Exporting DXF...

[dshall]

Can I export a LAYOUT that has a PLAN FILE in it and have the layers of the PLAN FILE show up on different layers?

 

I do not think so...  am I correct?

 

I can  export a PLAN FILE to dxf and have the all of the layers,  that is good....   but my clients wants to export the LAYOUT FILE with the PLAN FILE to dxf so he can open in ACAD and see both the LAYOUT and the PLAN FILE?

 

How do you  guys do this?

 

Do you export the PLAN FILE separately from the LAYOUT FILE ,  and then in ACAD,  put the plan file into the layout file?

 

BTW,  I can export dwg files,  but do I have the option to export dxf files?  I do not understand the difference.  My client would prefer dxf files instead of the dwg files.

[Gawdzira]

Whenever I export I just export the plan file. I am pretty sure dxf is an option although I always get dwg requests. If you export the layout view (which you can do) they will have lost the feature of scale. It will be going out in what ACAD calls Paper Space.  I have not exported layout but I suspect it would only have the layout layers.

 

Do they want your actual Layout? Is this so they can have the title block? If so, then you might want to export layout page 0 for them.

[glennw]

Scott,

A .dwg file is a native AutoCAD file format.

A .dxf file is a Drawing Interchange Format file. I believe it was developed by Autodesk for file exchange between AutoCAD and other programs, but a long time ago. 

It is really just a text file that you can open and look at in a text editor like Notepad. 

 

If you export a layout, all the objects drawn straight into the layout will all transfer with their own layers, as you would expect. 

But, any objects that have been sent to layout and are contained in a Layout Box will end up on the Layout Box Export Contents layer after the export of the Layout.

 

I think if you want to preserve layers from the original plan file, you need to export from the plan file and not the layout.

 

You can Export either a dwg or a dxf.

Start the Export process and when you get to the Save Drawing File dbx, it will default to AutoCAD Drawing (*.dwg) down the bottom in the Save as Type dropdown, scroll down and select DXF (.dxf).

[dshall]

Thanks guys.  I appreciate the info.

[English]

I would check the scale in ACAD after they import the DXF file.  I was once working with the Wrigley company who used Microstation and when I imported their DXF into ACAD the scale was always way off and I had to resize it.   Not sure if this happens with a CA DXF file.

Alan

[tommy1]

Scott, I generally export .dwg files to engineers. I do find that some engineers that use ACAD know how to use the program much better than others. I have some problems with some and some firms tell me that they'll get it to work with no problems. I do have one way that I do it that seems to work the best. As far as .dxf file go, I've never exported one. I do know that I've had problems importing .dxf files form engineers for sometimes they will send me a particular detail they want me to use. When I have the problem with the .dxf file, I ask them to send it in .dwg file format and then I have no problems. I had one person ask for the layout title page. What I did was copy my title page to a plan view, then exported that. Maybe I could have exported it from the layout, don't know. We do have our logo in our title page but that doesn't go to cad format because it's an image file. I need to get a hold of this builder I used to help in California and get the name of a free cad viewing program by Autodesk. It was a huge program file size though. I also thought that it was safer to export my plan views in 2002 cad format but I'm finding that I have better luck with a 2010 to 2012 cad format.

[ShaneK]

http://www.autodesk.com/products/dwg/viewers

[BenPalmer]

As mentioned, exporting the layout will not be 1:1 scale like exporting the plan.  There is not a way to export the entire file from chief and it show up in paper space and layout space to AutoCAD.  I've requested this feature in the past, but not sure how possible it is.  Exporting the layout will be to the scale you sent it.  They will have to resize it when they receive it.  One of my guys is proficient in AutoCAD so if a layout is needed, then I will have him scale it to 1:1 before sending it on.  However, exporting the plan file is preferable since the scale is correct.  No one has ever had a problem working off that file because they have there own title block info that they use.  DXF or DWG should come in no problem.  I've found when ever there is a problem with the exported DWG file, that often times the DXF will come in cleaner.

 

Hope that helps.

[tommy1]

http://www.autodesk.com/products/dwg/viewers

Thank you. I downloaded DWG TrueView 2017. I imported my DWGs and they look good in that program. I don't know why some people have problems.

[glennw]

I would check the scale in ACAD after they import the DXF file.  I was once working with the Wrigley company who used Microstation and when I imported their DXF into ACAD the scale was always way off and I had to resize it.   Not sure if this happens with a CA DXF file.

Alan

 

Alan,

This is easily controlled by the Scaling Unit on Export/Import.

The hard part is sometimes knowing the correct unit to use.