CAD IMPORTS

[lila]

is there a way to ensure that cad files can come in correctly and consistently with correct line weights, text, hatches, etc.?
i've been having a lot of problems with text not looking the way it should as well as line types. does everything need to be exploded?

[mruehr]

yes you can
but you have to put in a bit of work
first make your cad import translation table for lineweight
change your text to a true type font
change your multiline text to single line (there is a lisb)
make sure your world orgin is not miles away
purge your file before inserting
there are a few more depenting on the spezific use of your cad files
i did complete roundtrips with cad(import cad-export as cad)
with no noticeable differences

[JamesVan]

Just to clarify the previous response...

For font translation, there's a text file in the Data folder under the Revit installation directory called shxfontmap.txt. In it, you define translations from SHX fonts to True Type fonts for CAD imports. Make sure the SHX fonts you're using in your CAD files are listed in the shxfontmap file.

Note - I haven't officially tested it, but I think changes in your shxfontmap file will affect linked CAD files that already exist in your Revit project.

For lineweight, you set it under File-Import/Export Settings-Import Lineweights. DWG layer color -to- Revit Line Weight. This, like the fontmap, will be maintained for each user.

[lila]

thank you for your advice :)

[brakware]

I have a question that kind of dovetails on this one... (warning, I am still using 8.1).

Our color to lineweight table in AutoCAD includes a number of line types that are of a certain thickness AND of a certain grayscale. I am in the process of setting up our import line weights file in Revit, and it would appear that one can translate a line color to a line WEIGHT, but one cannot translate a line color to a line STYLE. Is there a way, when I import or link in my AutoCAD drawings, that I can have, say, color 26 translate to a .006 line at 80% gray? Or, can I only have the lines come in at 100% black?

Thanks in advance for any info anyone might have. I know that I am using outdated Revit now, but that is not up to me, it is up to the penny-pinchers upstairs.

[Dimitri Harvalias]

At this point Revit has two line densities. 100% black and 50% 'halftone'.
The Import Lineweight table can only map ACAD color to Revit Line Weight so you can't map a color to a color.

PS Talk to your boss. The benefits of 2008 over 8.1 far outweigh the cost to keep your office on subscription. (IMHO :beer:)

[brakware]

Thanks for the info... Now I know not to put any more time into trying to figure out how to map the ACAD colors to Revit colors.

I will also add: that is REALLY lame. One should be able to map an ACAD color to a line style instead of just a line weight, or at least be able to map it to a weight and a density rather than just a weight.

But that's just my 2¢...