Import Data from AutoCAD DWG/DXF

Description

Import data from AutoCAD DWG and DXF drawings, or DWT templates.

Access

Home / Data / Import / AutoCAD DWG
Home / Data / Import / AutoCAD DXF

Requirements

Xchange AutoCAD module

Options

The following properties allow control of the import.

General	Description
Content	Displayed - Only objects that are visible will be imported. All - All objects are imported regardless of whether they are visible or not.
Confirm Drawing Units	Detected drawing units are displayed and if necessary can be overridden.
Polygons From Closed Polylines	Create polygons using the polylines vertices, and import the closed polylines as lines.
Import Faces As	Shapes - Faces will be imported as a shape (face set). Terrain Models - Faces on the same layer will be imported as a terrain model.
Import Block As	Blocks - Import blocks and create a block definition. Plan Symbols - Import the block as a point with a plan symbol. Block attributes are imported as attributes of the point. Individual Objects - Explode blocks into individual objects.
Import Layouts	Select the checkbox to import the AutoCAD layouts as CAD drawings.
Merge Terrain Models	Faces on the same layer will be merged into a single terrain model.
Lookup Tables	Description
Layer	Layer lookup table to be used during the import.
Plan Symbol	Plan Symbol lookup table to be used during the import.
Block Definition	Block Definition lookup table to be used during the import.
Line Style	Line Style lookup table to be used during the import.
Hatch	Polygon Hatch lookup table to be used during the import.

A blank selection for a lookup table indicates that no lookup will be performed.

Notes

AutoCAD objects are considered visible if they are on a layer that is turned on and are not set as invisible.
Objects that can be imported from AutoCAD DWG/DXF include: points, lines, arcs, circles, ellipses, splines, polylines, traces, leaders, regions, text, solids, surfaces, faces, polyface meshes, sub-d meshes, polygon meshes, multipart polygons, subdivided meshes, raster images, blocks, line styles and hatching.
Splines are converted to multi-segment straight lines on import.
To import lines, polylines and polygons as breaklines or boundaries, prior to import, edit the layer the object will be placed on and in the General tab, set Breakline to Yes or Boundary.
When blocks are used to create plan symbols, set the rotation and dimensions of the point symbol in the Attributes tool.
Blocks definitions in units unsupported by the application are not imported and blocks using these definitions are exploded on import.
Block attributes are imported as text if the block attribute is not invisible and there are other objects in the block.
Blocks containing only attributes will be exploded.
Block attributes within nested blocks will not have text objects created.
If the layout references a printer that is not recognised by the local machine, the layout will be imported using the default printer settings.
Wipeouts are imported as polygons with Fill Colour configured to Background Colour. Change the drawing order of the wipeouts layer to hide the required objects.
Proxy objects or custom objects that are not standard AutoCAD objects, that cannot be exploded on import, are ignored.
Import a DWT template file using the AutoCAD DWG import option.