Importing DWG from Surveyor

[WGGardens]

I'm pretty new to Vectorworks and having trouble using a DWG file from a surveyor. I can import it, but there are lists of layers that i can't hide and I'm trying to remove some so I can see the site correctly and I also want to create a site model from the survey as would like to use this to practice 3D modelling with this new garden. The only layers that seem to turn off are title blocks, north point and sheet borders. No levels, tree canopies, boundaries or anything within the survey switch off. Is it something I am doing wrong or has the surveyor locked the layers somehow? Is it possible for them to do that?

[CipesDesign]

Right Click (or Double Click) on the VP and then choose Edit Design Layer. Or simply enter the Design Layer via the Navigation Palette. Once there you can pretty easily see what's what. Also, I ALWAYS import ACAD Layers and as VW Classes, and add a PREFIX to all imported Classes (done during Import). That way you can see (and turn off and on) all of the imported classes in one place/category...

[PVA - Admin]

They cannot lock layers, but they may not have actually used them. The quickest way to test this is to create a new blank file, import the DWG, then copy the geometry you want into another new document.

After doing that, you won't have any classes or layers that no longer contain geometry at all and when you turn them on and off you should see the effect. Though sometimes the names the classes have aren't the actual contents, this depends on the discipline of the original drafter.

[zoomer]

You can also use Menu > Tools > Purge Command to look for (and finally delete) unused Classes or Layers.

[WGGardens]

Thank you for that Jim. I tried that and when I paste it says "viewport cannot be pasted" so they've sent it as a viewport right? and just added title blocks to finish. I'm trying to see if it's me being rubbish or if I go back to them and ask for it in layers. I did tell them I was struggling to use it and they said they'd look into it but been a while but before I go back to them I wanted to check if it was them or me. 

[WGGardens]

Tried al of that and nothing works, will email them and ask that they send it all in layers. No sure what i'm doing wrong

[PVA - Admin]

OH they may have sent you just "paper space", or you may have only been looking at a Sheet Layer. However if they only sent you paper space info that would also cause issues on your end. If it keeps giving you trouble let me know and we can get you squared away.

[AlanW]

Hi, You can copy viewports between different files but there is a bit of a trick to it. See video.

 

 

Edited September 18, 2016 by Alan Woodwell

[Art V]

13 hours ago, WGGardens said:

Tried al of that and nothing works, will email them and ask that they send it all in layers. No sure what i'm doing wrong

It is possible that the drawing is a block (symbol in VW) which may prevent you from turning off layers (VW classes) except for the one that the block/symbol is on as all items will pretend to be in the class of the block.

Occasionally it may happen that they have put the entire drawing on a layout (VW sheet layer) and then you won't see anything on your design layer. If the actual drawing is then also a block/symbol then you do have a bit bit of a problem to edit things.

If you select the drawing on the sheet layer, does the OIP tell it is a viewport or a symbol? If it is a viewport then there should be items on the design layer. The design layer after import should have the same name as the dwg file you imported.

What could be possible is that if you zoom to page you may not see anything because the survey is at coordinates and depending on the used coordinates it may be (hundreds of) miles/kilometres away from the origin and depending on where there could be objects a zoom to all objects may result in these objects being so small you won't be able to see them on your screen with the naked eye.
In that case do a select all and you can see the extent of the objects and hopefully a few blips where you have quite a few objects together so that you have an idea of where to zoom in.