Auto cad import help


pazzfam
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Hi

 

I want to import a complete plan 22 pages to modify drawn in auto cad I have never done this before. Does auto cad send to a layout page like chief?

Will i get a complete page like what I see in paper format? Then I can just modify?

 

Thanks in advance

 

Adam

 

 

 

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All you can do with AutoCAD (DWG) files is import and trace over or you can try to use the Cad to walls tool. For me ( because everything is already set up using template plans and layouts) I would just trace over the Autocad plan. There is no automatic import 3d with those files.

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As far as I can tell you can only import Model Space into the PLAN file.

 

Layouts in CA are not like paper space in ACAD. What you get in CA are copies of views placed in CA layouts.

Some of these copies update automatically like from plan view. All other views do not appear to update reliably.

So without an "Update All Views: command it is a PITA to step through 20 layouts to activate the view & close to refresh that view in the layout.

 

The text from ACAD needs to be edited so you can copy & paste into a CA Add text dialog box. No direct copy & paste of text objects.

It can be tedious.

 

That is what my understanding of the situation is. Maybe some experts will improve on my methods so far.

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I am supposed to build the house in excess of a million dollars. I did not draw and it is the worst plan I have ever seen. all the plans I have been associated with built or drew has the the front of the house on the bottom of sheet It is kinda disorienting having back where front should be. Then instead of reducing scale to 3/16 to fit on a one 24 x 26 page they used match line. 22 pages to flip thru.  a lot of over the top details like building a commercial 4 story building. Met engineer told me to get over it   Owner spent three dollars a foot already ($ 21,000 ) and would let me change engineer but does not want to spend any more

so if I had them send in dwg and I import would I see what is on the paper like our layout sheet  in chief and then try and alter in cad 

I have already modeled the house in Chief that is always the fun part that impresses your customer 

 

  Sorry to vent and ramble.

 

Adam

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I think CA ignores CAD paper space layouts, all 22 sheet..

All you will see is Model space. The model space tab only.

 

What I do is block all imported cad so I can turn on & off.

If you do not block make sure you keep that CAD import on it's own layers.

This way you can manipulate the cad stuff.

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When my projects are too large I use E size sheets. Everyone hates them but better than breaking up the floor plan with match lines.

1/8 scale is some times the answer but requires many enlarged details to see some of the important stuff.

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I don't work with AC anymore, but I do work with another program that deals with PS in a similar manner.  BTW you can print to PDF and convert the PDF to CAD.  At least I can with the program that I use.  A bit tedious as you have probably already found, and it will be at the scale of the drawing output.

 

Scaling up is an option, but again, it is still 2D and one needs to be very precise when scaling in this manner or the final product will not be the correct size.  Another way to deal with AC PS is to flatten an Orthographic view and output to scale.  Last time I used AC the lines were tiny segments rather than full lines.  BTW the trend in commercial is as you are describing regarding drawing sheet order.  Not so important for residential though so far as I can tell.

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I have had a couple of times when a builder or owner has had a plan in AutoCAD that was really messed up and the only way I would touch it was to recreate the plan in CA so I had a true model of what was to be built.

I wasn't about to take a chance on missing something in a 2d drawing that could be found in a 3d model.

 

If you are starting in on a million dollar project it seems to me that a few more dollars now is a small price to pay to inure that it gets off to a proper start.

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