preparing AutoCAD walls for smartmerge to have 3D properties

[Anonymous]

Greetings Everyone!

I'm new to this board but have been using ArchiCAD for two years now, I'm currently using version 9. My office will be working with some consultants overseas, whom as you've probably already guessed uses AutoCAD. I've got a very good translator and so far through all my tests everything works well... except one thing.

I set up a .dwg and saved it for smart merge. When the consulant gets it, everything looks okay. However, how do they go about drawing walls, doors, and such (in AutoCAD) so that when the file is imported back over to my original .PLN the new walls come in with 3D properties? In AutoCAD, the only way I found to draw new walls was to copy and paste existing walls which was a royal PITA.

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Cheers,

Alan

[TomWaltz]

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure the only way to create 3D, Archicad-compatible elements in that situation is to make copies of ones that already exist, like you are doing.

Smart Merge is a great feature, but only 80% complete, in my opinion.... as I think you have found.

[Anonymous]

Wow. Bummer. Editing copied, original walls in AutoCAD has also proven difficult. Seems as though the "stretch" command as well as "trim" and others had no effect on the wall. The only thing that worked was to explode the wall and then edit it. Of course, once it was brought into ArchiCAD the walls were not 3D. I guess it's not the worst thing in the world, but so much for BIM when working with consultants. Thanks for the info Tom, much appreciated.

-Alan

[Petros Ioannou]

Well I am not sure it is 80 % complete Tom.
Once you send an ArchiCAD created DWG to a consultant who uses AutoCAD, every new element he creates (such as HVAC) should be independent of the architectural elements you created. So I don't see a reason why he should mess up with my walls!!
On the other hand, if he has to work with architectural elements, force him to switch to ArchiCAD!

But maybe I am missing something here.

Petros

[Anonymous]

Our consultants will be working with the architectural elements; we are hiring another firm to do some drafting work for us. So yeah, I guess there is no way to have the 3D properties to the new walls they create.

With that said, we are trying to decide if the other firm that will be doing the drafting should get a copy or two of ArchiCAD or do all of the drafting in AutoCAD and we'll get a copy of that just for simple touch ups. Thanks for your help guys.

Cheers!

Alan

[TomWaltz]

albertv05 wrote:
Our consultants will be working with the architectural elements; we are hiring another firm to do some drafting work for us. So yeah, I guess there is no way to have the 3D properties to the new walls they create.

With that said, we are trying to decide if the other firm that will be doing the drafting should get a copy or two of ArchiCAD or do all of the drafting in AutoCAD and we'll get a copy of that just for simple touch ups. Thanks for your help guys.

Cheers!

Alan

At the very least, you are going to have one heck of a coordination task in front of you, keeping that many companies going in the same direction!

[TomWaltz]

Petros wrote:
Well I am not sure it is 80 % complete Tom.
Once you send an ArchiCAD created DWG to a consultant who uses AutoCAD, every new element he creates (such as HVAC) should be independent of the architectural elements you created. So I don't see a reason why he should mess up with my walls!!
On the other hand, if he has to work with architectural elements, force him to switch to ArchiCAD!

The whole problem I have is that Smart Merge is marketed as this miracle feature, like you can import any changes you want.

In reality the AutoCAD user you are collaborating with is forced to work within a restrictively narrow set of boundaries that differ from the way any AutoCAD user works. When you go to merge their changes back in, you have very limited options to control how their work is merged into your project.