Modeling
About Archicad's design tools, element connections, modeling concepts, etc.

dwg export: windows,doors layers?

Anonymous
Not applicable
Hi i want when i want to make conversion into autocad dwg that window will be on layer and door on other layer so i am using layer conversion table so for example structual engineering will be given to it layer called: wall on autocad side but what about doors and windows it seems there is no layers on archicad for those elements so i can not convert it into independent layer i hope there is solution for that and thank you
10 REPLIES 10
Karl Ottenstein
Moderator
You can specify a single layer for all windows and a single layer for all doors (type whatever you like) in the translator settings as shown in the attached screenshot.

Notice the other items in this list that you can create 'custom' layers for. If you do not enter a 'custom' layer, then each of these things belongs to the layer of the 'owner'/'parent' as in ArchiCAD. That is, if you do not enter a window or door layer, then the windows and doors will export in the same layer as the walls that they are contained in.

Cheers,
Karl
One of the forum moderators
AC 27 USA and earlier   •   macOS Ventura 13.6.6, MacBook Pro M2 Max 12CPU/30GPU cores, 32GB
Anonymous
Not applicable
thanks a lot that is fantastic options i wonder is that applied only on items like doors and windows only or it could apply on roof or slabs i mean is this options is limited to the elements that has no layers in its setting
Karl Ottenstein
Moderator
ahmed_hassan wrote:
thanks a lot that is fantastic options i wonder is that applied only on items like doors and windows only or it could apply on roof or slabs i mean is this options is limited to the elements that has no layers in its setting
Yes, it is limited to just the things listed in the screenshot. If you want a roof or slab to be in a special DWG layer, then you should put it in a separate layer in ArchiCAD itself.

You DO have the ability to rename ArchiCAD layers during the translation, though, if that is what you are asking about roofs and slabs:

So, if you have some roofs in A-ROOF and others in A-ROOF SHEATHING and the sheathing elements need to go into a DWG layer called A-ROOF STHG (e.g.), then just use the layer-to-layer panel in the DWG translator to do that.

In an ideal situation (that I have yet to encounter), the person to whom you are sending the DWG has their own standard layer names. Have them send you an empty DWG file with that info in it. In the DWG translator set-up, you can create a special translator just for them which uses their blank DWG as a 'template' file.

Then, when you do the layer-to-layer translator, the ArchiCAD layers will of course be in the ArchiCAD drop-down list - but now instead of having to type the client's layer names, all of the DWG layers from their template/reference file will show up in a drop-down list for the target layer.

See attached screenshot for where you attach a template DWG to your translator... next post will show how to use it...

Karl
Setting a DWG template.gif
One of the forum moderators
AC 27 USA and earlier   •   macOS Ventura 13.6.6, MacBook Pro M2 Max 12CPU/30GPU cores, 32GB
Karl Ottenstein
Moderator

Using DWG template layers.gif

This last screenshot shows creating a new layer-to-layer translation entry with no typing - only selecting AC layers from a drop-down list, and selecting client-target DWG layer names (from their template file) from a drop-down list.

The layer names shown are kind a little strange - AC default template, and a survey dwg from an engineer - but illustrate the process anyway. 😉

Cheers,
Karl

One of the forum moderators
AC 27 USA and earlier   •   macOS Ventura 13.6.6, MacBook Pro M2 Max 12CPU/30GPU cores, 32GB
Anonymous
Not applicable
Oh great great that was the thing i do not know even about it what awesome programme archicad is thanks a lot Karl for this valued informations really i appreciate it
Karl Ottenstein
Moderator
You're welcome. I wish you success!

Karl
One of the forum moderators
AC 27 USA and earlier   •   macOS Ventura 13.6.6, MacBook Pro M2 Max 12CPU/30GPU cores, 32GB

Hi @Karl Ottenstein I see you can only translate windows or doors on their own but why if we want to distinguish between internal and external windows/ door? do you know if there is a workaround to do this? I have to export according to BS 1192 Part 5 and here window and door are subdivided into internal and external. 

@ape2000 Because Windows and Doors belong to host walls and do not have their own layers, I don't know that there is any way to filter exterior/interior to different layers in a DWG.  Someone else might... so since this is a 10 year old thread, perhaps start a new topic to ask.   If you were exporting to IFC rather than DWG, then I think (?) there is more control.  But, like this thread, my knowledge on all of this is 10 years old. 🤣

One of the forum moderators
AC 27 USA and earlier   •   macOS Ventura 13.6.6, MacBook Pro M2 Max 12CPU/30GPU cores, 32GB

hey @Karl Ottenstein nice to cross some messages with one of the most famous and experience faces in this forum!. I expected that this could not be done easily I will have a look again into this forum and if I do not see anything clear I will start a new topic. Thanks!