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Import Autocad Layer Lineweights as Penset

Anonymous
Not applicable
AC must be able to import Lineweights from dwgs into Pensets.

I find it is a common practice among Autocad users to assign line thicknesses via Layer Lineweights. Both architects and engineers use this method. But when opened in AC, all lines come with 0.18 mm thickness. If I want to print it I have to call the engineer and ask what linethickness for each colour is and then create a new Penset and manually assign these thicknesses. This is a time-consuming and unnecessary process!

PenSet.gif
4 REPLIES 4
Thomas Holm
Booster
kliment wrote:
This is a time-consuming and unnecessary process!
True.
But since 99% of Autocad users still use the original fixed penset of early Autocad/DOS (some 20 years old) you can easily create your own Autocad pen table and assign that to the imported files. In fact, here we use that everywhere possible, to minimize co-operation problems.

I agree that this should be taken care of by Archicad's DWG import utility.

Below I reprint the first 10 pens of our Autocad standard pen table. These pens cover most needs when importing engineering DWGs.

#1, red, 0.25,
#2, yellow, 1.00,
#3, green, 0.35,
#4, cyan, 0.18,
#5, blue, 1.40,
#6, magenta, 0.70,
#7, white, 0.50 (use black if white background),
#8, grey, 0.13,

The following are not global standard but we use them too, to get finer hairlines.
#9, light grey, 0.07,
#10, dark red, 0.00,
(note that zero lineweight prints at the printer device's finest resolution. If you have a really good printer this might cause lines to disappear!)

We also use a similar penset called Autoblack that uses the same line weights (thicknesses) but where all these pens are black. This is for output (print and layout) use.
AC4.1-AC26SWE; MacOS13.5.1; MP5,1+MBP16,1
It would be really nice to have the ability to import Autocad *.ctb files!!!

Best Regards,
Piotr
Anonymous
Not applicable
Thomas, every engineer I work with had different thicknesses for these pens. So I have to ask each one separately.

When I worked on black background I used yellow as the thickest pen, but recently I had a dwg with yellow fills!
gpowless
Advocate
While I appreciate the dilemma, it is nonetheless not common.

Instead if engineers are working on your designs then I suggest that setting some standards are in order along with the request for the work. It is not hard for them to set the default AutoCad pens, and then adjust your merge properties once.

My experience is that those who can't conform to even the basic of AutoCad settings is probably using colour as thickness anyway.
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