PM Layout as dwg

[MSotero]

PM Layouts do not allow one to Save as dwg, but one can Publish as dwg.
However, the files I get that it creates can not be opened by PM or AC. PM says the file is empty and AC says nothing.
Oddly, Adobe Illustrator can open them.

AC on the other hand, allows one to Save as or Publish as dwg.
The files created using either option can be opened in PM or AC.

Am I missing something?

[Anonymous]

You are correct that PM doesn't "Save as" DWG. Publish is the only option.

On the other hand, I have no trouble publishing DWGs and reopening them in PM; whether opened as a drawing or imported to a layout. I am using the default translator as well as customized ones with no problems.

Perhaps there is something specific in your process that is causing the problem.

[MSotero]

Matthew wrote:
On the other hand, I have no trouble publishing DWGs and reopening them in PM; whether opened as a drawing or imported to a layout. I am using the default translator as well as customized ones with no problems.

That is perplexing. For me at this moment, somehow inconceivable.
I've tried many things now and its always the same, it works in AC but not PM.
I'm on a Mac using AC build 1410 (the so-called v1+?).
I've tried new&reset, trashing the PM prefs, different files, different computers and different translators.
Always the same result. As such I can't get my consultants what they need.
Could the fact that I still have the AC7 and its PM2.x counterpart in the computer be doing something? I still use this for on going projects.

[Djordje]

MSotero wrote:
PM Layouts do not allow one to Save as dwg, but one can Publish as dwg. However, the files I get that it creates can not be opened by PM or AC. PM says the file is empty and AC says nothing.
Oddly, Adobe Illustrator can open them.

Hm?

Cannot be opened? What are the Translator settings? Try the Default one - that should do the trick.

When you save from PlotMaker, you get PaperSpace (layout) and ModelSpace, as you know. Look into the opening options, it might be that something is switched off.

What is really important is whether AutoCAD opens it ...

[MSotero]

Djordje wrote:
When you save from PlotMaker, you get PaperSpace (layout) and ModelSpace, as you know. Look into the opening options, it might be that something is switched off.

What is really important is whether AutoCAD opens it ...

Well, that got things moving ahead.
I'm finding that if I publish a dwg out of PM using whatever translator (even the default which is set to Model Space vs Linked xrefs which is the only other option offered), the file it creates can be opened with any available setting except Model Space. This being true for both PM & AC.
I'd been sticking with the Model Space setting as I thought the in & out needed to match. Although the files open, I'll now need to check them over for scaling and whatever.
Its odd that when saving out of AC this is not an issue. Interestedly AC offers an additional import option than PM as well.
So I'm not sure if everything is figured out yet, but at least it'll open.

[Djordje]

MSotero wrote:
I'm finding that if I publish a dwg out of PM using whatever translator (even the default which is set to Model Space vs Linked xrefs which is the only other option offered), the file it creates can be opened with any available setting except Model Space. This being true for both PM & AC.

Ig you are not breaking any copyrights/agreements, can you post a zipped DWG here? So we can have a look ...

MSotero wrote:
I'd been sticking with the Model Space setting as I thought the in & out needed to match. Although the files open, I'll now need to check them over for scaling and whatever.

Paper Space is PlotMaker's layout - or Master now - so it is in whatever units you use, 1:1. The drawings within it are scaled - linked views, PMKs, or whatever is placed. In AutoCAD it is handled by the VPSCALE (or similar, long time since I forgot the variables ...) and you should have either all the placed drawings placed as blocks in ModelSpace OR, if you work with the XRef option, one empty PaperSpace with XRef links to the single DWG files. So that was your problem, probably.

MSotero wrote:
Its odd that when saving out of AC this is not an issue. Interestedly AC offers an additional import option than PM as well.
So I'm not sure if everything is figured out yet, but at least it'll open.

No, it is logical - ArchiCAD does not have PaperSpace output, as it is not intended for layouting. You can, however, OPEN a DWG with the PaperSpace option, which is extremely useful, as people are working around AutoCAD's inability to size the scale dependent elements like dimensions and text by doing them in PaperSpace. The additional option is just that - your drawing as it will be plotted/printed. WHen you are opening it, set the units to the paper sise units, AND set the ArchiCAD scale at 1:1 if you want the sheet of the proper size.

TIP: This is the best way to convert a PaperSpace AutoCAD drawing into ModelSpace only AutoCAD drawing

[Anonymous]

I am also trying to export a .dwg file from a layout book. When I try to publish a .dwg from a selected page in the layout book, it creates the file. But when opened in AC I get nothing but a small piece of text from the layout (and none of the master layout). When I open it in PM it tells me the file is empty. All I am trying to do is get a title block to a consultant - I've been able to do this before in past releases.

What am I doing wrong?

[Djordje]

Wolff wrote:
I am also trying to export a .dwg file from a layout book. When I try to publish a .dwg from a selected page in the layout book, it creates the file. But when opened in AC I get nothing but a small piece of text from the layout (and none of the master layout). When I open it in PM it tells me the file is empty. All I am trying to do is get a title block to a consultant - I've been able to do this before in past releases.

What am I doing wrong?

What happens when you open it in VoloView? Or AutoCAD?

Can you post the screenshot of your Translator settings? Not that the default one should not do the job ...

What is in your Master titleblock? Vectors? Text? Bitmap images? If you have the images, that might be the problem.

[Anonymous]

Don't know what VoloView is. Don't have access to AutoCad.

I am using the default translator.

Master titleblock contains lines, text and auto number. I had bitmap images but have removed them. Now I get a file I can open in AC but contains nothing. Opening it in PM gives me the Warning: "... is empty or could not be interpreted."

Even when I remove everything except lines, I get the same message. The resulting .dwg file is about 80k however, which is about the right size for a titleblock file.

What to do?

[Greg Kmethy]

Hi,

Is the titleblock a drawing (PMK) imported into the layout, or is it constructed directly on the layout? In the latter case, the drawing title is placed to the paperspace of the DWG file, and the model space is empty. Import the DWG file into a new layout book, and you will probably see the titleblock.

Greg.