Importing DWG

[wncbw7]

I have a DWG drawing for a large 3 story house that I wanted to convert to chief so that I can add an electrical layout using chief symbols.

 

I can import the file as a basic cad drawing. all of the walls windows and doors are on a single layer, ARXFINE. I tried importing it per the instructions and then using the cad to wall tool and ended up with an unworkable drawing.

 

Is the it difficult too import an auto cad plan into chief and make a chief type of file?

 

Secondly I can work with the basic CAD file and would like to just add the electrical switches, fixtures and connections. However since my walls don't show as CHIEF walls it won't let me place the switches. Is there a way to override the wall issue?

 

Thanks in advance for all of your wise help.

Steve

 

The obvious solution to me is to just work with the basic CAD drawing and draw the switches, fixtures and connections in using CAD and skip the Chief symbols.

[Joe_Carrick]

DWG is a 2D format and when imported into Chief it's just "dumb lines".

 

Chief is a 3D format.  The best way is to import the DWG and then draw the Chief Walls, Doors, Windows, etc. over the top of the imported DWG.  That way you will have a 3D Chief Plan to work with.

[KevinWaldron]

Joe, Not to argue but............ the problem is not that DWG format can't produce 3D files.......... it is the fact that Chief can't import a true 3D house or many other items from DWG files even if an outside program is capable of producing the necessary components and files to make a true 3D object. Many programs are..... personally don't think this is the best format for 3D work.....but many programs that produce and use DWG are capable of much more than 2D files...... In my opinion much of the problem is that Chief is using outside faces for 3D representation in many areas......... example would be cabinets...... they are not made up of individual components like a program like Cabinet Vision would make...... but primarily four sided faces or solids not necessarily actual parts..... they are more times than not.....representation of parts or whole items ... a facade if you will ....the representation serves the purpose most of the time but fails in many area's to make a 3D object that could be used by a a CAM program or a 3D printer to actually make the part, whole, or component.

 

Original Post Best to probably stay in a DWG program and import your symbols from another 3D source and make new blocks in the Cad program.

 

kw

[wncbw7]

Thanks for the reply, you confirmed what I was thinking.

[lbuttery]

prior to getting Chief in 2004 I was doing my research and found software that import digital pictures

and give "all" the dimensions and export as a .DWG file

 

I verify Chief can import .DWG files so I seeing a business model where it would be "easy" to photo a house'

import into Chief and voila a 3D model

 

ummm, then reality struck :(

 

it doesn't work

 

Lew

[HamlinBC]

I just had a thought...it would be neat if when you imported a .dwg you could convert a certain layer to walls (similar to how you convert it to terrain perimeter or elevation data).

[HamlinBC]

DWG is a 2D format and when imported into Chief it's just "dumb lines".

 

 

the problem is not that DWG format can't produce 3D files.......... it is the fact that Chief can't import a true 3D house or many other items from DWG files even if an outside program is capable of producing the necessary components and files to make a true 3D object.

 

What about when you import a .dwg with elevation points?...is that not converting 3D data into Chief?

 

Again, going with my post above, I think if you could specify a layer and have it convert the outside perimeter into Chief walls, that alone would eliminate a lot of headaches.  then we'd have to start working on interior walls...

[glennw]

Again, going with my post above, I think if you could specify a layer and have it convert the outside perimeter into Chief walls, that alone would eliminate a lot of headaches.  then we'd have to start working on interior walls...

 

 

This is doable with the Cad To Walls tools which usually works pretty well.

You didn't say what problems you experienced using this tool.

[KevinWaldron]

Jonathan...... since you brought it up.......

 

This is an example from Turbocad Advertisement for their Civil add on......... It would or could be a DWG file........ Chief can't import this terrain data as shown although it is a 3D DWG file.......

 

kw

[HamlinBC]

This is doable with the Cad To Walls tools which usually works pretty well.

You didn't say what problems you experienced using this tool.

 

...well...I guess I didn't know this existed.

 

I've only been using Chief for 9.5 years and I think one time I had to import a .dwg house plan.

 

Foot has been inserted into mouth 

 

This is why I don't chime in very often...I get schooled more often times than not!

 

EDIT:

Ok...now I really feel stupid.  They actually said they used this tool in the OP...   I'll go back to lurking...

[HamlinBC]

This is an example from Turbocad Advertisement for their Civil add on......... It would or could be a DWG file........ Chief can't import this terrain data as shown although it is a 3D DWG file.......

 

Hi Kevin,

 

You can import 3D DWG's into Chief...the problem is it would come in as a symbol.

 

Now, if you have a GPS survey, you can import the .dwg file with the points and convert them to elevation data...which is 3D data.  You can also set one of the layers to be the terrain perimeter and it would create the terrain for you.

[KevinWaldron]

Jonathan...

 

The original point I made was that you are so limited with the ability to import or export 3D dwg files.........

 

GPS points can have XYZ coordinates but would you consider this 3D data in and of itself a 3D drawing?   .......  This is so limited as far as what you can do with the points and the terrain data as compared to other software...... you can't draw curves between points, drape, loft, blend, fillet, extrude surface extend surface, fillet, smash, tween and the list goes on....... 

 

kw

 

Enclosing a file that was originally drawn in Chief then exported as a 3D model from Chief....... the elevation draws great but look how much of the actual information needed for a true 3D file is missing.......( Rhinoceros is the program running the DWG file) Same thing occurs on an import.......much of the data is truncated or you can't import file as one might need..

[Arielle_02]

Hi,

 

Does Chief Architect resolves that issue about importing a 3D files?  I hope  after one year they find a way to allow their users to do it.  I' m experiencing this problem now.

 

Thank you for your answer.

 

Arielle.

[Dermot]

Arielle,

 

Your question is not clear.  This is an old post filled with a lot of misinformation so you should probably disregard most of it.  You need to be more specific about what you are trying to import, what you are trying to do with it, and what problems you are having.

 

Chief Architect can import both 2D and 3D DXF and DWG files.  2D files can be imported as simple CAD drawings and 3D files can be imported as symbols.  Drawings containing terrain information can also be imported and converted directly into Chief as terrain data.  2D drawings can also be converted into actual Chief models using the CAD to Walls tool but there are a number of limitations.  For example, your drawings need to be pretty simple and things should be on proper layers for Chief to do this conversion.  For some people, it is just easier to trace over the drawing rather then setup the CAD to Walls to work correctly.  Almost any 3D data can be imported and used as a symbol within the program.  There is no way to convert from another program's 3D model into an actual Chief model though.