The following diagram illustrates a r ecommended working method for exchanging data with AutoCAD users. The diagram shows the entir e ArchiCAD -> DWG -> Ar chiCAD r oute.
XREF Merge DWGOut.DWG AutoCAD Drawing.DWG Project.PLN ArchiCAD DWGIn.DWG Temporary Project.PLN Template File Config File Config File XREF
The data exchange consists of four distinct steps:
1. A DWG file is saved from the ArchiCAD Project. This can be done several ways, with or without the use of the
Configuration and Template files. Please refer to the
Customization chapter of this manual for details about their use.
DWGOut.DWG Project.PLN ArchiCAD Template File Config File
The result of this step is a DXF/DWG file that the client/ consultant can use and that complies with the for mat/attribute, etc., requirements of that office, if any.
2. The other office receives the DWG file. The person
working on the drawing in the of fice must not open the
DWG file directly for editing. Instead, he or she opens a new
DWG document that will contain his or her work and loads your file as an Exter nal Refer ence file (XREF).
Two types of attachment methods can be specified when creating an XREF in AutoCAD: ‘attach’ and ‘overlay’. The of fice should use the ‘overlay’ method when external r eferencing the DWG file coming from ArchiCAD. (You will see after the description of these four steps why this is necessary.)
DWGOut.DWG
XREF AutoCAD
Drawing.DWG
3. The client/consultant works on its own DXF/DWG drawing. When it is time to exchange data or send infor mation to the office using Ar chiCAD, they save a DXF or DWG file.
ArchiCAD 6.5 DXF/DWG Conversion Guide
AutoCAD
Drawing.DWG DWGIn.DWG
In this step, the client/consultant sends over to your office not only this saved DXF/DWG file but also all the files that ar e needed for its correct reproduction in Ar chiCAD. This can include external r eferenced DWG files (*.DWG), shape files (*.SHX), bitmap files, etc. Please refer to the Tips & Tricks chapter of this manual for advice on how to do this in
AutoCAD. The DWG file coming from ArchiCAD is not part of this package, however. This way only those drawing elements cr eated by the client/consultant will be will be sent to your office. This makes it possible to avoid redundant data occurr ence in files.
4. After you r eceive these files you have two choices: A. Using the AutoCAD Tools explained in the ‘Command
Reference’ chapter of this manual, attach or r eload the DXF/ DWG file into your original Ar chiCAD Pr oject file as External References. It is important to use the ‘overlay’ method when attaching the files as XREFs and not the ‘attach’ method.
DWGIn.DWG Project.PLN
ArchiCAD
XREF
B. Your other option is to use the same Configuration file used for saving the DXF/DWG file sent to the other party to create
an Ar chiCAD (PLN) file out of the DXF/DWG file. Then you can mer ge this ArchiCAD file with your Pr oject file.
DWGIn.DWG Project.PLN ArchiCAD Merge Temporary Project.PLN Config File
The differences between the two methods in Step 4. are the following:
- If you attach or r eload a DXF/DWG file, any layer/line type/ font, etc., conversion that you may have specified in the Configuration file when saving the DWG file will not be in effect. On the other hand, the DWG file will not become part of the Project, so you will always know which parts were done by you and by others.
- If you use the second method then you will have the option to convert it back using the Configuration file’s settings. The drawback of this method is that those drawing elements cr eated by the client/consultant will become permanently part of your Project file. You will then have to use some other method to differentiate between elements (e.g., client’s/ consultants draw on specific layers) or you can use the ‘Hotlinked Modules’ feature, new to ArchiCAD 6.5. Which method you use will, of course, depend on the actual situation.
Explanation: The first working method allows you and your consultants to always work in your own files, and use other’s files only by external r eferencing them, thereby excluding outside data. Of course, all data can be viewed when the external r eferences are loaded.
ArchiCAD 6.5 DXF/DWG Conversion Guide
Notes: If you ar e using the first method, you will have to save DWG files and send those to the other party. The reason for this is that AutoCAD can use only DWG files as Exter nal Reference files.
When the other party saves the file, it can either be DXF or DWG, as ArchiCAD can use both for mats as Exter nal Reference.
The reason the ‘overlay’ method is recommended when attaching an Exter nal Refer ence file to any DWG drawing or ArchiCAD Pr oject is to avoid having the same data loaded into a file twice. When you overlay a DXF/DWG file, those files that ar e XREF-ed from that file will not be loaded into the file. In our example, the DWG file saved from ArchiCAD and named ‘DWGOut.DWG’ is loaded as Exter nal Refer ence in the file Drawing.DWG. Then this Drawing.DWG file is loaded into the original Ar chiCAD Pr oject file as external r eference. If XREFs were attached using the ‘attach’ method, the content of the file DWGOut.DWG would be visible in the ArchiCAD Pr oject when loading Drawing.DWG as Exter nal Refer ence, producing an undesirable duplication of data.