Softplan to AC in DWG format

[Anonymous]

I work for a construction company that has just started drawign our own plans and we are slowly switching to all inhouse prints. The problem is that the outside company we hired to work for us earlier uses Softplan. The draftsman sent me a cd with the files on it in DWG format and i tried unsuccessfully to load it. i merged it with another file and it still didn't have anything showing on the screen. nothing came across from the two so it is not benefiting me to have these drawings. is there any other way to bring the drawings over to make them work?

I Appreciate all the help provided.

[Anonymous]

did you just try to open them directly in ArchiCAD, as in go to open, select .DWG fromt he dropdown menu in the bottom, and open the files that way? actually selecting DWG from the dropdown menu, rather than say, selecting *.* all files, makes a difference.

dan

[Anonymous]

G'day Jeremy,

I worked for a place that used SoftPlan as a 2D tool only (?!?! )
They tried to convert to AC, which was why I was hired. I developed a way to import the lines & circles into AC that allowed easy comparision & dimensioning as I built 3D models.

Are your SP files 2D or 3D?

[Anonymous]

I was told that the soft plan file is in 2-d and it is in DWG format. i tried to open the file straight up with the dwg setting but it was not working that way either. thanx guys.

[Anonymous]

jcude wrote:
I was told that the soft plan file is in 2-d and it is in DWG format. i tried to open the file straight up with the dwg setting but it was not working that way either. thanx guys.

Jcude,
Try opening the DWG as an object.

Here's how:
1.) Go to File/GDL Objects/Open Objects...
2.) Make sure "Files of Type:" is set to "All GDL Objects"
3.) Navigate to your DWG and select it...hit Open

4.) The dwg will open up as an Untitled GDL object
5.) Save it and go to your plan window and place it with the object tool

This is an old trick for quickly merging dwg linework/etc. without having to worry about bringing in all the autocad layers, etc.

I don't really use this technique much, but thought you might want to give it a try.

HTH,
Dan K

[Djordje]

Can you post one of the zipped DWGs here so that we can try?

[Anonymous]

My Computer will not allow me to zip the file. I'm not familiar with the process. how does this work. i right clicked on the file and said send to compressed zip. it didn't go.

Also I saved the object and then opened it through the object tool and it still did not show up on the screen. i have no idea what is up with this file.

[Anonymous]

jcude wrote:
...Also I saved the object and then opened it through the object tool and it still did not show up on the screen. i have no idea what is up with this file.

Jeremy,
Depending on your screen's background color, the linework in the object might not be visible. Try going to the "2D symbol" area of the opened object, select all the lines and change the color. If they're in there they will show up.

Same thing for text....select all text, change the color, and it should show up.

Dan K

[Anonymous]

Nothing Showes up when i try to open it up. there is nothing in the screen to select. I tried merging and impoting through the library manager and nothing is on the screen that i can select. i changed the background color and nothing helped. i tried to do a ctrl>A and select all but it didn't select anything.

[Anonymous]

Jeremy

It might be that all the drawing info is in Paperspace in the DWG file. Try altering this setting (highlighted on attached) in the Translator.

HTH