For optimal performance, use files that are about 1 MB in size or less. (A DXF file is generally about three times the size of a DWG file for the same drawing.) Reduce file sizes for drawings by pruning unnecessary information from the drawing.
Preparing a Drawing Before Importing
RingMaster has a file cleanup feature that removes unwanted information from an imported drawing. However, the more cleanup work you do before importing, the better your results. In addition, cleaning up files before importing helps reduce file size, which enhances performance when handling the file in
RingMaster.
To prepare a drawing before importing it into RingMaster:
1. Make sure the scale of the paper space is 1” : 1” (full size). Also, ensure that the scale type is the same as that of the model space.
2. Verify that the origin point (0,0) aligns correctly for all floors.
3. Delete unnecessary workspaces or paper layouts. If a drawing contains multiple paper layouts, delete all but the last one (which cannot be deleted) and delete the contents of that layout.
4. Check for externally referenced files. RingMaster requires that drawing files be monolithic. If a floor plan uses externally referenced files, significant portions of the floor plan might be missing, even with all layers unfrozen and visible.
In AutoCAD, when you load a drawing file, you may see messages about files not found. To check for external references, you can select Insert > Xref Manager. If you look at layers, externally referenced layers have a common prefix label with a $ delimiter between their label and their description (for example, SC03$a-WALL-FULL). If you can see a layer, it is either blank or is a single read-only object. To include information in externally referenced files, place these files in the same directory as the master file. In AutoCAD, you can bind information to the master file by selecting Insert > Xref Manager, selecting the file, then clicking Bind.
Adding information from referenced files can increase file size. If information you will need to convert into RF obstacles is in a referenced file but not the master file, try importing the referenced file into
RingMaster. For information on the location of referenced files in AutoCAD, refer to AutoCAD
documentation.
5. Audit the drawing. An audit finds problems between objects in the file and fixes them automatically. To perform an audit in AutoCAD, select File > Drawing Utilities > Audit.
6. Check for grouped objects, especially groups that span multiple layers or include an entire drawing. If a grouped object contains objects you will assign differing RF values to, or if some objects do not become RF obstacles, ungroup those objects and delete unneeded objects. If all RF objects in a grouped object have the same RF value, leave the object grouped.
Juniper Networks offers a CAD cleanup service to perform these functions. Contact your Juniper Networks account representative for details.
Copyright © 2011, Juniper Networks, Inc. Preparing a Drawing Before Importing
7. A grouped object can contain multiple layers and visible and invisible objects. (When you select an object that spans multiple layers, the object is not normally selected when you click on it. Instead, a selection square appears, offset to the side of the object.) If you decide to delete a grouped object, ensure that the object does not contain objects to which you will assign RF values.
8. Make visible, unlock, and unfreeze all layers. Delete unnecessary layers. (Locking a layer keeps the layer visible but prevents changes to that layer. Freezing a layer locks the layer and makes it invisible.) In many cases, information in invisible or frozen layers is not related to objects that are RF obstacles, and so is unnecessary in a floor plan. The information you need to keep is structural information that you assign RF values in RingMaster.
9. To check the contents of invisible layers to verify that information can be discarded, reverse the frozen/unfrozen status of all layers so only layers normally frozen are visible. In TurboCAD, delete unneeded layers. In AutoCAD, click and drag all visible objects to select them. Delete these objects.
10. Remove all blocks, line types, and layers that are unused.
In TurboCAD:
−To delete a block, select it on the Blocks palette and click Delete.
− A line type is an object. To delete an object, select the object and select
Edit > Clear > Selection.
In AutoCAD:
−Click-drag to select unwanted objects and delete them.
−When all unwanted objects are deleted, purge the drawing of all unwanted layers, blocks, and fonts by selecting File > Drawing Utilities > Purge. Make sure purge nested items is selected. Click Purge until the option is greyed out.
11. Create RF-specific layers and move walls, windows, doors, and other objects that affect RF
propagation from other layers into new layers. For example, create a new layer called RF-ExtWalls for external walls, and move all external wall objects into that layer. In RingMaster, select all objects in a layer and assign the same RF attenuation value to them. Create RF-IntWalls for interior walls and
RF-Windows for windows.
If walls or windows are shown with multiple parallel lines, delete all but one line. (RingMaster can remove unneeded parallel lines during cleanup, depending on how close together lines are.)
To create a new layer in TurboCAD 9, select Options > Layers. In AutoCAD, select Format > Layer. To move objects to new RF layers, click-drag to select objects, select Modify >Properties, and change objects’ layer.
Do not use Ctrl+A (Select All) in AutoCAD to select objects to delete. This option selects all of the objects in a model space regardless of layer status (invisible, locked, or frozen). Invisible objects are unprotected and will be deleted. Instead, use click-drag to select multiple objects, or lock layers you want to keep first.
In AutoCAD, you cannot delete a layer if it is not empty. However, in
TurboCAD, Options > Layers allows you to delete a layer even if there are objects in it.
Working with Drawings Copyright © 2011, Juniper Networks, Inc.
12. Save the drawing in DWG and DXF formats in case one format does not import well. To save the file into a specific format, select File >Save As and select the format. Use version R2000 of the format you save as, if available.