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import eps or ai file


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I suppose you want to import a drawing, i.e. lines and rectangles as vectorized objects.

ai, jpg and similar files are image files. They have no vector information and will not interpret other than pixels.

But in Adobe Illustrator you can save the file as a dwg file. Then it's easy to import it in VW.

The scale will not be right, but that can be handled.

This is also a way (there are others) to convert pdf files to editable VW files.

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bonus, that's not quite right. JPG is certainly a pixel-based format but AI (Adobe Illustrator) is a vector-based format. PDF is also (or at least can be) vector-based.

It would be great if we cold import either of these file types in vector format.

You are right, though, that Illustrator allows you to save DWG. Probably the best solution.

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An EPS is also a vector-based image format which can be imported into VectorWorks.

If you go the route of EPS, you have to make sure both the save settings from Illustrator are set to match the import options in VectorWorks.

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  • 9 years later...

This doesn't work for me. My DWG and PDF vectors are really wonky in curved areas. Does anyone know how to import without these errors?

 

Thanks. Below I've uploaded what happens with an ungrouped PDF. The top "S" figure is the vector I get from vectorworks, and the bottom image is what it looks like in Illustrator. The bends of the "S" are incorrect in vectorworks. Thank you.

 

*EDIT* Importing DWG with VERY HIGH conversion res seems to look pretty similar, although I need to do more tests on complex vectors to be sure.

 

 

58af2e656fd6b_2017-02-2310_47_39-VectorworksSpotlight2017-pensole_CF_LJS_vwx.png.d19265ae6662acd12e0940631df7b4c8.png

Edited by ford519
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I think illustrator and VW handle vectors quite differently.

 

VW is poly spline based, and AI is Bezier curve based.

 

I understand that means that in VW you'll have a single handle in the middle of the line for curve control.

 

AI gives you two handles, one at each end, so you can draw an s shape.

 

the dxf export routine traces the one with the other and will approximate it quite closely, but it's not original vector data.

 

I've tried lots of different ways, but nothing bullet proof yet. The higher the export quality, the greater the number of points you'll have.

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  • 3 years later...

I would also like to import vector image files into Vectorworks, specifically SVG.  SVG is a publicly available web standard, and should be very easy to convert to Vectorworks forms of data.  They are very well defined, so there shouldn't be any ambiguity about what the result should be.  I feel like it's just laziness on the part of Nemetschek that they haven't implemented such functions.

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