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Importing a Site plan from ACAD help...


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Hi, I am trying to import a site plan from an autocad file. I have no issues except one. All the contour/ topography lines are missing. I have the original file from the surveyor, and have seen a print out of the site. My question is did i do something wrong when i imported the dwg? Is VW dumping some of the info as it does it's thing?

Thanks for any help, and suggestions.

Ooops, forgot to mention that iam using VW 2012 on a MAC.

Edited by Knobb
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It could be the contour lines were special objects unique to an industry specific version of AutoCAD, like Civil or Land Desktop (old). I would sometimes receive files from surveyors who had used those programs and when I opened them in AutoCAD Architecture the topo lines would be missing. Without Object Enablers specific to the software, even other AutoCAD people can't see them. If this is the case, the surveyor will have to Explode any objects that are unique to Civil or Land Desktop, like topo lines. Then they should import OK (but maybe as a lot of little lines).

Or else it is just a turned off class or layer, like bcd suggested.

Monadnoc

Edited by Monadnoc
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thanks for all the replies. turns out the surveyor's original export didn't have them in there for some reason or an other. Got them to re-export and he oncluded the topo lines.

Thanks again!

Now to figure out how to get a topo surface to generate in VW. I am a greenhorn for sure.

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

Once you have the 3D data, select it all and use Landmark > Create Site Model or AEC > Terrain > Create Site Model depending on which workspace you have. Vectorworks will generate an object that is both 2D and 3D, but can also display the original site or the Proposed Site. You'll need to work with Site Modifiers to make changes to the site.

Good luck!

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thanks for all the replies. turns out the surveyor's original export didn't have them in there for some reason or an other. Got them to re-export and he oncluded the topo lines.

My guess is that they were using AutoCAD Civil 3D, and the topo lines were Civil "objects", which had to be exploded before they'd come through. I've had that happen several times with surveyors drawings, even when using AutoCAD.

You may want to remind them of this if you do more projects with them in the future.

Monadnoc

Edited by Monadnoc
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Regarding all the points on the contours:

Simplify polys really helps.

Another way is to apply Duplicate Along Path where path is the source poly and object to duplicate is a 3d locus (terrain models can be formed from point clouds). Put each bunch in its own class named for its z value. Advantage is control of either spacing or point count on each contour. I think stake objects can be used instead of 3d loci, but I have not tried that yet.

-B

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  • 2 years later...

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