I really don't want to start ranting, but I'm sure that everyone in this industry has clients that demand AutoCad compatible files that can be turned over to them once their project is complete. I am in that situation right now. The trouble is that the VectorWorks dxf export feature doesn't bother to export things that don't have a dxf counterpart. That is not good enough! It should convert objects into things that CAN be represented in dxf even if it means dumbing down. For example, worksheets should be converted to tables of text. I don't really care if my client has access to the original worksheet as long as he can get a visual representation of it into his AutoCad program, edit it, and it displays and plots. It's better than nothing. Even in the worst possible situation, any VectorWorks object should be convertible into a bunch of tiny little line segments.
So, in my current situation, I have resorted to using MicroSpot's MacPlot to plot to HPGL files and then use an HPGL-to-DXF converter to create the dxf file. It produces files that import into AutoCad exactly they way they appeared in VectorWorks. Of course, the downside is that the files are totally exploded tiny little line segments.
And as for dxf importing, I'll leave that rant for another time.
[This message has been edited by BobWeaver (edited 01-30-2001).]
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BobWeaver
I really don't want to start ranting, but I'm sure that everyone in this industry has clients that demand AutoCad compatible files that can be turned over to them once their project is complete. I am in that situation right now. The trouble is that the VectorWorks dxf export feature doesn't bother to export things that don't have a dxf counterpart. That is not good enough! It should convert objects into things that CAN be represented in dxf even if it means dumbing down. For example, worksheets should be converted to tables of text. I don't really care if my client has access to the original worksheet as long as he can get a visual representation of it into his AutoCad program, edit it, and it displays and plots. It's better than nothing. Even in the worst possible situation, any VectorWorks object should be convertible into a bunch of tiny little line segments.
So, in my current situation, I have resorted to using MicroSpot's MacPlot to plot to HPGL files and then use an HPGL-to-DXF converter to create the dxf file. It produces files that import into AutoCad exactly they way they appeared in VectorWorks. Of course, the downside is that the files are totally exploded tiny little line segments.
And as for dxf importing, I'll leave that rant for another time.
[This message has been edited by BobWeaver (edited 01-30-2001).]
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