Exporting to DWG without shx files for complex linetypes

[Michal Zarzecki]

Hi All,

 

How can I export only simple geometry to dwg, ie without all the shx files needed for complex linetypes? I am sure I didn't have that problem in previous versions but now, everytime I export I have loads of those shx files I need to delete from my folder. I don't want to save the linetypes as blocks either - just simple geometry for other team members.

[rDesign]

Do you have complex line types that are more than horizontal lines and text? From the Vw2024 Help file page on DWG and DWF Export Options:

 

Quote

Complex line types which contain only horizontal lines and text are exported as actual line types regardless of the selected option. They are considered simple line types; there is no need to create a shape file for them.

Fonts can also create .SHX files.

[Michal Zarzecki]

They are mostly custom shaes which are then exported as shx. I just want to export simple geometry and not needing to tidy up the folder after every export.

[rDesign]

Understood.
 

I looked through the help files back to Vw2015 and they all say the same thing as Vw2024 (quoted above), so I don’t know what has been changed in what you are seeing. I have not had this SHX linetype issue when exporting DWG files before — but my linetypes are not that complex (only Horizontal lines and letters).
 

Can you post a sample .VWX file with the complex linetypes which are being exported as .SHX files?

[Michal Zarzecki]

I think what I might have been doing was exporting those linetypes as blocks - hence there were no shx files all over the place. I will suggest it as an improvement.

[Jeff Prince]

6 hours ago, Michal Zarzecki said:

I think what I might have been doing was exporting those linetypes as blocks - hence there were no shx files all over the place. I will suggest it as an improvement.

 

Suggest what as an improvement?  When you export to DWG, you have the two choices... have vectorworks turn those lines into graphic block representations or write out the .shx files so the recipient can have their CAD package render the linework as intended with the line remaining a line object.  Of the two options, I suspect most would prefer the later because it preserves geometry of the lines.

 

Try this out... Create a few lines and assign unique linetypes to each... say "hot water", "Rocks", "fence", and "circles".  Export to DWG using both methods.  Then view each as a DWG import into Vectorworks or AutoCAD.  You will quickly realize the problem with exporting to block if all you wanted was simple lines.  Deleting .shx files is likely less of a hardship than dealing with complex representations of what should be simple lines.

Edited September 10 by Jeff Prince

[Michal Zarzecki]

On 9/10/2024 at 4:24 PM, Jeff Prince said:

Deleting .shx files is likely less of a hardship than dealing with complex representations of what should be simple lines.

That's the whole point of another option and my suggestion for improvement. Why would I have to delete them shx files if there could be an option to never export them and save them as simple polylines.

[Jeff Prince]

1 hour ago, Michal Zarzecki said:

That's the whole point of another option and my suggestion for improvement. Why would I have to delete them shx files if there could be an option to never export them and save them as simple polylines.

Sounds like an issue with a very limited audience.  If you want an end user to receive simple polylines, you should set the lines that way prior to export, that way the exported dwg entities reference the desired simple line type. Otherwise, you are exporting lines that refer to .shx files you are choosing not including, which the recipient may have or have alternate versions of, leading to confusion.

 

All of this because you can’t be bothered to delete a few .shx files?  You could have an automated script on your end that searches for and deletes .shx files from drives or directories of your choice if it is such a hardship.