Autocad Architecture to Chief

[hoohooty]

Hello to all, and thank you for your time. I am a AutoCAD user since R-14. I use it for Wood framing layout for all my crews. (HD layouts for concrete, detail layouts for wall framing -(which include shear panel, TC, HDR.-SS.-BC. for all openings, window & door pulls, post sizes w/ locations, blks, etc)., joist & beam layouts, roof truss layouts, and other conditions. Attached is an examples to make it clearer to all. The process involves drawing out the entire buildings in AutoCAD. Applying all the proper labels so that the foremans can build off of these drawings. The problem is an accurate cut list for entire job must be supplied to the lumber yard for cut and shipment. Originally we would manually make a cut list doing item by item which works fairly well, but one of my companies has gone to Mitek -sapphire software solutions that could save an immense amount of time if it was correct, but as we all know the variables of what they are trying to do could be astronomical to say the least and actually produces more work in the way of me having to go through someone else's design and correct it to work for us. So with all that said here's a possible solution that should work. Since Chief Arch is said to work through Sapphire whether its extension is recognized in Sapphire or it can be imported, I'm really not sure and Chief Arch. can create lumber cut list, and can import AutoCAD, then this should work. The problem is with the CAD to Walls command requires a lot of corrections that is doable. So I came up with this idea to see if AutoCAD Architecture 2018, that actually assigns wall, door and window values to each item. (wall sizes -hgt & width, window & doors -sizes & hgt) then maybe Chief can recognize the DWG/DFX import easier with less corrections. The problem I'm having is that the Chief Arch. seems to only import the 2d -lines & text out of the drawing. Nothing -walls, windows, doors, mass(post) do not come through. Again thank you for your time. Please review attachments and let me know if there is a solution to this without having to manually draw in Chief. Thank you

GARDENA TOWNHOME DET 1ST FL 402.pdf

GARDENA TOWNHOME DET 2ND FL 402.pdf

GARDENA TOWNHOME 402 JST & BEAM 2ND FL.pdf

[rlackore]

File>Import>Import Drawing (DWG, DXF)... will only import 2D data.

File>Import>Import 3D Symbol (DWG, DXF, OBJ, etc.)... will import 3D data.

 

A DWG file created by AutoCAD Architecture doesn't include any "readable" 3D data for Chief to import - you'll have to first export the file as a DXF. Unfortunately, this data can only be imported as a Symbol, which will do you no good whatsoever because you can't extract any usable information from a Symbol.

 

[hoohooty]

Thank you for your reply. I was hoping to not hear that. I had already tried that with like you said useless to what im trying to do

 Again thank you.

[hoohooty]

But...... what i wonder is what will chief import from autocad architecture. I have 2018 and was going to start doing all my drawings in it. Doesn't seem to import anything from it and imports fine from my flat 2016. Again thanks

 

[Kbird1]

2 hours ago, hoohooty said:

But...... what i wonder is what will chief import from autocad architecture. I have 2018 and was going to start doing all my drawings in it. Doesn't seem to import anything from it and imports fine from my flat 2016. Again thanks

 

 

Maybe just a Year/version mismatch , can't test it as I don't have ACAD, but I would assume x10 is good upto ACAD 2017, so try saving your ACAD files as 2107 version and see if that works..

 

There is the same issue with SketchUP files , the year a file is saved in is important.

[hoohooty]

Well i did try that to. Save as and i think i tried 2016 which was my flat autocad version, but i think i should check what it was saving to. Thanks. It imports everything from that. Most of the time.