Vectorworks architect 2016 and Archicad

[IJSSEL]

For a project I have to work together with an interior designer who uses ArchiCad for his 3D furniture design.

I can not find a way to import his files in to my Vectorworks drawings.

Is there a work-around or an other way to import his drawings ?

Appreciate your advise.

regards,

jan wilem henssen

[Guest Wes Gardner]

Hi Jan,

I'd try dwg first, then IFC.

Wes

[IJSSEL]

Hi Wes,

Thanks.

I can not read his DWG Arcicad translation. VW-architect 2016 imports his DWG files as a 3D symbol

[zoomer]

There is a lot of potential in Export and VW DWG Import settings.

And normally you should be able to delete the Symbol and choose to keep Geometry

to make it editable again or to convert the Symbol to a group.

Or even edit the geometry in the Symbol itself in Subobject Mode.

[rDesign]

The interior designer could also export to SketchUp (.SKP) from ArchiCAD which you could then import into Vw.

[IJSSEL]

Thanks Zoomer,

I have managed to translate the Archicad DWG drawing (a simple cupboard) into into a few VW meshes. I can place textures or colors but I can not edit the dimensions of these meshes.

Maybe I'm asking for the impossible ?

[IJSSEL]

Hi Tim,

The interior designer works with ArchiCad 13 on a Mac and has no SketchUp .SKP export possibility.

But thanks anyway.

[zoomer]

If the geometry comes in as Meshes only,

these are not so good to handle in VW.

They are just a group of 3D Polygon faces.

So these are not parametric like Extrudes and such,

but in Object mode you can edit these with with the Deform Tool,

by selecting more vertices at once and moving them.

Or double click to edit Mesh (like edit Group) to work with the

3D Polys itself.

[IJSSEL]

Thank you.

I was hoping I could somehow translate them to editable Extrudes or something.

The Deform tool is not accurate enough ( e.g. change thickness of object from 20 mm to 18mm).

Edit Mesh could work, but is very time consuming.

I'm afraid I have to find an other way around. E.g. all the interior/furniture work in ArchiCad and VW Architect for floorplans, elevations, sections ans so on .

Thanks again for your time.

[zoomer]

I think it is worth to check all DWG import settings or even try DXF.

Maybe your colleaque has some more export options too, to export

solids and not convert everything into triangulated meshes.

DWG's from Microstation or Revit come in here fine.

Nevertheless I have to clean up or rebuild parts a lot.

[IJSSEL]

I will give it an other try. I found out the export/save as options ArchiCad 13 has.

ArchiCAD 13 Solo Project file (.PLN), Project archive (.PLA), and template (.TPL)

ArchiCAD 12 Project (.PLN) file

ArchiCAD object (.gsm) version 25 (ArchiCAD 13- equivalent)

ArchiCAD object script (.GDL)

ArchiCAD drawing file (.PMK) through the publisher when publishing Views

PDF

DXF

DWG (2000-2009 format, 2D only)

DWF

IFC 2×3, IFC 2×3 compressed, IFC 2×3 XML, IFC 2×3 XML compressed

IFC 2×2 through Goodie tool

3DS 3D studio file

SKP and KMZ (through the Google earth Connection add-on, on 32-bit Windows OS only)

C4D (Cinema4D v 11/11.5 files through the Cinema 4D add-On) – 2D and 3D content

OBJ Wavefront file (3D)

EPX Piranesi File (3D)

FACT ElectricImage file (3D)

WRL VRML file (3D)

ATL ArtLantis Render Studion file 2.0 and 3.0 (3D)

U3D file (3D)

various image formats (SGI, PSD, BMP, JPG, JP2, PNG, PCT, TIF, TGA, QTIF)

When I compare this to the import options of VW2016 I find only DWG,DFX,DWF,IFC,OBJ as a match.

DWG en IFC we tried in various setups but in vain. So only DXF and DWF are left for the next try-out?

Keep you posted :-)

[zoomer]

DWG - 2D only - really ?

But worth to play with VW's various import options.

(Arch Objects : 3D, All 3D, ....)

DXF

I think it can have simple Solids but depending on export settings in

will be exporting meshes.

DWF

Kind of a 3D Viewer format, I expect Meshes (?)

IFC

I get a mix of Generic Solids and Meshes from Revit.

But if I export an IFC from VW and re-import into VW, there will

be Meshes only. So depends on how Archicad exports these.

3DS/C4D/SKP/OBJ

Meshes only, not all supported as Import in VW

I think the most potential lays in DWG

[zoomer]

The other way round seems much easier.

in VW 2014 or 2015 I did an VW IFC Export test and my colleaque

was able to use all my Walls/Doors/Windows/...

as if they would be native Archicad Architectural Objects.

When I reimport my IFC I could not really use my own IFC.

Could be that there were made some improvements for VW 2016 (?)

Pity that the Nemetschek Group has no useable Exchange options

between their Family Products though.

[gester]

ifc reimport is the silliest idea to deal with the ifc format. ifc is for reference only.

rob

[zoomer]

Maybe IJSSEL will not care much if that would be the only way to

bring the geometry in well.

[IJSSEL]

Zoomer,

Indeed. I do not care much aslong as I get the 3D geometry imported.

But for the moment I have given up on the idea of importing the ArchiCad files. No time left to experiment. I have a deadline in 2 weeks from now. We will have tot improvise.

Thanks again to all of you for your help.

regards, jan willem henssen

[Art V]

Jan Willem,

Regarding using DWG as import/export, there is a more than average chance that it will get converted into meshes, especially with older versions of the DWG format.

What you could try to improve the quality of the meshes is putting the file through Meshlab

http://meshlab.sourceforge.net/

It allows you to clean up the meshes and re-export into (other) formats that Vectorworks can handle.

It may not be in time for your current project but perhaps for your next project it may be worth trying out.

[Beth Globe]

Did this work?  I am starting a project where the architect has completed a conceptual design and I am to take over the design from there. He uses ArchiCAD and I am in 2017. I am basically after shaping (and grading).