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DWG export bug in AC9

Thomas Holm
Booster
Hi!

I've just encountered what appears to be a bug in the dwg export module in Archicad9, v2045 SWE Full. (It's the same as the INT version, just with some additional SWE library parts - our distributor Lasercad is originally Scottish I think 😉

I export a dwg to Autocad 2004 for a consultant engineer. I use no template file, a simple custom layer set (which varies from time to time), no BYLAYER settings. The translator is set to export with 1mm = 1dwgunit as usual, and keeping pen index numbers.

Now for the first time the consultant complains that the dwg he gets is set to inches. (This is the first time I export from 2045 - could this be a newly introduced thing?) He says that there is a parameter called INSUNITS, which tells his Autocad what scale the file has, and that parameter is set (or not) in my file to the default 1 insunit = 1 inch. This parameter is not accessible through my translator settings. And I've found no mention of it in the help files, on Graphisoft's site, or here.

So he has to rescale each file he gets from me by 1/0,254 or whatever. Not funny.

I talked with Lasercad support, and they could only confirm the bug. They first thought this was a drag-and-drop issue only, but it is not. It's the same problem with File>Open.

Lasercad told me the issue could be worked around by using a template file on export, which I haven't.
But they also told me that to do that i have to:
1) use a pre-fixed layerset,
2) use set either Linetypes of colors BYLAYER

These are both limitations of Autocad that I stopped accepting some 15 years ago, when I used Microstation. I have no intention to cripple my work like that, especially these days when this limitation no longer is forced upon you by Autocad, just by Archicad's dwg export routine.

The bug is reported to Graphisoft through Lasercad.

Now I would like:

- to beg Graphisoft to fix this ASAP (and not make us wait for Archicad 10 or whatever)

- to ask you fellow Archicad-talkers on your opinion (perhaps someone has a simple workaround that works?)
AC4.1-AC26SWE; MacOS13.5.1; MP5,1+MBP16,1
1 REPLY 1
Anonymous
Not applicable
I put in a vote for GS fixing it NOW! I export dwgs on a daily basis and have, for months now, had to either bug the office who uses Autocad downstairs to check the drawings, or send them out blind.

We work in a DWG world and it is EXTRAORDINARILY important to have this feature working again.