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Working with cad references


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I got a few questions regarding working with CAD files.

 

The scenario is I need to draft on a cad base, and be able to export a cad file to match the base, so,

1. I create a Vectorworks shuttle file

2. I import the cad base into the shuttle file, I choose to center the imported base in internal origin and shift the user origin and save it.                                                  

3. I create my working file, and reference the shuttle file by layer import, which is great, but the user origin location is reset to internal origin and the cad base is no longer within the preferred working range.

                                                      

Is there any way I can maintain the shuttle file origin settings in my working file? 

Back to my shuttle file, if I need to update the cad base, currently I just delete every class and layer associated with the cad drawing and re-import the updated cad. Is this the standard practice?

 

Thank you

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@Wes Gardner Hi Wes, yes I did this for the shuttle file. In the shuttle all the drawing are aligned and centered on the internal origin, and the user origin is shifted. Then I try to reference the shuttle in my work drawing by layer importing, but the user origin doesn't shift automatically. Now the referenced drawing is far away from the internal origin, should I move the user origin w/ drawing manually? If I did so, the next time if I update the shuttle file, everything will be off.

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Are you able to open DWG files? If yes you may want to check if the UCS (User Coordinate System = VW User Origin) aligns with the WCS (World Coordinate System = VW Internal Origin).

 

I would have to check how it behaves in VW 2021 but previous versions of VW seem to import DWG files at their WCS and not the UCS. Most of the time the UCS and WCS align in DWG files and it does not cause issues. But I have imported DWG files with totally wrong locations in VW and it almost always turned out that in those cases the UCS was away from the WCS and sometimes even rotated. Resetting the UCS to WCS solved the import issues with regard to coordinates. Less often it was because the content of the DWG file was at the wrong coordinates within the DWG file.

 

If your DWG files have different UCS locations relative to the WCS they may import at the VW Internal Origin but the User Origins will be at different positions relative to the Internal Origin which may cause issues when referencing them into a master file as it the other drawings will align to the User Origin of the master document.

 

This kind of stuff is why I have made it a habit to import all DWG files relative to Internal Origin (the last option in Wes Gardner's screen capture), especially with georeferenced files this prevents a lot of issues with coordinates. Of course this will not prevent all mislocations upon import, but at least then I know the issue is with the DWG file's UCS or the content was put at/moved to the wrong coordinates in the DWG file.

Edited by Art V
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@Art V Thank you for the input. The cad file has no issue interms of coordinates. I guess the attached grahic explains my problem and my approach to tackle this down.

 

A: the orinal cad file

B: the shuttle file, I import the cad to center in the internal origin and shift the user origin

C: i reference the shuttle in my working drawing, and the shuttle is trying to align with the internal/user origin, which still preserves the coordinates, but it also pushes my cad drawing away from the preferred working range.

D: i want to preserve the coordinates and also relocate the drawing somewhere near the internal origin. So I take off the reference, shift the working file user origin manually, then referencce the shuttle, and it is now within the preferred working range and the coordinates are preserved. 

 

 

 

steps.thumb.jpg.8de721037211051898cabd34a1438469.jpg

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Not sure if that is recommended.

 

(Note, I have no need to export my Geometry later in place/real world coordinates)

But I want to work in VW by having the Origin for Rulers and dimensions,

to sit at the base Corner of my Building Grid !

 

Therefore I do a DWG Test Import first to see where it is located and

search for the Point where my Grid base will finally be.

I copy these XY coordinates.

When I do my final DWG Import into the final Container File

(For all following DWG Imports)

first I set my User Origin to have negative values of the considered Base Point !

Then I import my DWG(s), always, with "align to User Origin.

 

This way,

a) the incoming DWG geometries always come in at the same position

b) the DWG geometry is centred around "internal Origin" as it needs to be for precision

c) C4D exports are centred around C4D Origin" which is also mandatory

d) my Grid Base is at YX 0.00/0.00 for Rulers and File Coordinates to allow

  me to control my geometry for precision by having non-ugly numbers in OIP

 

But I think that needs to have all related Files like

Main Drawing, Import Container Files, References, .... to be set up with the same

negative User Origin before any data comes in, to keep the project consistent.

Edited by zoomer
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23 hours ago, zoomer said:

But I think that needs to have all related Files like

Main Drawing, Import Container Files, References, .... to be set up with the same

negative User Origin before any data comes in, to keep the project consistent.

^^This is definitely the case, if possible set the user origin before importing and also make sure that all DWG files to be imported  have their origin at the same point/location. I.e. if there are objects that are the same in multiple dwg files, their coordinates should match across the dwg files. (This is something that may not always be the case depending on how the DWG drawings were set up or where they were coming from).

The same applies to the shuttle files, the user origins of the VW files should also match as @zoomer mentioned.

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