DWG import - Line weights never work

[Maximillian]

Why is this? I know the line weights are there in the DWG. There is no special plot or pen file, just a "normal" DWG. I dont plan on going into autocad to edit the DWG to work with revit. It just needs to import correctly. Sorry if that all sounds like a rant, but I do not own autocad and dont like it anyway.

Why cant revit import the line weights correctly?

Oh yes... And some hatches show up black. They are not that fine of a scale so I dont see the problem.

[Scott Womack]

Why is this? I know the line weights are there in the DWG. There is no special plot or pen file, just a "normal" DWG. I dont plan on going into autocad to edit the DWG to work with revit. It just needs to import correctly. Sorry if that all sounds like a rant, but I do not own autocad and dont like it anyway.

Why cant revit import the line weights correctly?

Oh yes... And some hatches show up black. They are not that fine of a scale so I dot see the problem.

I assume you edited the importlineweights-dwg-default.txr file to change the lineweights by color? It could also be that some third party apps in AutoCAD override the pen settings by entity as well. Not that common, but I have seen it happen.

[Maximillian]

No, I did not explode or edit the DWG

No, I have not edited the "importlineweights-dwg-default.txr file to change the lineweights by color"

What is that? Most people who use ACAD set their line weight by layer not color...Does that text file solve that?

It would seem like revit would have a conversion table in place already for stuff like this??

[Scott Womack]

No, I did not explode or edit the DWG

No, I have not edited the "importlineweights-dwg-default.txt file to change the lineweights by color"

What is that? Most people who use ACAD set their line weight by layer not color...Does that text file solve that?

It would seem like revit would have a conversion table in place already for stuff like this??

Are you using a CTB based lineweight system in AutoCAD or are you using a STB based system? Revit can convert a CTB based system, by editing the importlineweights-dwg-default.txt file. The CTB plotter setup in AutoCAD maps the color of the layer to a pen/lineweight. The file previously mentioned, allows Revit to map those to lineweights in Revit when you import the AutoCAD file.

The following is copied straight from Revit's help system.
"When you import a DWG or DXF file, each layer in the file is assigned a line weight based on the pen number-line weight settings. Revit Architecture can import pen numbers from a DWG or DXF file and map them to a Revit Architecture line weight. You can then save these mappings in a text file, and they become the set mappings for the project."

[Maximillian]

Scott,

FIrst of all I really appreciate your help.

But i think the disconnect for me is that the layers in Acad should automatically correspond proportionally to a revit line weight.

[Craig_L]

Scott,

FIrst of all I really appreciate your help.

But i think the disconnect for me is that the layers in Acad should automatically correspond proportionally to a revit line weight.

I think the main problem with what you are saying will be that the line weights will actually change depending on the scale you wish your view to be. Where as in cad a 0.35 pen is always a 0.35 no matter which view. In revit you set it to for example a pen 4, under your line weight settings (under "Settings" on the menu tab scroll down to "Line Weights") and you can see that a 4 in a 1:10, is not the same as a 4 in a 1:100.

Once you import your drawing you can set the line weights the first time, depending on your view scale, and create a view template. You can then simply apply the view template to any subsequent views you need to import. I suggest you set one up for each scale you may need. It may take a few minutes at the start, but will pay itself off in a hurry.

[chris.macko125036]

No, I did not explode or edit the DWG

No, I have not edited the "importlineweights-dwg-default.txr file to change the lineweights by color"

What is that? Most people who use ACAD set their line weight by layer not color...Does that text file solve that?

It would seem like revit would have a conversion table in place already for stuff like this??

I don't know about most people, but every firm i've ever worked for has used layer by color with pen tables. That way the user can tell at a glance what lines are heavy and what lines are light. This seems to import very well into revit as well once you setup the import lineweights file.

[twiceroadsfool]

Yeah, every firm ive been in has done Lineweight by color, not by Layer.

And, since the lineweights are a byproduct of the PLOT function in AutoCAD (since you can change the pen settings for colors there), LINKING or IMPORTING a DWG cant really achieve a baseline lineweight setting for them, because it would need you to specify a pen setting file for linking, which would just get UGLY...