Export DWG to World Coordinates

[Anonymous]

This is probably more of a wish than a question but interested to see other users workarounds.

I set files up to a local origin close to 0,0 and use the survey point so that IFC can export to global coordinates (GC) which works great most of the time.

The issue is when a consultant requires a DWG to global coordinates which, as far as I'm aware, isn't possible without workarounds:

1. Create a 'container' file and hotlink in the entire model, then move to the module to GC and export

2. Copy and paste the plan to a worksheet using the marquee, creating disassociated 2D elements and move to GC, then export to DWG,

3. Export to DWG, open in AutoCAD and move to GC, save.

4. Import the DWG's back into a worksheet and move to GC, then have 2 publisher sets for DWG, one for local origin, one for GC. You'd have to publish the local origin DWG first and update the GC.

Is this the most efficient way to deal with this or am I missing something?

PS. We wont model to GC as I find ArchiCAD starts glitching with models located too far away from 0,0 - particularly in 3D windows.

[Anonymous]

Our clients are usually ok with floor plans drawn by the local origin, so I usually need to export only a site plan in the world coordinates, but I would suggest the following if you don't want to manage several exports / files.

1 / work in your file as usual, by the Archicad origin
2 / create a set of Worksheets - one for each plan that you need to export
3 / hotlink your floor plans from the same file to these Worksheets
4 / move hotlinks to your desired coordinates

And then when you're ready to publish, just update the hotlinks and export the Worksheets as DWGs.
No resaving, no moving of your work other than when setting up the hotlinks at the beginning and also no hustle from working in several files.

I'm sure there are also other ways how to do that, but this one seems to me as one of the easiest that I could come up with so far.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reply, what do you mean by hotlink the plan onto a worksheet? Worksheets can't host 3D elements so that wouldn't work unless I'm missing something? This would kind of work if you used a PMK or DWG though.

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry, I take back my previous advice. You can't place a hotlink with 3D elements on a Worksheet. Or to be more precise, you can place a Hotlink of a Story on a Worksheet, but like you said, it will disregard all the 3D Elements.

For some reason I thought it would work, but it doesn't...

[Anonymous]

Hello everbody,

1. Create a 'container' file and hotlink in the entire model, then move to the module to GC and export

- sorry, BUT this is NOT a workaround - that is the correct, practical workflow for this - it is the solution for this...

and as far as I know (and in my experiance) ARCHICAD has - I think since version 8.x and special method dealing with projects very far from origin (0,0) - "fast, symbolic description":

ALL - whatever - elements in a ARCHICAD-project (file/TW) in ALL views are surrounded by a rectangle - the corner "left/down" will be taken as the "new INTERNAL origin" for all elements, so relations between elements are the same, correct "vector-calculating" is the same as at the "original" origin --> there (should be) is no differenc to "situation near orig. origin"...

BUT , if you "forget" this special "situation" and someone creates a new level to do some drafting / lib-objects-creation / import ifc-file / ... , then you suddenly fall into deepest hell... the valley of tears... OMG - most of the time only a backup will save "you"...
...because "suddenly" ARCHICAD recreacte/alter the virtual, internal, surrounding rectangle (prism), which defines the temporally, internal, origin...
suddenly all the negative effects can happen which will happen when your project is situated at x= +357.245,00 m / y=+48.157,25 m ...

the solution developing the whole project "normal" at/near default 0,0 and "hotlinking" this PLN/TW into an other (second) project and there at the "real" world-coordinates (far away from default-0,0) is the correct and rational workFLOW and NOT workaround...

hope I could help solving your question - you are welcome

best regards from vienna,
Klaus