Autocad Import Problems

[fmunoz.147480]

I usually dont have any problems importing Autocad files into Revit, but every once in a while I import a file that seems to have something about 5,000' away from the drawing because i get a huge outline on the DWG. But when I go the Autocad i cant find anything and a zoom to all only shows the drawing and nothing else in space. I have tried everything i can think of from changing the proxygraphics, setting the Autocad drawing to be closer to 0,0, setting up the paper space to have only the extents of the drawing, taking out the paper space so it imports the model space. I found out that one of the files it always does it on is when it the Autocad drawing was made in my Autocad template so i have tried selecting just what I want to import and putting it into a blank autocad but that hasnt worked either. Is there a Autocad setting or Revit setting that I am not thinking about or have missed??

This isnt that much of a problem when i import to floor plan because i can crop out the rest of the view. But its a big problem when I import to draftin view. The one I'm currently working on is some general notes and views that i put on my general sheets. I dont want to explode the autocad in Revit because i use 3 different sheet sizes and I will need to be able to scale the autocad depending on the sheet size i use.

[bcgatti]

Are there any blocks (or items turned "off" or "frozen") in your AutoCAD files that might have origins far outside of the visible geometry?

Keep in mind that if an item is turned "off" in AutoCAD it is still selectable and you might be accidently grabbing some items and adding them to your abbreviated block without knowing it.

[Liz437]

A couple of questions that might help to track down your problem:

1. Have you tried to WBlock your CAD? (A good way to ensure you are getting only what you want.)

2. When you import the CAD, do you just import 'visible layers'? (Another good way to ensure you're getting only what you need.)

3. I would always recommend Revitizing your CAD - it is a slight pain at first but you end up with clean & functional Revit details that eliminate a lot of these coordination issues. Your issue of scaling appropriately depending on sheet size, for example, would be solved quite easily & automatically if the details were Revitized.

[fmunoz.147480]

I've been playing around with the Autocad, I put it in 3D and did a zoom to all and got the same zoom back like in Revit. I started deleting objects til it only zoomed to the drawing, it turned out that it was Attributes that were making it zoom far away. After I deleted the Attributes the zoom in 3D was correct so thought it was going to work in Revit but I got the exact problem again.

I definitely agree that I would be better off Revitizing it but unfortunately the architect I'm doing this for does not want to spend the time and money. He's new to Revit so he still doesnt know the problems he can face by just importing autocad.

[fmunoz.147480]

And if i put the drawing into paper space in Autocad why does it take the model? I thought the default was paper space and if it doesnt exist it takes the model.

[Liz437]

Ah - the almighty 'time + money'......I dont suppose you could tell him that if you had Revitized it'd be over by now, & easier to adjust when he changes his mind in a week ;)

Have you tried wblocking? That will pull only what you select. Also, have you checked the scale of it once its in Revit? Sometimes the auto-detect is way off & something that should be 6" is actually 1/1857".

[btrusty]

what i have found helpful when this happens in the past

export the overall floorplan from REVIT
open it in autocad, create a block from the contents
copy what you want from another file into this file
locate it, then delete the REVIT content (the block)
save that file and import it, it should import in the correct location...

if it does not, go back and export from revit again with "shared coordinates"
match setting when importing into revit