Best way to take a dwg and make it useable

[BigDan]

Hi Guys,

OK so i've imported some of the architectural diagrams for a building. I have one for each level.

VW seems to import it great, and the dimensions all check out. The problem is (and rightfully so) that everything imported in is simply a "line". Nothing is anchored down so even if I switch view from a 2D top down to a 3D side it all stays the same look.

I have two questions about this:

1) how can I "Anchor it down" so that when I go do a 3D look at least it will move around.

and

2) What is the easiest way to give 3D representation to all of this information (walls, doors, etc etc)

I'm hoping there's a fairly easy way to do this as I have a lot of levels I need to go through and make it "useable".

Thanks for the help!

[CipesDesign]

In my experience the best way to do this is to 1) place the imported data on its own layer. In a new (design) layer, with layer settings of Show, snap others, trace over the dwg using Walls, then insert Door and Windows into the walls. After you do that you can make the dwg layer invisible and everything will be in 3d...

[Guest Frank Brault]

1. In the Object Info palette, change the plane of of each object from 'Screen' to 'Layer'. To set the default of this behavior for future operations, do the same thing in the Plane popup in the View Bar.

2. Quick and dirty answer: extrude all lines to the height of the walls. You can get a pseudo model for review purposes in minutes. Best practice method involves converting lines to Vectorworks' representational objects to maximize e information modeling features of Vectorworks.

Hth

[BigDan]

Awesome Guys, thanks for the advice!