BIM Coordinator Program (INT) April 22, 2024

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About model and data exchange with 3rd party solutions: Revit, Solibri, dRofus, Bluebeam, structural analysis solutions, and IFC, BCF and DXF/DWG-based exchange, etc.

Importing a terrain from a 3D dwg

Sam Karli
Enthusiast
Hi, in Hungary most widespread way of getting terrain data from civil engineers is through a 3D AutoCAD dwg file, and I can't make a real 3D Terrain in ArchiCAD.

The program opens the dwg, but it's converted into 2D. If I choose a through gdl import, I've got the 3D, but with no hotspots to snap a terrain onto them.

I imported the data into Blender, and then into collada, to get it in SketcUp (done), but found that my Sketchup .skps are imported into my ArchiCAD SE 2010 differently than advertised, again, I get a gdl element without walls or slabs (I tried simple boxes and the like to test the thing, didn't work).

I have Autocad LTs, Archicad SE 2006 and 2010; Blender and Sketchup. But couldn't do the import.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance.
GDL/Python/C++ dev
9 REPLIES 9
David Maudlin
Virtuoso
Sam wrote:
If I choose a through gdl import, I've got the 3D, but with no hotspots to snap a terrain onto them.
If you open the terrain library part, go to the 2D Symbol window, and place hotspots with the Hotspots Tool, and save the part. This will add hotspots to the 2D Symbol in the plan view. (I am assuming this will work in the SE version). If you had AC 16, you could convert this object to Morphs and edit it directly in the 3D Window.

David
David Maudlin / Architect
www.davidmaudlin.com
Digital Architecture
AC27 USA • iMac 27" 4.0GHz Quad-core i7 OSX11 | 24 gb ram • MacBook Pro M3 Pro | 36 gb ram OSX14
Sam Karli
Enthusiast
Thanks,

I can add hotsports in the 2D symbol view, but they are, again, in 2D (having Z coords 0), and it's the Z (height data) that I search for 😞

PS
But this gave me the idea of the usual solution:
I opened the 3D script (of only lines) in Notepad++, and made a Regex-search/replace. Just for fun, the two parameters were:
What:
^LIN_ ([^,]*,[^,]*,[^,]*),
To:
hotspot $1 \nhotspot

And this converted every line into two hotspots (start and end) .
GDL/Python/C++ dev
Sam Karli
Enthusiast
The only problem is that the imported GDL stuff is just 2 digit precise (ie. a point's coordinates are like 000.00, not 000.0000), that's not too much.
GDL/Python/C++ dev
Anonymous
Not applicable
Why not just add the line at the beginning of the script:

HOTSPOT 0,0,0
Sam Karli
Enthusiast
I don't understand this, what is this line for?
GDL/Python/C++ dev
Anonymous
Not applicable
This line in the 3D script will generate the hotspot at the origin.
You will be able to move the object and have the real reference.
Anonymous
Not applicable
I am facing a similar problem. I am using AC16 and I have a DXF with the terrain in 3d.
Any idea on how to model the terrain from the DWG 3d model?
Anonymous
Not applicable
1. Open that .dxf file in AutoCAD or similar program with LISP support
2. Follow the instructions in this thread:

http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=39671&highlight=mesh
Anonymous
Not applicable
Thank you andro55!
Moving to the other post for questions.
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