CAD Details to go into Revit

[Dr._House]

I've been trying to load in some Architectual Details into a Revit Model, and everytime I use the Import Option it comes in all thick lined and my hatching turns solid and it's just not what I'm looking for. Is there any other options out there? The "Band-Aid" solution I came up with was to Plot the CAD File to a PDF and then make them Raster Images in Revit.. it works, but I want to know if there is an easier way.

Thanks for your time
Ryan

[mjward1]

Is it possible to redraw that particular detail as a detail family?

[MNsnowtaTy]

You're way better off just converting the details into Revit. Use Full Explode to explode the CAD detail in Revit, then switch all CAD linework to Revit appropriate line work for the layers they were on in Cad, switch the hatches into the desired filled regions that are needed if if they did turn solid, change any text and leaders into Revit text. To insure you aren't bogging down the file with extra CAD stuff delete all those imported CAD lines and text that aren't being used anymore.

[ambera]

If you don't have the time to (partial) explode and then convert everything to Revit lines and text, you want to make sure that you are bringing the cad details into a Detail View and you shouldn't have any problems with the line weights. However, if you haven't set up Revit to read your AutoCAD line weights, you will not see any change.

Then, when you have time, you can convert everything to Revit info.

[Andre Carvalho]

I've been trying to load in some Architectual Details into a Revit Model, and everytime I use the Import Option it comes in all thick lined and my hatching turns solid and it's just not what I'm looking for. Is there any other options out there? The "Band-Aid" solution I came up with was to Plot the CAD File to a PDF and then make them Raster Images in Revit.. it works, but I want to know if there is an easier way.

Thanks for your time
Ryan

Ryan,

Take a look at this thread: http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=73804
It may help you.

Andre Carvalho

[kpaxton]

rtivis,
Good afternoon. I feel the need to clarify a couple of the points that have been made here. To answer your question, YES - there is an easier way. It does depend on what and how you're going to approach this in your office, not just in this project. As has been suggested, it is preferred to convert your ACAD details into REVIT details for later use in Revit projects as there is less overhead and "mess".

Here are the general steps to take if you want to keep the detail as a DWG.

1. Go to File > Import/Export settings > Import Line Weights and choose your conversion TXT file for IMPORTING. If you see all 1's here, you don't have a correct file setting loaded.
2. Click on the LOAD button to find your file. If you haven't made one specifically for your office, you'll need to make one. Good news this is based on the Color of the layers in Acad. This will be used to covert the DWG files when imported/linked.
3. If you see bad line weights, you will need to delete the DWG and re-link it into your project. It is very difficult to reassign this once it's in your project.
4. DO NOT Import - LINK the DWG into your project's view. This will act like an Xref and if there is a change in the external file, it will be able to be updated.
5. Place each detail in its own Drafting View so it can be referenced on a sheet.

If you want to Convert a detail.

1. I prefer teaching my students that if they have the time (which they should make a choice to do so now), then they should 'convert' the DWG to a Revit detail.
2. Open a 'Dirty Project file" - one that you can discard or keep for conversions later.
3. Have your Project file or a 'clean' Detail Project File open concurrently in the same Revit Session.
4. Create a new Drafting View for the detail to be imported.
5. Prior to importing the DWG, make sure there are no wayward AEC blocks - these can cause some headaches later.
6. IMPORT the DWG into the Drafting view.
7. I use Partial Explode, as opposed to the other user suggests, I run into less problems that way with hatches, etc. but a full explode will also work. This is analogous to exploding in AutoCAD 2008 with nested xrefs and blocks.
8. NOTE: You cannot explode linked files or an import symbol that would yield more than 10,000 elements
9. You'll get warnings such as the following - Just press Delete Element(s):
   1. Line is too short,
   2. Can't draw Detail Filled Region,
   3. Line in Sketch is slightly off axis and may cause inaccuracies.
10. Once exploded, I typically delete the leaders and dimensions (left till I create new Revit Dimensions.) The text will be converted into Revit Text which you then select, and change it's Type to your Revit Text Style and add a leader.
11. I delete any Insulation or aberrant hatching and recreate using Revit detail components and Filled Regions.
12. I'll then select the whole detail, use the Filter tool and select one layer at a time, and select the proper Revit Line work from the Type Selector pulldown.
13. Once converted - and another Filter confirms this- then select all of the detail, and press Ctrl-C.
14. Go to a new Drafting view in your Project or Detail Project, and Ctrl-V to paste it into place. This avoids having all the DWG layer, linetype, filled region and text styles from clogging your Project.

The preferred method?

1. Convert the detail, and use Detail Components and Filled Regions to be a true Revit Detail!!!
2. the above suggestion can also be used in conjunction with the above outline conversion process.

Hope this helps,
Kyle

[Lashers]

You could also be importing the file using the wrong units. If you leave the choice to Revit to decide the units it could get it wrong. In the dialog box select the import units according to the units used to create the detail file.

I have had this in the past and corrected it with this method, hope it helps.

[sroy]

I am new to Revit and one of the first things I am looking at is how to import cad details into Revit.

Is there any way when importing a cad detail to have Revit look at an import file that has the layers we currently use and then what corresponding Revit linework that these layers should be put on? Or is the only way to do this is import the drawing, filter the specific layers and add to proper lineweight?

I found a way to have the items come into specific lineweights and thought there may be something like this.

Shawn

[MNsnowtaTy]

I am new to Revit and one of the first things I am looking at is how to import cad details into Revit.

Is there any way when importing a cad detail to have Revit look at an import file that has the layers we currently use and then what corresponding Revit linework that these layers should be put on? Or is the only way to do this is import the drawing, filter the specific layers and add to proper lineweight?

I found a way to have the items come into specific lineweights and thought there may be something like this.

Shawn

I'm pretty sure that you have to import and explode and then convert your ACAD layers to your Revit layers.

[FWSchreck]

We've been holding off converting our 1500+ AutoCAD detail library to Revit because of the time and costs involved in following the methods explained in this thread.

Does anyone know if Autodesk/3rd party developers are working on a way to quickly and cleanly convert AutoCAD details into Revit projects?