Exporting shadows into AutoCAD?

[gthornton]

Is there any way of exporting shadows from masses into AutoCAD?

[ejburrell67787]

You can export a jpg file of the shadows and import that into AutoCad. If you want it to scale then you can use a 3d view and align it to an elevation or plan.

I don't think there is a way to export shadows as some kind of line / vector information... but someone more knowledgeable might correct me on this...!

[aaronrumple]

Have to ask - "Why?"

[Max Lloyd]

I would say: why not?

There aren't a great deal of reasons for doing it. It just seems odd to me that it doesn't. All the other lines and hatch export.

I know you could export as pdf, jpg, dwf of more, but all of these do see the shadows.

Why not dwg?

[gthornton]

Hi Aaron,

The reason why I would need to do this is because we have a very large development with multiple buildings that have been drawn in AutoCAD. We need to show shadows around these buildings, so I figured the easiest way to do this would be to mass the buildings very quickly in Revit and generate shadows from this massing. I would then like to export the shadows back into AutoCAD and overlay them onto the existing plans.

[ejburrell67787]

I think exporting a jpg plan view from Revit and importing it into AutoCAD to trace around is your best bet.

[gthornton]

OK All,

Thanks for the Tips, I traced over the shadow with a filled region and then exported it.

However all these methods remain to be time wasters, perhaps it can be added to the wishlist.

Cheers

G.

[aaronrumple]

For presentations of this sort I do my compositing in CorelDraw. I usually dump the shadows as PDF. I can merge the AutoCAD linework in easily.

[iru69]

However all these methods remain to be time wasters, perhaps it can be added to the wishlist.
I think interoperability with AutoCAD is essential... however what it appears that you're proposing is asking the Revit developers to add functionality to AutoCAD that it doesn't already have (i.e. shadows)? Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but that doesn't seem like a great use of Revit development resources?

[gthornton]

Hi,

You have misunderstood me. My concern lies with Revit not being able to export shadows as hatch into AutoCAD. I am not concerned with AutoCAD not having this function as I predominantly use Revit.

I Hope this reinforces my concern.

[iru69]

You have misunderstood me.
You have AutoCAD drawings. You want shadows in your AutoCAD drawings. You figure since Revit has the capability to do shadows, and Revit can export to AutoCAD, you can use Revit to add shadows to your AutoCAD drawings. But Revit does not export shadows. So you want the Revit developers to add the ability for Revit to export shadows to AutoCAD drawings. This proposed "feature" sounds like it only benefits AutoCAD users who want to enhance the presentation of their AutoCAD drawings. You're of course entitled to your opinion/wish.

[Max Lloyd]

One of revit's best hopes is to be open to what is the biggest base of users. Otherwise why bother exporting to acad at all? Although maybe it should export throwing z co-ordinates all over the place or adding some sort of virus to really annoy the acad scum :wink:

[rod.74246]

I actually asked this question once. Basically the answer is you can only export what the model views as "lines". That is basically anything that shows up on your wieframe model and filled regions and detail work. My understanding is that the shadows are not by any means a model element, they kinda work a bit like an actual shadow, in that when you change the light source the shadow changes (change the sun setting and it automatically regenerates). It is purely a graphical element and isn't specifically fixed to the model. Hence Revit isn't set up to generate line work out of this as it is basically a graphic setting and not a model / detail element.

Anyway, i couldn;t quite understand the answer myself except to say that it just isn't set up that way and to export it would be too hard and kinda pointless (as you should be working in Revit anyway). A least thats what i got told.

[Isaacarus]

I have done this a few times in the past. I exported a jpg of the shadows, Opened it with Adobe StreamLine (no longer available, because it's functions have been incorporated into Adobe Illustrator) and converted the raster shadow map into vector linework, a one or two click operation. The linework can then be saved as a dwg or DXF by Illustrator. Open it in AutoCAD and place or scale as needed.

[jlinger]

I know this is an old thread, but are there any new answers for this? It would be really helpful to be able to quantify shaded areas, especially for the verification of the LEED credit for shaded hardscapes.