Export as DWG. issues

[WilliamTurner]

Hello - hoping someone can help someone very (very) new to Vectorworks.

 

I've created a basic model I want to export to Illustrator, and reading online/on here exporting as a .DWG is the best way to retain vectorised artwork. I plan to use Vectorworks to produce basic 3D models and then do my final annotation and tweaking in Illustrator.

 

Image 1 shows my model in Vectorworks. It all renders as a having white/default fill. The lower section was made by drawing a rectangle and extruding, and the top (roof) section was made in four parts from polylines.

 

Image 2 shows the model in AutoCAD. Whilst I have no intention of opening these drawings in AutoCAD, I wanted to check i was getting the same issue as when I open in .AI...

 

...which is image 3. Essentially the lower section is just a group of single lines, with no fill/nothing to fill. The upper section consists of polygons (one filled white no lineweight, one no fill with a lineweight, grouped together) but as you can see it's been mixed up.

 

The drawing is going to be reasonably complex in the end, so adjusting this all manually in Illustrator isn't an option. I need something I can select all and change the line weight/colour, and then something I'm about to dynamic fill into to choose colours.

 

When using Rhino previously to achieve this, I used 'Make2D', which although a little glitchy at times got me a reliable drawing that worked.

 

Any advice? Apologies if this has come up before, I tried searching as best possible.

 

Many thanks.

[Pat Stanford]

You can't use lines if you want a fill. You will need to create closed polygons (or closed poly lines if you need curves) to simulate the different pieces of the "roof" line.

If you are certain that all of your "corners" actually join (or even overlap), you can probably use the "paint bucket" mode of the polygon tool to "fill" the areas between the lines with a polygon.

 

In VW, a line is exactly that, a line. Since you need surfaces you will need to use object like rectangles, arcs, circles, and closed polygons/lines that have surfaces.

[WilliamTurner]

Hi Pat - thanks for your reply.

 

Apologies, I should have been clearer. I used Polylines to create the 'roof' sections, and once the shape was completed in VW it filled and became (what I'd call) a surface. The lower section was made by drawing a rectangle from the basic tools palette, and using 'push/pull' to extrude this. The whole time it's a 'filled' shape, which I take to mean a conection of surfaces.

 

Once opened in Illustrator, and AutoCAD, I get the attached. Here in Illustrator to demonstrate what I mean, I've 'exploded' out the roof sections and given them a fill (they imported with no fill). These imported as surfaces, albeit in the wrong order front-back (I would have to use the 'arrange front/back' tool to correct this, which isn't feasible on a more complex drawing, this is just a test). The lower section imported as a grouped selection of single lines. There is nothing here to fill, and each line would have to be manually connected in Illustrator, which again isn't feasble on a larger drawing.

 

I should also note that I'm exporting as a 2010 DWG, and my online research told me anything newer and Illustrator would not read it. As I'm having concurrent issues in AutoCad as well, I'm pretty sure it's something I've done wrong wither in my VW drawing, or when exporting. I have tried playing around with basically every export to DWG setting there is to no avail.

 

Any further help gratefull received.

[WilliamTurner]

I've come up with what I consider to be a workaround. Once I have my 3D drawing:

 

-Select all

-Convert to polygons (hidden line rendering)

-Export as DWG

-Open in .AI

-Select all areas with white fill - delete these

-Select all - then adjust line weight and use live fill as required to fill with colour

 

Not perfect, but good enough for now. Any further suggestions gratefully received.

[Pat Stanford]

I think you need to read up on the difference between 2D and 3D objects. The "base" of the building (the part you push/pulled) is actually a true 3D solid. If you view it in OpenGL (the normal viewing mode for 3D views) it will show as a filled object.

 

The "roof" objects are just polygons which are 2D objects.

 

You really need to pick either a complete 2D or complete 3D workflow.

 

I think the DWG export setting for Export Solids as ACIS Solids, and Triangulate to Preserve Fills will help get you surfaces instead of just lines, but may not work especially well for reworking them in AI.

 

My (probably incorrect) understanding is that originally Autocad (the base program where DWG was developed) did not support surfaces. It only handled lines. So what I think is happening is that the solid is getting exported as just the lines with no faces between.

 

If you are going to be doing isometric views, I would probably adopt a 3D workflow and then use a Viewport to display exactly the view I wanted. Duplicate the Viewport, Convert to Polygons, and then export that to DWG for import to AI.

 

Hopefully someone who actually uses AI can comment and make better recommendations on the best workflow.