System for DWG convertion & use in AC 10

[Anonymous]

OK guys...how do I take an autocad (file mess) and use it as the basis for an AC 10 model. I am prepared to just redraw this 8,000 sq.ft. building, but do I, put the imported files on a another NEW layer...etc. etc...? and use the file as a background etc. etc..?
Thanks

[Steve Jepson]

Lots of ways to skin that cat.

First of all, is there any 3D data in the AutoCAD that you want to preserve or is is all just 2D stuff. ??

It will help alot if you can provide information about what version of ArchiCAD you are using and what version of AutoCAD the file you want to convert is.

Click the "Profile" icon above. Edit your profile to show information something like this....

Windows XP Pro 2002 SP2 ArchiCAD 10 (1010 USA FULL), Art*Lantis R-V1.1.0.12 ENU, Maxwell Render 1.1, Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional, The ultimate ArchiCAD add-on.

You could copy the lines above and past them into the Signature box, then edit the parts not in [ ]. Delet what you don't want. Change font size, what ever.

[Anonymous]

atelier wrote:
OK guys...how do I take an autocad (file mess) and use it as the basis for an AC 10 model. I am prepared to just redraw this 8,000 sq.ft. building, but do I, put the imported files on a another NEW layer...etc. etc...? and use the file as a background etc. etc..?
Thanks

1. Open the DWG in a separate archicad session.
2. Flatten all entities to the archicad layer.
3. Delete all the autocad generated layers.
4. Select all and copy.
5. Open a new archicad file you want to build the model in and create a dummy story with 0 height for each DWG story you might import.
6. Paste the data to the appropriate story.
7. When model is done delete the ACAD stories.

Note: By placing this information on 0' stories you can use the ghost story to show the info you need and build the model directly on top of it.

Additionnal Note: this technique does not require you to create addtional layers in your model

Typical Stories:
Foundation
1st floor
2nd floor
Roof

Typical Stories w/ ACAD linework template:
ACAD FND (to be removed)
Foundation
ACAD 1st (to be removed)
1st floor
ACAD 2nd (to be removed)
2nd floor
ACAD Roof (to be removed)
Roof

[Laszlo Nagy]

You could also place the DWG as a drawing on the Floor Plan using the File\External Content\Place External Drawing... menu command.
The beauty of this is that Archicad will sense and snap to any element within the Drawing DWG, it can have its own Pen Set, and it does not create all those nasty layers coming from the DWG file.
If you only wish to use part of the DWG file, then first open it in Archicad, delete anything not needed from it, and save it as a DWG/DXF or even PLN file. Then place that cleaned up file as a Drawing on the Floor Plan.

[Anonymous]

laszlonagy wrote:
You could also place the DWG as a drawing on the Floor Plan using the File\External Content\Place External Drawing... menu command.
The beauty of this is that Archicad will sense and snap to any element within the Drawing DWG, it can have its own Pen Set, and it does not create all those nasty layers coming from the DWG file.
If you only wish to use part of the DWG file, then first open it in Archicad, deleted anything not needed from it, and save it as a DWG/DXF or even PLN file. Then place that cleaned up file as a Drawing on the Floor Plan.

O-MY-GOD! how stupid do i feel?! This nifty tip had escaped us all in the office. (having to link engineer's drawings in our model all the time and using xrefs or saving their dwg as a pln with modification to their layers etcetc is probably the most annoying task i've had to do!)
I think I love you

[PatriciaLe_o]

I also have a question that has to do with this dwg stuff...
We can put a dwg drawing using Merge, Place external drawing and Attach XRef commands, wright? When should I use one or the other? It seems to me as three names for the same action! There must be a difference... can anyone explain me? Thanks a lot!

[TomWaltz]

PatriciaLeão wrote:
I also have a question that has to do with this dwg stuff...
We can put a dwg drawing using Merge, Place external drawing and Attach XRef commands, wright? When should I use one or the other? It seems to me as three names for the same action! There must be a difference... can anyone explain me? Thanks a lot!

They are very different actions.

Merge just dumps the DWG into your file. No linking.

XREF places the DWG contents in your project with a link so that if the original DWG changes, you can show those changes in your project.

External Drawing places a link to the DWG, but places it as a single element. It does not create any new layers, linetypes, or fills in your project. It acts like a viewport. You can still snap to points inside of it and it can be cropped as needed. It can be exploded if you need to edit it.

I use External Drawing almost exclusively

[PatriciaLe_o]

Hmmmm! Thanks for clarifying this subject Tom!

[Laszlo Nagy]

xristina wrote:

laszlonagy wrote:
You could also place the DWG as a drawing on the Floor Plan using the File\External Content\Place External Drawing... menu command.
The beauty of this is that Archicad will sense and snap to any element within the Drawing DWG, it can have its own Pen Set, and it does not create all those nasty layers coming from the DWG file.
If you only wish to use part of the DWG file, then first open it in Archicad, deleted anything not needed from it, and save it as a DWG/DXF or even PLN file. Then place that cleaned up file as a Drawing on the Floor Plan.

O-MY-GOD! how stupid do i feel?! This nifty tip had escaped us all in the office. (having to link engineer's drawings in our model all the time and using xrefs or saving their dwg as a pln with modification to their layers etcetc is probably the most annoying task i've had to do!)
I think I love you

What a compliment
Thanks!!!

[Anonymous]

There is a program of Graphisoft which transforms 2D drawings automatically to 3D model in groundplan. It's name is Plan to 3D or something like this... I couldn't find a link on Graphisoft's homepage.

Later comment:
Thank you Steve for the link below, now I see that it isn't a Graphisoft product, that's why I couldn't find it on their page...