Why import as GDL?

[Anonymous]

Hello all,

What are the advantages of importing a DWG file as GDL object into AC?

I also have another question
I'm trying to import survey data to generate the siting drawing. The file is large (ca. 4Mb) so I decided to xref it. After "xrefing it" (is this a verb?) all xref layers are locked. I can unlock all layers except one. Since I need to rotate the drawing this comes as a huge nuissance.
Can anyone explain me why can't I unlock one of the many layers?

Many thanks.
Joaquim

[David Maudlin]

jagostinho wrote:
What are the advantages of importing a DWG file as GDL object into AC?

Joaquim:

This allows the file to be viewed as a 3D entity in the 3D window, rather than just 2D elements (lines, fills, etc.) in the 2D window.

David

[Anonymous]

Just a thought but was the orinal layer locked in autocad? Haven't had a chance to recreate this but let us know.

[Anonymous]

What are the advantages of importing a DWG file as GDL object into AC?

These objects in 2d (such as text, lines etc.) also can be exploded and edited. Keep in mind they are not objects anymore after exploding them.

[Anonymous]

I checked the layer in question and it was NOT locked in autocad.

[Anonymous]

I just tested it and it appears that anything on a locked layer in Autocad won't be written to the block anyway.

[Thomas Holm]

If you turn on Groups you should be able to rotate the whole XREF as one entity.

If this doesn't work, try importing (Open or Merge) the DWG into an empty Archicad .pln, edit it there and then hotlink it int your project instead.

These tutorials might be helpful:
http://www.archicadwiki.com/TechNotes/Handle_huge_surveyors%27_drawings?highlight=%28TechNotes/%29%7...
http://www.digitalvis.com/pdfs/support/tipstricks/Terrain%20Modeling.pdf
http://www.archicad.ca/?p=12
http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com//files/3d-roads_245.png
http://www.aecbytes.com/tipsandtricks/2006/issue10-archicad.html
http://www.archicad.ca/?p=13

[Anonymous]

Thomas, I had never used the "Merge" command. I brought an Autocad block directly into my AC plan. I was happy to see that it was simply grouped entity. I just suspend groups and make changes as necessary without having to break links or anything else. We have several generic blocks that can be used in most plans. Merge allows me to easily make project specific changes to these blocks. Thanks for the tip!! Doug

[Thomas Holm]

Bringing in Autocad files like you describe is easy but might create problems with layers etc. Your layer list will be long, your line type menu will be weird, etc. This is also the case if you Xref it or Merge directly into your current project. (I think just dragging in a dwg block into a floor plan is equal to a Merge)

If you Open the DWG first or Merge in into an empty .pln you can edit layers etc befor you hotlink it into your main project.
Edit>Find and Select and Edit>Element Settings>Edit Selection Set are really handy commands.

(The practical difference btw. Open vs. Merge-into-an-empty-.pln is that with Open you only get the [translated] attributes, fills, linetypes etc that are already in the DWG, with Merge you also have all the attributes from your standard template at your disposal when you edit)

But there's a much simpler and non-intrusive way of bringing Autocad files in, if you don't need to customize first. You can pull them in as Drawings. File>External Content>Place External Drawing. This can be done in a floor plan too, not just a Layout, and will give you it all-in-one-layer, and if you Explode it you can edit it too.

Tom Waltz has written an excellent tutorial on this subject:
http://www.aecbytes.com/tipsandtricks/2007/issue14-archicad.html

Every method has it's pros and cons. But Archicad is flexible.

[Anonymous]

Bringing in Autocad files like you describe is easy but might create problems with layers etc. Your layer list will be long, your line type menu will be weird, etc. This is also the case if you Xref it or Merge directly into your current project. (I think just dragging in a dwg block into a floor plan is equal to a Merge)

This is a good point Thomas. In this particular case though all of the items were on the same layer when the blocks were written.

Every method has it's pros and cons.

This does seem to be the case. I think I'll go thru and try each method, making note of these pros & cons to find out which suits this particular case. I'm assuming that I will also gain some insight for future AC/Autocad intercation. I will also take a look at Tom's tutorial.

Thanks again
Doug