Import 3D Max file to AutoCAD as solids

[mmccarter]

I am making a 3d model (final product to be wire frame linework) of a building and AutoCAD is failing to create some of the shapes I need and so I am creating them in max and trying to bring them back into AutoCAD.

In max the objects have been created by lofting a profile along a path. AutoCAD could not extrude the object hence going into max.
The objects exist in max as an editable mesh. When saved as a dwg or a 3ds is imported AutoCAD sees these objects as a polyface mesh, which of course is not much use apart from looking pretty! I need to use XEDGES on solids to extract the linework.

This may seem an extremely time consuming process to create some lines, but the nature of the objects and the fact that complex objects intersect each other, modelling them and subtracting (in CAD) or booleaning (in max) and extracting the edges is the most precise way to achieve what I need.

Does anyone know of a way to achieve this so that the mesh comes into CAD from max as a solid in such a way that I can run XEDGES on it and end up with just the outer lines I need. ( I found a free download that brought them in as a solid but XEDGES interpreted all the isolines as something it needed to extract!)

Last time I agree to do a 1:20 wireframe of an existing building!

[Arben.Allaraj]

I am making a 3d model (final product to be wire frame linework) of a building and AutoCAD is failing to create some of the shapes I need and so I am creating them in max and trying to bring them back into AutoCAD.

In max the objects have been created by lofting a profile along a path. AutoCAD could not extrude the object hence going into max.
The objects exist in max as an editable mesh. When saved as a dwg or a 3ds is imported AutoCAD sees these objects as a polyface mesh, which of course is not much use apart from looking pretty! I need to use XEDGES on solids to extract the linework.

This may seem an extremely time consuming process to create some lines, but the nature of the objects and the fact that complex objects intersect each other, modelling them and subtracting (in CAD) or booleaning (in max) and extracting the edges is the most precise way to achieve what I need.

Does anyone know of a way to achieve this so that the mesh comes into CAD from max as a solid in such a way that I can run XEDGES on it and end up with just the outer lines I need. ( I found a free download that brought them in as a solid but XEDGES interpreted all the isolines as something it needed to extract!)

Last time I agree to do a 1:20 wireframe of an existing building!


I don't remember well but i know the 3DMAX exports a file as *.STEP format.
Import this file in AutoCAD.

[JD Mather]

I don't remember well but i know the 3DMAX exports a file as *.STEP format.
Import this file in AutoCAD.

AutoCAD does not support stepin, you need AutoCAD Mechanical or Mechanical Desktop (Inventor).

In MDT you could open the *.3ds file and use the igesout and igesin command. Then amstitch to stitch to a solid. *3ds files are generally of little use for serious work other than pretty pictures. The resulting solid would be heavily faceted faces rather than smooth NURBS geometry.

Are you familiar with the new Loft, Sweep, and Slice with surface tools in AutoCAD? I have a hard time believing the shape cannot be created directly in AutoCAD. Can you post the file?

I made a quick stab at your earlier post on the building and it is definately doable, but you would have to have a strong understanding of the new surface and solids tools in AutoCAD and it would be a bit of work. I'm guessing about 40hrs.

[Arben.Allaraj]

AutoCAD does not support stepin, you need AutoCAD Mechanical or Mechanical Desktop (Inventor).

In MDT you could open the *.3ds file and use the igesout and igesin command. Then amstitch to stitch to a solid. *3ds files are generally of little use for serious work other than pretty pictures. The resulting solid would be heavily faceted faces rather than smooth NURBS geometry.

Are you familiar with the new Loft, Sweep, and Slice with surface tools in AutoCAD? I have a hard time believing the shape cannot be created directly in AutoCAD. Can you post the file?

I made a quick stab at your earlier post on the building and it is definately doable, but you would have to have a strong understanding of the new surface and solids tools in AutoCAD and it would be a bit of work. I'm guessing about 40hrs.

Yes ,You have right AutoCAD don't supports *.step files need AM or MDT.
But i think importing this file as *.SAT or 3DS files in AutoCAD.

[mmccarter]

Thanks for the reply guys.

This is a different building to the one I posted a few weeks ago.

I am familiar with loft etc but have had no success in this instant as I so often do with the detail I work with. I had a profile of a window sill (highly detailed at a scale of 1:20) which I needed to extrude along a defined path.
Two problems I have determined which prevented this from working. AutoCAD did not like it if the profile had arcs in it so I changed arcs to a series of short straight lines instead. This then worked. The other factor which sometimes prevented it from extruding was if the path was an arc.....

As for my original question, I have partly solved it with the program MESH TO CAD, although the solids created are messy, the shape is correct.

As for subtracting from sill (and other features) once I have created is yet another problem I have encountered. most of them work as I need and I can work around those which don't. Unfortunately it appears AutoCAD is not the tool for what we need. The trouble is that our supplier has said we are pushing AutoCAD more than any of his clients but there is no alternative out there which can accomplish what we need. Things like inventor aren't quite right for our needs.
I usually end up using a combination of AutoCAD and Microstation and can accomplish most of what I need with these two.