Dwg block importing/exporting problems

[Anonymous]

Hi, i've got a project where i need to arrange a series of existing 2d autocad blocks (furniture items) from a client. They want a dwg drawing back which works and looks like their original so they can run their auditing scripts etc, but i have a couple of problems:

1. Importing - I have managed to successfully import half the blocks (from 1 Autocad file) into AC library as parts using 'import blocks from dxf/dwg' option. However the other half have not imported because I think they are 'dynamic blocks' (additional parameters in blocks setup in autocad). Can AC import these? I can import these using file open or merge commands but blocks do not contain original line type and pen colour info and AC changes or adds to block names.

2. Exporting - I cannot get the blocks back into autocad with the correct setup (bylayer for colours, linetypes, plotstyles - when i use 'Bylayer' in translator block lines end up being all 1 colour/linetype). And when I use the original autocad drawing containing the blocks as a template file in the dwg translator (to keep autocad layer info etc) i get duplicated blocks slightly misaligned (looks like ghosting). The aligning problem also suggests to me that AC hasn't correctly interpreted the original autocad block positions?

Any suggestions?

[Anonymous]

What do you mean with "to arrange 2D blocks":....move, copy, rotate, scale?
If so, why using ArchiCAD for these?. Download and install a free CAD program (yes, even for MacOS) DraftSight by Dassault Systemes (open and save in Acad 2011 dwg). Open the .dwg, make your arrangement, save and mailed it to your client.

[Anonymous]

I was hoping to stick to the one software package. This project also contains new objects that i've created in AC and multiple building levels...wish AC's dwg translation was a little better. But you may be right...might be better off using something else. Don't know much about Draftsight but will have a look at it.

Thanks

[Djordje]

Did you tweak the DWG Translator according to your requirements?

[Anonymous]

I've been trying many different combinations in the translator...seem to be going around in circles though.

I think there is a function in autocad that can replace/update blocks in a drawing with the originals from 'design centre'. If this works then i may not need to worry about line types and pen colours but will have to make sure each library part has the exact same name and position as the autocad block which will mean renaming and adjusting the insertion point in 2d symbol of each. I'm going to send this off to the client as a test and see what happens...

[Anonymous]

Brendan,
you did not answer to my question: What do you mean with "to arrange 2D blocks":....move, copy, rotate, scale?

It has no sense to import a 2D .dwg into ArchiCAd to do some basic arrangement of its blocks and then export back to AutoCAD.

DraftSight is like AutoCAD LT (small, reasonable fast). Did you ever use AutoCAD?.
Here´s a picture of DraftSight workspace:

[Anonymous]

I have the same problem. Round trip support for dynamic blocks ONLY works if you don't edit/move the block while in Archicad.