed)
2nd floor
ACAD Roof (to be removed)
Roof

Re: System for DWG convertion & use in AC 10

Laszlo Nagy — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 12:52:04 GMT

You could also place the DWG as a drawing on the Floor Plan using the File\External Content\Place External Drawing... menu command.
The beauty of this is that Archicad will sense and snap to any element within the Drawing DWG, it can have its own Pen Set, and it does not create all those nasty layers coming from the DWG file.
If you only wish to use part of the DWG file, then first open it in Archicad, delete anything not needed from it, and save it as a DWG/DXF or even PLN file. Then place that cleaned up file as a Drawing on the Floor Plan.

Re: System for DWG convertion & use in AC 10

Anonymous — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 13:41:05 GMT

laszlonagy wrote:
You could also place the DWG as a drawing on the Floor Plan using the File\External Content\Place External Drawing... menu command.
The beauty of this is that Archicad will sense and snap to any element within the Drawing DWG, it can have its own Pen Set, and it does not create all those nasty layers coming from the DWG file.
If you only wish to use part of the DWG file, then first open it in Archicad, deleted anything not needed from it, and save it as a DWG/DXF or even PLN file. Then place that cleaned up file as a Drawing on the Floor Plan.

O-MY-GOD! how stupid do i feel?! This nifty tip had escaped us all in the office. (having to link engineer's drawings in our model all the time and using xrefs or saving their dwg as a pln with modification to their layers etcetc is probably the most annoying task i've had to do!)
I think I love you

Re: System for DWG convertion & use in AC 10

PatriciaLe_o — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 16:15:42 GMT

I also have a question that has to do with this dwg stuff...
We can put a dwg drawing using Merge, Place external drawing and Attach XRef commands, wright? When should I use one or the other? It seems to me as three names for the same action! There must be a difference... can anyone explain me? Thanks a lot!

Re: System for DWG convertion & use in AC 10

TomWaltz — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 16:32:19 GMT

PatriciaLeão wrote:
I also have a question that has to do with this dwg stuff...
We can put a dwg drawing using Merge, Place external drawing and Attach XRef commands, wright? When should I use one or the other? It seems to me as three names for the same action! There must be a difference... can anyone explain me? Thanks a lot!

They are very different actions.

Merge just dumps the DWG into your file. No linking.

XREF places the DWG contents in your project with a link so that if the original DWG changes, you can show those changes in your project.

External Drawing places a link to the DWG, but places it as a single element. It does not create any new layers, linetypes, or fills in your project. It acts like a viewport. You can still snap to points inside of it and it can be cropped as needed. It can be exploded if you need to edit it.

I use External Drawing almost exclusively

Re: System for DWG convertion & use in AC 10

PatriciaLe_o — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 23:24:19 GMT

Hmmmm! Thanks for clarifying this subject Tom!

Re: System for DWG convertion & use in AC 10

Laszlo Nagy — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 18:30:31 GMT

xristina wrote:
laszlonagy wrote:
You could also place the DWG as a drawing on the Floor Plan using the File\External Content\Place External Drawing... menu command.
The beauty of this is that Archicad will sense and snap to any element within the Drawing DWG, it can have its own Pen Set, and it does not create all those nasty layers coming from the DWG file.
If you only wish to use part of the DWG file, then first open it in Archicad, deleted anything not needed from it, and save it as a DWG/DXF or even PLN file. Then place that cleaned up file as a Drawing on the Floor Plan.
O-MY-GOD! how stupid do i feel?! This nifty tip had escaped us all in the office. (having to link engineer's drawings in our model all the time and using xrefs or saving their dwg as a pln with modification to their layers etcetc is probably the most annoying task i've had to do!)
I think I love you

What a compliment
Thanks!!!

Re: System for DWG convertion & use in AC 10

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 16:11:25 GMT

There is a program of Graphisoft which transforms 2D drawings automatically to 3D model in groundplan. It's name is Plan to 3D or something like this... I couldn't find a link on Graphisoft's homepage.

Later comment:
Thank you Steve for the link below, now I see that it isn't a Graphisoft product, that's why I couldn't find it on their page...

Re: System for DWG convertion & use in AC 10

Steve Jepson — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 18:36:06 GMT

http://www.csoft.com/index.cfm?menuid=499

Re: System for DWG convertion & use in AC 10

Anonymous — Fri, 18 May 2007 16:04:14 GMT

when i xref a dwg (or merge, or place external drawing), i do not see the doors or windows - they are only represented by a rectangle showing where they are placed.

is there a fix for this?

Re: System for DWG convertion & use in AC 10

Steve Jepson — Fri, 18 May 2007 20:11:06 GMT

can you show us a screen shot of that ?

It could be several things.

Re: System for DWG convertion & use in AC 10

Anonymous — Tue, 22 May 2007 14:22:05 GMT

i think the problem may be because the file is an ADT format - doors are objects? i've attached a PDF...

Re: System for DWG convertion & use in AC 10

Djordje — Tue, 22 May 2007 17:27:17 GMT

LINZ wrote:
i think the problem may be because the file is an ADT format - doors are objects? i've attached a PDF...

Try IFC instead of DWG

Re: System for DWG convertion & use in AC 10

Anonymous — Tue, 22 May 2007 18:22:56 GMT

Thanks Djorde!

I am using Autodesk Architecture 2008 - this is the new name for ADT. IFC exporting is built into the software, so I exported the file into IFC. Now all i have to do is import it into AC10.

Wish me luck...

Ok.... I havent been able to attach the IFC file to my AC10 file. What am i missing?

Re: System for DWG convertion & use in AC 10

Anonymous — Tue, 22 May 2007 20:04:22 GMT

Further to this discussion, I refer to ....

http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?p=81151&highlight=architecture+2008#81151

where GSNA raises a good point on importing DWG files. I have tried XREFing AA-2008 (autocad architecture 2008), but AC10 says the file is damaged and tries to recover it. So instead I save the file in Autocad 2004 format. Then I am able to XREF it.

GSNA has raised an interesting option of Opening a DWG file as GDL. I have not been able to get this to work however.

Is there a reason why AC10 cannot XREF AA-2008 files?

Djorde - you mention using IFC instead of DWG in both of these discussions - I cannot find an Import IFC function in AC10. Could you assist?

Thank you!

Re: System for DWG convertion & use in AC 10

TomWaltz — Tue, 22 May 2007 20:10:59 GMT

Is there a reason why AC10 cannot XREF AA-2008 files?

Yep. Archicad 10 can only read up to Autocad 2007. The Autocad 2008 format can only be read by Archicad 11.

It would be hard for AC10 to read a format that came out a month ago 😉

Re: System for DWG convertion & use in AC 10

Anonymous — Tue, 22 May 2007 20:19:36 GMT

mm.. i think AC10 reads up to Autocad2006? not 2007? mm not quite sure

but i had another problem today importing a dwg file.. walls were white colored in autocad.. and in Archicad its pen#1.. and its not displayed.. i can't see it.. and pen#1 is black i tried changing background color.. smae problem.. i had to change it to another pen.. any other one and its ok.. but the problem was that i am trying to use it as an external drawing..so actually i have no control over lines..

don't know really what was wrong..

Re: System for DWG convertion & use in AC 10

Anonymous — Tue, 22 May 2007 21:26:43 GMT

i managed a work around by saving out of AA-2008 as IFC, and then opening in AC10, AFTER downloading the new IFC 2x3 beta from the GS website. The problem now remains having up to date drawings as the IFC is a stand alone file, not referenced to the original DWG.

And the IFC file? Sure has some weird correlations - all objects are prefaced with 'ifc' followed by some non-sensical gibberish. also, none of the doors show the 'swing' in plan. go figure.

i've saved the file as a PLN, and will place it as an external drawing.