Data Export to AutoCAD DWG/DXF

Description

Export data to AutoCAD DWG and DXF drawings.
Access

Home / Data / Export / AutoCAD DWG

Home / Data / Export / AutoCAD DXF
Requirements

Xchange AutoCAD module
Options

The following properties allow control of the export.

General Description
Content If there are objects selected in the model view, then only selected objects are exported.
Displayed - If no objects are selected then only visible objects are exported.
All - If no objects are selected then all objects are exported regardless of whether they are visible.
Note:
  • Regardless of the Content setting and the selected objects in a CAD drawing, all CAD drawing objects are exported. The viewport contents will however be determined from the Content setting and the objects selected in the model view.
Version Select the AutoCAD version the file should be written to.
Prototype File Select the prototype file that the exported file is to be based on, if any.
Drawing Units Select Automatic to export objects in the project units, otherwise select a unit to convert the object dimensions.
Note:
  • The selection determines the insertion units in the exported file.
View Style Select the view style that the file will use when it is opened in a DWG viewer.
Note:
  • Select Default to display terrain models, shapes and 3d polygons.
  • Select 2dWireframe to display wipeouts, text background and continuous line styles.
Export Drawings Select the checkbox to export CAD drawings as AutoCAD layouts.
In the Content box:
  • Select Displayed to export only the visible drawings
  • Select All to export all the drawings.
3D Do one of the following:
  • Select the checkbox to output data in three dimensions.
  • Clear the checkbox to output data in two dimensions.
Note:
  • If the checkbox is cleared, three dimensional vertices are exported with a null height and multi segment lines are exported as two dimensional polylines.
  • Line styles on 3D polylines are exported as solid lines.
Export Lines As Select one of the following:
  • Automatic - Export lines with a single segment as lines and export multi-segment lines as polylines.
  • Lines - Export all lines as single line segments.
  • Polylines - Export all lines as polylines.
  • Exploded Line Style - Explode line styles and export as separate lines.
Note:
  • A multi-segment line exported as a polyline, may still be broken at circular arc segments depending on the configuration selected for export of arcs.
  • A line containing a circular arc, exported as a line, may still have the circular arc component exported as a polyline depending on the configuration selected for export of arcs.
Export 2D Circular Arc As If the project contains 2D circular arcs:
  • When 3D is cleared, select one of the following:
    • Automatic - Preserve circular arcs in single segment lines whenever possible.
      • Export 2D circular arcs created as a single segment line, as arcs with null heights
      • Export 2D circular arcs in a multi-segment line, as bulges in a polyline.
    • Arc - Preserve circular arcs whenever possible.
      • A multi-segment line is broken at either end of the arc.
      • Arcs contained in a polygon boundary can not be preserved when polygons are exported as a closed polyline. In this case, the arcs in the polygon boundary are converted to bulges in a polyline.
    • Polyline - Convert all 2D circular arcs to polylines using the Curve Tolerance.

  • When 3D is selected, select one of the following:
    • Automatic - Preserve circular arcs in single segment lines whenever possible
      • Export 2D single segment circular arcs that are on a horizontal plane as arcs.
      • Export 2D single segment circular arcs with different heights to 3D polylines using the Curve Tolerance.
      • Export 2D circular arcs in a multi-segment line, to 3D polylines using the Curve Tolerance.
    • Arc - Export 2D circular arcs as arcs whenever possible.
      • Arcs on a horizontal plane will retain their height.
      • A multi-segment line is broken at either end of the arc.
      • Arcs contained in a polygon boundary can not be preserved when polygons are exported as a closed polyline. In this case, the arcs in the polygon boundary are converted to approximated 3D polylines using the Curve Tolerance.
    • Polyline - Convert all 2D circular arcs to approximated polylines using the Curve Tolerance.
Export 3D Circular Arc As If the project contains 3D circular arcs:
  • When 3D is selected, select one of the following:
    • Automatic
      • Export single segment 3D circular arcs to arcs.
      • Convert 3D circular arcs in a multi-segment line to approximated 3D polylines using the Curve Tolerance.
    • Arc - Export all 3D circular arcs as arcs.
      • A multi-segment line is broken at either end of the arc.
      • Arcs contained in a polygon boundary can not be preserved when polygons are exported as a closed polyline. In this case, the arcs in the polygon boundary are converted to approximated 3D polylines using the Curve Tolerance.
    • Polyline - Convert all 3D circular arcs to approximated 3D polylines using the Curve Tolerance. Circular arc segments will remain part of the polyline.

  • When 3D is cleared, select one of the following:
    • Automatic
      • Convert 3D circular arcs with different heights to approximated polylines using the Curve Tolerance.
      • Export 3D circular arcs on a horizontal plane, created as a single segment lines, as arcs.
      • Export 3D circular arcs on a horizontal plane, in a multi-segment line as bulges in a polyline.
    • Arc - Export all 2D circular arcs as 2D arcs with null heights. A multi-segment line is broken at either end of the 2D arc.
    • Polyline - Convert all 3D circular arcs to approximated polylines using the Curve Tolerance. Circular arc segments will remain part of the polyline.
Export Polygon Fill As Select one of the following:
  • Automatic - Export the polygon fill as hatches or poly face meshes. Fill patterns unsupported as hatches in AutoCAD are exploded. Polygons with 'No Fill' will not be exported.
  • Explode Pattern - Explode the polygon fill and export as polylines. Use this to maintain the appearance of your project at the expensive of losing hatch object types.
  • Hatches - Export polygon fill as hatch patterns. Fill patterns unsupported as hatches in AutoCAD and polygons with 'No Fill' are exported with solid fill.
  • None - Do not export the polygon fill.
Note:
  • Polygon hatches in AutoCAD must be in a horizontal plane. When hatches are exported for polygons with different heights, the hatch is exported at the average height of the polygon.
  • Fill patterns unsupported by AutoCAD include edge only fill patterns or fill patterns with symbols.
Export Polygon Edges As Select one of the following:
  • Closed Polyline - Export closed polylines from polygon edges.
  • None - Don't export polygon edges.
Note:
  • Circular arcs in a polygon edge are approximated to 3D polylines using the Curve Tolerance unless they are on a horizontal plane, in which case they will be exported as bulges in a polyline.
Curve Tolerance Type the maximum offset distance from a line to the chord between adjacent vertices in the line. Use this value to control the smoothness of circular arcs, transition curves and splines that need to be output as straight line segments.
Open Exported File Select whether the file being created should be automatically opened when the export is complete.
Maximum Image Dimension Type the maximum image dimension (width or height) for georeferenced images being exported. Valid values are between 500 to 50,000 pixels.
Override Default Heights Do one of the following:
  • Select the checkbox to assign the Height to vertices with a default height.
  • Clear the checkbox to assign the projects default height to vertices with a default height.
Note:
  • The export will fail if overriding the default height will break the objects geometry.
  • This setting only applies when 3D is selected.
Height Type the height to assign to objects with a default height when the Override Default Heights checkbox is selected.
Ground Distances Description
Apply Local Origin Select to apply the combined scale factor defined for the local origin.
Note:
  • Exported vertices and coordinates are scaled using the projects Local Origin settings.
  • Exported vertices and coordinates are shifted using the extents of the model.
  • Arcs and transition curves are converted to straights, and shapes are converted to meshes, if the scaling of the vertices breaks the objects geometry.
Lookup Tables Description
Layer Select the Layer lookup table to be used during the export.
Plan Symbol Select the Plan Symbol lookup table to be used during the export.
Block Definition Select the Block Definition lookup table to be used during the export.
Line Style Select the Line Style lookup table to be used during the export.
Hatch Select the polygon Hatch lookup table to be used during the export.

A blank selection for a lookup table indicates that no lookup will be performed.
Notes
  • AutoCAD objects created during the export can include: Points, Lines, Arcs, Splines, 2 and 3 dimensional Polylines, Blocks, Text, Solids, Hatches, Faces, Polyface Meshes and Raster Images.
  • The export to AutoCAD 2004 or later file formats is supported.
  • If Open Exported File is selected the file will attempt to be opened using the application registered with the operating system as the default for that file type.
  • Projects with reference files can be exported to AutoCAD. In AutoCAD reference file data will be editable.
  • When possible, RGB colours are exported in the equivalent AutoCAD colour. Pick colours from the AutoCad colour palette to ensure all objects are exported with an AutoCAD colour.
  • If a prototype file is used, any.shx file with the same name, in the same location as the prototype file is copied to the same location as the exported file. When sharing DWG files that have been exported using a prototype file, ensure the corresponding shape file is supplied.
  • The plan unit scale for the model and all drawing viewports are exported as possible annotation scales for an object exported as annotative. To prevent the annotation scale being prefixed with 'Neo' ensure that there are no other annotation scales with the same name but different ratios in the prototype file.
  • When exporting points:
    • Symbols are exported as blocks.
    • Symbols with Orientate To Drawing selected are exported as annotative objects with a rotation of 0.
    • Points with symbols defined in plan units are exported as annotative.
  • When exporting blocks:
    • Group attributes and attributes within the group are not exported.
    • Linked texts created from project attributes that are included in the block definition are exported as attributes of the AutoCAD block reference. The project attributes are also included in the exported block definition.
    • Project attributes within a nested block are exported as text only.
    • When all instances of a block has Scale Uniformly selected the block definition is exported with scale uniformly selected.
    • Blocks with Orientate To Drawing selected are exported as annotative objects with a rotation of 0.
  • When exporting lines:
    • It is recommended that export of lines and circular arcs is set to 'Automatic'. The method used to export lines is dependent on:
      • The 3D configuration.
      • The Export 2D Circular Arc As configuration.
      • The Export 3D Circular Arc As configuration.
      • The Export Line As configuration.
      • If the circular arc is a single segment line or part of a multi-segment line (polyline).
    • If you export multi-segment lines that contain circular arcs the exported polylines are broken if the circular arcs are exported as arcs. Polylines are not broken if the circular arcs are exported as bulges, or polylines using the Curve tolerance.
    • Lines with line styles are exported as annotative.
    • For best results with line styles use the system prototype file 'Neo.DWG' provided in ..\Program Files\LISTECH\Neo\Release\Data\ and ensure that your drawings view scale and plan unit scale are the same.
    • If line styles are not exploded, complex lines that cannot be found in a prototype file or that cannot be represented as dashes along a single line are exported as solid lines.
    • Transition curves are exported as straight line segments in a polyline.
    • Where transition curves, splines and curves are exported as polylines approximating the curve, and any of the vertices in the curve have a default height, all vertices in the line segment are exported with a default height.
  • When exporting alignments:
    • Alignments are exported as straight line segments in a polyline.
  • When exporting polygons:
    • Polygons with Fill Colour configured to Background Colour are exported as wipeouts visible in the AutoCAD 2dWireframe view. If any of these polygons Edge Colour is also configured to Background Colour then the wipeouts are exported with their frames off.
    • Polygon fill is exported as annotative.
    • If a polygon contains any vertices with a default height, all vertices in the polygons are exported with a default height to avoid steep faces in the polyface mesh.
  • When exporting text:
    • with richer text formatting (Underline, Background and StrikeThrough) and multiline text, text is exported as MText (multi-line text) which does not support the option to display text backwards.
    • with character spacing, you can view the text spacing in the AutoCAD 2dWireframe view.
    • with background, you can view the background in the AutoCAD 2dWireframe view.
    • Text defined in plan unit is exported as annotative.
    • Texts with Orientate To Drawing selected are exported as annotative objects with a rotation of 0.
  • When exporting images:
    • The value of Maximum Image Dimension controls the resolution of georeferenced images being exported. A higher value produces higher resolution images in the DWG/DXF file.
    • When exporting from image services, images are downloaded at a level of detail influenced by the plan scale set via Display Options.
    • Group attributes and attributes within the group are not exported.
  • When exporting drawings:
    • If the viewport border is not displayed in the drawing, the border is exported on a new layer {Layer name} - VP OFF and visibility is turned off.
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