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Auto CAD Import Issue


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#1 Lee Keene

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Posted 18 June 2020 - 09:33 AM

Hey guys,

Hope all is well and everyone is staying healthy.

Have another question. I have over the years typically been able to import and use several different types of CAD files, never perfectly, but usable. This one I know is a large geographic area, but there is no way for me to achieve what I need in SP. I have to get it imported some how. Knowing that ACAD space is basically infinite  is probably where the problem is. See the import screen shot and if you have any ideas that would help, I would greatly appreciate it. Also I cant attached the CAD file it's too big, if anyone would like to try or knows another way to manipulate the file let me know and I can try to email it or Drop Box it to you.

Thanks again,

Lee

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Lee

828-577-8618


#2 Dennis Hilborn

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Posted 18 June 2020 - 10:32 AM

I still draw a lot of stuff in autocad(sucks) or another cad software that writes dwg files.  So I have figured out several things that cause problems importing into SP.  First enlarge your SP drawing box larger than you think you need it to be.  Then edit your DWG so that the drawing is moved close to 0,0,0.  SP seems to use 0,0,0 as the insert point of a dwg file.  Also editing anything out of the DWG that you don't need helps alot.



#3 Lee Keene

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Posted 18 June 2020 - 10:55 AM

Thanks Dennis, I did already tried to make my work area bigger before posting just to make sure it wasn't a no brainer, been known to do that. I maxed out at 42240' x 42240', didn't help. Not sure about the 0,0,0 thing. I am not real familiar with ACAD. I assume it has to do with scale... I don't have software to edit CAD files in anyway, only AutoDesk viewers. I use these to be sure what I am importing is actually what I end up with. 

There is quite a bit of area that could be deleted or edited out of the CAD file, I really only need the site area. I already had the engineer send and resend me different stuff to try to get into SP, but no luck, he doesnt seem to understand SP software and I don't know what to tell him.

 

See this DB link...

 

https://www.dropbox....xhibit.dwg?dl=0


Lee

828-577-8618


#4 James Ronson

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Posted 18 June 2020 - 11:10 AM

I recently had the same thing happen. In my case, I downloaded a trial version of AutoCAD. The file opened fine in AutoCAD. The problem was the drawing and geometry was located way beyond SoftPlan's limits.

I moved everything to 0,0 and saved. It then open fine in SoftPlan.

Hope this helps!



#5 Lee Keene

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Posted 18 June 2020 - 11:16 AM

Interesting! Thanks


Lee

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#6 Dennis Hilborn

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Posted 18 June 2020 - 01:50 PM

0,0,0 are drawing coordinates.  Lots of draws are not drawn starting at 0,0,0.  Especially civil and surveys.  I've gotten some that were drawn starting at about 2 miles from 0,0,0.  So if you inserted that dwg into SP  Your drawing would be inserted 2 miles from your drawing box.  You can download the trial version of autocad but it only works for 30 days and only once.  There are several free softwares that you can use to edit that drawing and keep installed for the next time.  Or if you can contact the engineer who supplied the drawing you can ask him to edit his file.



#7 Lee Keene

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Posted 18 June 2020 - 02:51 PM

Thanks Guys. I am looking into some free editing software.


Lee

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#8 Keith Almond

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Posted 18 June 2020 - 07:25 PM

Try NANOCAD 5


Keith

There are 10 types of people in this world ....... Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

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#9 Brian Berzinskis

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Posted 22 June 2020 - 10:09 AM

If you happen upon software that opens an AutoCAD file but not the version that you have, I have had luck with Autodesk's own DWG TrueView software.

 

I have AutoCAD 2000 still and this allows me to take the most recent files that others send me and convert back to 2000 and then when I open it I can move it over to the origin at 0,0 and remove that same issue.






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