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Compatibility With Autocad


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I want to use VectorWorks Arch as a front end design and modeling tool. At some point in the design process the VW files will be transitioned to autocad for production.

Can anyone who uses the software this way tell me if this is a workable concept?

Thanks

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Youn can do this by exporting the VW file as a DWG format, and then opening that in Autocad.

But why? VW is a terrific application for creating production drawings. Plus, if ther are changes made to the design during production, its so easy to view the changes in 3D by modelling. The strength of VW lies in its ability to be used as a complete CAD system- stick with VW and abandon ACAD.

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Jim McAuliffe, RA

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Many of us have for years lobbied Richard Diehl and his incarnations of DiehlGraphsoft and now, Nemetcheck North America for ACAD compatibility. We have pretty good transferability now. However jfmarch is correct in that ACAD is a difficult beast to use compared with Vectorworks.

Why did we want ACAD compatibility? So we could send files to our various consultants who seem to like particular CAD prograqms with "vertical market" bells and whistles, like COGO or civil engineering.

However I do all of my work in Vectorworks because, as jfmarch states, VW is the best program to do it all in. There are few limits VW imposes. I can get Automatic and semi-automatic views via VW's 3D and 2D features which are not attainable without a $12,000.00 plus investmenet in multiple software packages which Autodesk sells or authorizes 3rd parties to develop.

One of the classier features in Vectorworks is the Spreadsheet/database integration which can automatically - and I mean automatically - generate schedules, keynote blocks and other items which, to do in ACAD requires exports to third party software (e.g. Excel) and then an import or Windows type data link to pull back into ACAD drawings for plotting. It is so time consuming to generate some items in ACAD that only a few, very heavy in investmented overhead, firms dare tackle.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I just experienced the round trip to autocad. The design development was done in VW 8.5, translated to DWG and sent to an Autocad 14 drafting consultant.

It was then returned for final corrections.

In summary, it was a miserable and costly experience.

1.The settings dialogs for the translation process are quirky for both export and import.

2. Line weight and text formatting is lost

3. Patterns are lost, hatches are lost.

4. Arrows from ACAD are lost

5. Budget time at both ends to reformat all line weights, text styles, text placement in call out targets.

6. Unless you restart VW and start the import process with a new drawing, there is a high likelihood of VW freeze.

7. All in all a timeconsuming and hair raising experience.

8. The profession is so heavily dominated by autocad that a high level of compatibility is essential for VW and hopefully the programmers will keep this near the top of their agenda.

9. The introduction of "classes" as ACAD "layer" equivalents is a start. To be effective, the designer must be vigilant in working in the correct class at all times so that line weights can be easily identified(assuming the translators work seamlessly which they dont). Personally, I cant be bothered to do this .

10. One of the great assets of working in VW is the ability to draw lines the way you want to without categorizing them by layer or using colors (which have nothing to do with the output) to represent line weights. (In ACAD 2000i it is now possible to view actual line weights on screen.)

11. I hope that VW 9 will represent a great leap forward in working on this problem.

12. DataCad has just introduced a built-in PDFroutine for sharing drawings and Acrobat 6 supposedly has mark up capabilities.

13. VW must be able to share files over the net easily.

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I just experienced the round trip to autocad. The design development was done in VW 8.5, translated to DWG and sent to an Autocad 14 drafting consultant.

It was then returned for final corrections.

In summary, it was a miserable and costly experience.

1.The settings dialogs for the translation process are quirky for both export and import.

2. Line weight and text formatting is lost

3. Patterns are lost, hatches are lost.

4. Arrows from ACAD are lost

5. Budget time at both ends to reformat all line weights, text styles, text placement in call out targets.

6. Unless you restart VW and start the import process with a new drawing, there is a high likelihood of VW freeze.

7. All in all a timeconsuming and hair raising experience.

8. The profession is so heavily dominated by autocad that a high level of compatibility is essential for VW and hopefully the programmers will keep this near the top of their agenda.

9. The introduction of "classes" as ACAD "layer" equivalents is a start. To be effective, the designer must be vigilant in working in the correct class at all times so that line weights can be easily identified(assuming the translators work seamlessly which they dont). Personally, I cant be bothered to do this .

10. One of the great assets of working in VW is the ability to draw lines the way you want to without categorizing them by layer or using colors (which have nothing to do with the output) to represent line weights. (In ACAD 2000i it is now possible to view actual line weights on screen.)

11. I hope that VW 9 will represent a great leap forward in working on this problem.

12. DataCad has just introduced a built-in PDFroutine for sharing drawings and Acrobat 6 supposedly has mark up capabilities.

13. VW must be able to share files over the net easily.

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True the dxf translation is far from easy. It is easier though if you plan for the translation. Don't use things that will create problems. Autocad will not handle overlapping forms for example. Also standardize fonts and line standards between platforms. Much of the planning process is spelled out in an appendix in the manual. Follow it closely. One last thing...stay out of paperspace!

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