AutoCAD Civil 3D

[#1]

I need some help/direction setting up a routine to convert an entire project from Civil3d to Microstation... )

I've successfully found ways to map linetypes,lineweights,text,etc... for ONE self-contained file. Now I'm facing the prospect of doing this for many files that each contain xref's and dref's...

My approach with one file (thanks to various posters on these forums) was to export to autocad 2010 (which converted my C3D objects into polylines, etc.) and then to export that to a DGN with linestyles and layers/levels mapped appropriately...

Now... any suggestions on how to set this up for many files that reference each other in various ways? The export to dgn utility does successfully find the xref's and creates dgns out of them, but since it didn't export them to 2010 first, the objects end up as cells in the dgn (when I want simple cad lines). (It also doesn't handle data references in the x-ref'd files...) To make it more difficult... I can't export to 2010 anyway, because the x-ref's won't bind (because they still have objects in them..).

Help please!

thanks,

-d

I'm in 2011 with sp1 and sp2.

[#2]

I think what I'm looking for is a routine that will:

1. Open a sheet file (a production dwg)

2. Check for x-ref's (surfaces, linework, etc.)

3. Open up each xref individually and export them to 2010 format (reducing surface objects to simple linework)

4. Export the sheet file to 2010.

5. Create xref's in the new 2010 version of the sheet file to each of the files created in step 3.

6. Export the 2010 version of the sheet file to a dgn (which will nicely create xref'd dgns)

-d

Seems simple enough right?  *sigh*

[#3]

I don't have any experience with the workflow you describe but I'd like to suggest something else if it is an option for you.

Since Microstation can open DWG files it will probably handle the workfow better as it can handle the conversion with XREF's and layouts to DGN. So my suggestion is as follows:

Export the C3D drawings to any <Format>.dwg that is compatible with a version of Microsation available downstream. Then open the converted files in Microstation and convert to DGN from there. It should convert and retain all the referenced files and layouts for you as well as applying additional entity and level mapping settings.

By the way, you do have some additional settings to control how a DWG is exported. Look on the AEC Editor tab in the Autocad Options settings.

[#4]

That routine is in Civil3d: Batch export, but im sure you would have to promote all drefs prior to export

[#5]

@ Neil:

I won't have access to Microstation... but this part of your post was very helpful:

By the way, you do have some additional settings to control how a DWG is exported. Look on the AEC Editor tab in the Autocad Options settings.

I de-selected the bind xrefs checkbox and then tried to export to 2010. voila! I now have a 2010 version of the drawing that STILL HAS THE XREF's from before (same file paths).

@ Joe:

The batch utility is helpful... it lets you create a new directory with all the converted files... but it doesn't change the x-ref paths... (all the converted drawings still xref the c3d files...)

I'm closer now! thanks guys...

-d

[#6]

eTransmit will remove all the paths from the XREFs. I think you'll have to run it after exporting to Autocad first.

[#7 · Accepted solution]

I haven't tried etransmit yet, but I did mostly find a solution:

I set up my drawings to use RELATIVE paths for the xrefs.

Then with the batch convert to autoCAD utility I create a copy of the entire project directory in a new location.

These new files now miraculously reference each other. Then with a DGNExport on the sheet files (which can automatically find and convert the referenced files now that they are also autoCAD and not c3d files) I end up with a dgn sheet file with dgn references. AND the surfaces have been converted to linework which is how the client will eventually want it...

Thanks again forums!

-d

mostly a solution? yeah... the data references have to be promoted first or they'll get dropped out of the process..

[#8]

If your client wants the object data from your Civil 3D objects, GeoPak supports LandXML file import.