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Exporting CAD


benboggs

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A little elementary help with exporting to CAD file.....the contours lose their elevation and are all at elevation 0.  I have looked over all the settings/options but for some reason cannot get them to export correctly.  It must be something simple.

 

EDIT:  Let me take this one step further.  When generating site models - after exporting the drawing set out - even the existing contours have 0 elevation.....I can see this being a huge issue on large sites when I need to send the surveyor a site plan for layout purposes during construction.  

 

Also - can you assign elevation to polylines?  Reason I ask is when we generate site models (in my limited experience) the contours are choppy and not smooth.  I like to draw nice pretty polylines as a finished product.  We also work in 2D - but like to provide 3D info on contours.  

 

Thanks

Edited by benboggs
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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

(I am assuming by CAD you mean DWG for this response)

 

Change to a Top view (Not Top/Plan) and then export to DWG, normally when in Top/Plan it'll force things into 2D but in a 3D view it should maintain the z height of objects. Also, make sure "Export as flattened 2D objects" isn't enabled in the DWG export dialog box near the bottom center.

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My fault - I can convert 2D poly to 3D ply.....so scratch that.  Initial question still stands as to why site model contours export with 0 elevation.  I even did a test where I drew a 2d poly, converted it to 3d, gave it an elveation of 100' exported and then elevation was 0.  

 

Thanks

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Something else to be aware of in case you are not already.... when editing 3D polygon/polyline nodes in top/plan view the Z value will be set to 0.

I noticed this on several ocassions when trying to extend a 3D polyline and one end ending up on Z=0 instead of the orignal Z-value. When editing in top (=3D) view this does not happen.

 

Especially if you are trying to make small correction to contour lines this may mess things up if you are not aware of this top/plan vs top view issue.

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Hello Guys,

 

  I have the same problem, when exporting in DWG, everything is flat. every item is correctly positionnated in 3D  but every item is in 2D. 

 

  I have tested to export when being in a 3D view or a 2D plot view but it does not change anything. 

 

  Is my export config not ok ? (see picture below). this is the very first time I see it ; is it a new functionality from VW2017 ?

 

thanks

 

Tocsin

Screen Shot 2016-11-18 at 11.26.21.png

Screen Shot 2016-11-18 at 11.24.50.png

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