DWG coming in as viewport, how to make it editable

[Viper x]

Can someone remind me of the couple of steps to change a viewport into a usable drawing.

It was something like = convert to group or symbol > ungroup

I cannot get it to work.

Thanks

[CipesDesign]

Usually if you double click (or right click) on a VP you get a dialog- choose "edit design layer".

[Viper x]

Thanks for the response.

The process I usually followed was someting like converting the viewport into a 2d symbol ( I think ) and then groupin it and then ungrouping it, it then exploded into the editable thousands of individual lines required.

Edited March 16, 2007 by Viper x

[Viper x]

OK I have gone =

right click > edit design layer > becomes a 2d symbol > convert to group > ungroup > and it unravels to editable lines. Good

Trouble is the drawing I want to work with seems to be a sheet layer, ie it is a portion of the overall site, how can I convert this as the right click edit function only gives me the option to modify a design layer and this design layer ( which as described above I can convert now ) is mabe up of the entire site.

Anyone understand that !

[propstuff]

are you saying the design layer from which the viewport is made consists of a symbol?

"Normally" you would not manipulate the Viewport object content, but the design layer objects. Then you look at the design layer through the viewport.

Can you not do this?

[Viper x]

Good point propstuff, reading more about viewports they are a snap shot of design layer, ie a design layer with things turned on or off and things added to it like borders, titles etc.

If you up date a design layer the view port will update as well yes ?

So I need to go back to the design layer and work with that yes ? and then save a new viewport.

It is funny because when I import a dwg it always comes in as a viewport and you cannot work with it so I have to go through the process each time of =

(right click > edit design layer/viewport > becomes a 2d symbol > convert to group > ungroup > and it unravels to editable lines?

before I can work with the line work, why is this necessary ?

[propstuff]

There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to how DWG's import. For a start it depends how the file was set up in the first place.

Our default imports are frequently out of scale by a factor of 25.4 because the import seems to insist on using blasted inches as a unit........ but that's getting off the track.....

You should be able to just go staright to the design layers and edit them.

Perhaps someone else knows what has been done to the original file to cause it to import as a symbol.

[Viper x]

Yes I do not know why they are symbols they are originally an archicad drawing saved as a dwg.

Thanks for your help Prop

[dspearman]

If a DWG file has an x-ref that will be imported into vectorworks as a symbol. If you need to edit it you either edit the symbol or convert the symbol to a group.

The viewport in this case is a red herring. Focus on the design layers and you will find the symbol...

As an aside is you batch import dwg's they will come in as symbols with each file on a vw layer.

[Guest]

Viper,

Send the dwg over and I'll try to get you situated.

[Viper x]

Thanks Katie, sent

[Guest]

I think the key thing to keep in mind when importing DWG files is, once the file has been imported, the active layer is a sheet layer (when paper space/viewports exist in the drawing)

The model space pages are listed as design layers in VectorWorks, and the design layer(s) with the information are named the same as the drawing file.

In Viper's case, the data was inside a symbol on a model space page.

To use this file, one would have to jump inside the symbol to make changes.

Typically, when I'm faced with this same routine, I extract the data and get rid of the symbol all together.

To do this:

Edit the symbol

Select everything

Copy

Exit Symbol

Delete the symbol

Use Paste in Place to place the data on the Design layer.

The symbol definition is still in the Resource Browser if it's needed for other purposes in the future.

[Christiaan]

I usually just convert the Symbol into a Group (Modify > Convert to Group) then Ungroup. (although I guess that means you potentially move it relative to the origin in the symbol).