We have started receiving 2013 drawings from clients that have AEC objects in them. Currently we are using AutoCAD MEP 2010 or 2012. When I had DWG TrueView 2012 installed on my PC I was able to open a drawing containing AEC objects and save it back to an older format with the AEC objects exploded using the TrueConvert feature. Since I installed DWG TrueView 2013 I can no longer convert a drawing with the AEC objects exploded to an older drawing format (i.e. 2010). The format options that would allow you to convert a drawing with the AEC objects exploded no longer show up in the list of available drawing formats.
Is this feature no longer available in DWG TrueView 2013? Do I need to install Object Enablers to make it work?
I can load a 2010 drawing with AEC Objects in DWG TrueView 2012 and 2013. In 2012 I have the option of converting the files with AEC objects exploded. In 2013 I don't have that option.
Note: The test file I am using is a 2010 file containing AEC objects and I was attempting to save it as a 2004 drawing file just for test purposes. The file I am really trying to convert is an 2013 drawing file.
Has a solution been found for this yet? I'm having the same issue. Clients are sending us Civil 3D 2013 drawings, and there is no option to explode AEC objects in Trueview 2013. The object enablers are installed and everything is visible in Trueview, but there is no way to export the drawing properly to an earlier version without an explode option. Was this feature removed for a reason?
Thanks for the tip. Unfortunately we're trying to convert down to Civil 3D 2009 from 2013. I don't have architecture nor MEP available to me. At this time I'm just assuming that Trueview 2013 no longer has the option to explode AEC objects, which is a huge problem for us.
Your solution may help out others, though. It seems crazy that so much has to be done for such a simple need.
The TIP above you simply knocked the file down to a version they can open, then they used full AutoCAD to remove/ explode AEC content. Can you not do the same? If not, post in the CIVIL 3D forum and seek ehlp from your peers, the viewer may not be an option in your case.
Also try this: Create an R14 Conversion setup in the Viewer, uncheck MAINTAIN Visual Fidelity option, and try it.
I can save down to a 2007 drawing just fine, but the AEC objects come in as proxy entities when opened with Civil 3D 2009. Trueview 2012 has the option to explode all AEC objects while exporting, whereas Trueview 2013 does not have that option. This is the option we need to get back.
Exporting to an R14 version of the drawing from Trueview 2013 doesn't fix it. They still come in as proxy entities.
Thanks for the help so far!
Browsing through the Civil forum seems to indicate you must load Civil "as AutoCAD" in order to gain export abilities that eliminate AEC content.
Your other choice is to ask the file originator to do it for you. I guess you could also upgrade to any 2013 version of AutoCAD that has a Civil OE and do the export yourself.
I don't see any way to open a drawing in Trueview in any special way, so I'm assuming that only works for Autocad itself. We don't have access to Autocad 2013 (yet) -- only Trueview 2013, so it looks like I'm just out of luck.
I don't like to ask our clients to send saved down versions of drawings as it reflects poorly on us. However, it doesn't look like I have any other option.
Nice to see Autodesk is expanding its policy of every version working better than the next to TrueView. Oh wait, that's the opposite of nice . . .
So is Autodesk coming out with some stand-alone pay product to explode the AEC objects, or a super premium package combining all Autodesk programs, or what? There must be some scheme to squeeze out some more cash; surely Autodesk didn't just break TrueView by accidental negligence. Downloading each vertical application's trial version can't possibly be the official solution here.
As MEP consultants we get drawings from a variety of architects and civil engineers using a variety of applications, most Autodesk, many of which have embedded AEC objects. Right now my only solutions to a 2013 format file with AEC objects are to ask the sender to strip them out and resend, to purchase all AutoCad vertical applications (calm down, not gonna happen), or to save down with TrueView 2013 on one computer, then strip out the AEC objects on a different computer with an older version of TrueView. Gotta be a better way. Can anyone recommend a non-Autodesk product to handle this?
"... ask the sender to strip them out and resend..."
IMHO, this is the best option as the file creator, not you the recipient, is allowed to review the file for content accuracy (as in nothing disappeared) before sending it on. Verticals remain an issue, the best way to deal with AEC content is in the program that created them, everywhere else and anything else remains half-baked since this all became a reality back in R2002-R2004.
"...So is Autodesk coming out with..."
"...be the official solution here..."
Yeah, a whole suite fo them, called 2013 versions of AutoCAD. Did I really need to point it out? 🙂
We still need a solution to this for 2014. It's usually the same situation as the others but occasionally it's MY file and the dwg is just to large to run the export command from inside C3D. The other problem is that some of our users will get newer versions before others (this is dictated by client standards) so to prevent people using older versions to constantly be bugging the users with newer versions, I've always told them to use trueview to do it themselves. (teach a man to fish...)
The bottom line is the functionality was there and now it's not. IMO, this is just another tactic to force people to upgrade sooner.
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