Linework from DWG

[ToddRogers-WPM]

Anyone know of a way to bring linework in from a DWG?  The IMX option states "there are no valid data sources".

[Anonymous]

I am trying, unsuccessfully, to import autocad linework for a parking stalls into infraworks 2014.  It appears that the file imports but the data does not show up in the file.  I have tried as land cover.  Any suggestions?

[JamesMaeding]

I don't think anyone has gotten simple linework to drape in IW.

Everyone seems to make the lines be roads or pipelines, and possibly coverages if you have closed shapes.

This basic inability has to be a top request, especially if Autodesk is halfway serious about making IW a "design" program.

Be wary of that term though "design". This idea that IW can become somewhere you can do anything but rough conceptual design, is not likely.

The problem is that IW is too good as is, for visualizations.

You can do so much with it, all the extensions they are doing just are not critical.

Then they want to charge cloud credits for those extensions?

Don't miss that I said its too good as is. You do not hear me say that often. I don't think Autodesk realizes the impact it has in the hands of a good user.

Beginner users can use it like google earth, but those that learn how to deal with style rules, and large dataset handling, can beat out the crews that used to do things in 3dsmax for 5x the budget. Its a 3 month learning curve though unless you get someone to teach all the 3d modeling, image, and gis data handling and style rule issues on real projects.

[Anonymous]

If people are using pipelines,  what are the settingsto make the linework look reasonable?

[JamesMaeding]

this thread has the answers I think:

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/InfraWorks-General/Linework-from-DWG/td-p/3771191/highlight/true/page/...

TRogers did the pipes.

[k.lew]

From what I've experienced, you cannot import DWG linework - only closed polylines to become shapes/coverage/etc. If you're looking for simple parking stripes, have you seen what they've posted on atlandsend? http://atlandsend.typepad.com/at-lands-end/2013/09/90-parking-spaces-on-the-roadside.html

[JamesMaeding]

Yah, you can represent linework by making 3d objects, but there is a better way IMO.

Make closed plines for any linework you want to bring in. Then export as shapefile and bring in as coverage.

We do this by offsetting striping centerlines and bpoly to make the closed shapes.

The use style rules to assign striping texture.

The advanatage of this is IW takes care of draping the shapes perfectly on the surface.

So you just deal with 2d closed shapes in acad.

Still, 3d objects and closed shapes are a far cry from how google earth can pull in linework.