AutoCAD Civil 3D

[#1]

We had a 4MB drawing using -EXPORTTOAUTOCAD is now an 80MB drawing. The command seems to have combined all C3D converted objects into a single block and then repeated that for each viewport. So, for example, we have 20 duplicated pipe objects converted to a polyline embedded in 20 blocks, each of which is 4MB.

AutoCAD 32-bit can no longer open the drawing. Also impossible to edit even if it could be opened.

Are there any known solutions? I don't have access to the drawing to test but would removing all the layouts to a sheet set drawing work? The solutions I can think of all involve recreating all the layouts and viewports and possibly a lot of labelling work.

Thanks,

[#2]

Go to the Model tab and Wblock the objects to another drawing. Open that drawing and ExporttoAutoCAD.

[#3]

Thanks, what would be the effect of any custom labelling (moved, rotated) they've done in all the layout viewports? I'm guessing all that work would have to be re-done.

Greg

[#4]

I've got to ask, if you don't want them to have access to the Civil 3D objects, then why do you want to export out a P&P drawing?  Are DWF or PDF not options?

[#5]

If C3D labels are moved/rotated in a viewport, they are moved/rotated in model space, so that's not the issue.  The issue is that the labels and objects are ususally designed to scale per viewport and rotate per view, or at least maintain plan readability.  What happens when you export from model space with one scale and one view?  Obviously that scale and that view (twist) is what will be applied to all the annotative objects.

If you end up with a load of blocks called something like *U12345, I have a useful lisp for exploding them.  (You can't select them with quick-select.)

[#6]

In the exported file do you see layers that start AECProxy..., or something similar? If so then you likely have encountered an issue with the product. It occurs when the source file has multiple scale viewports on a layout. The software creates numerous blocks in the export file to accomodate the annotation scales for those viewports. Those blocks are what causes the bloated files. The solution is to explode and purge those blocks.

This issue has prevented us from being able to use the exported files in our documents.

[#7]

They are not supposed to use Civil 3D, they are required by contract to supply AutoCAD drawings. As usual, we have to deal with the problems when they don't follow the requirements.

[#8]

A better solution might be for the recipient to install the Object Enabler for Civil 3D, that way the Civil 3D objects would be a proxy state but you wouldn't have the issues associated with Exporting (exploding).

[#9]

Be aware that object enablers won't work if the end users have an older version of Autocad.

[#10]

Yes, the problem occurred when they switched to Civil 3D 2012, we have AutoCAD 2011 with the Civil 3D OE which is now suddenly useless for those files.