Scale problems in exporting idw to dwg

[ARCross]

I have done some contract design work for a steel fabrication shop. Traditionally the work was done in AutoCAD but they chose to give Inventor a go. It has proven to be a good choice, however, we are running into some issues with submitting our dwg's to the client. They use Meridian and have some fairly tight requirements.

I have been asked to export my idw's (upwards of a hundred) to dwg in paper space. I've been able to do this ok except the scale is not correct and each page of the .idw is a separate .dwg file. I have tried exporting based on 'sheet scale' and 'base view scale' and have come to find that all of my detail and section views are scaled to my parent view and do not dimension properly.

I have also tried exporting to model space 1:1 but when I open the dwg it is empty.

Thanks in advance for any suggestion or ideas!

Andrew

[pauldoubet]

I have done what I believe you are attempting. My solution was to choose an older version to save to, i.e. Autocad 2000 or 2004. Save to model space at 1:1 then cut and paste to paper space or convince the customer that everything in model space is easier and just as usable. Don't recall any other special tricks but I did have to do quite a bit of experimenting to get what I wanted. Basically my customer needed to be able to read the file directly with a CAM software package for a CNC router. Oh and this was with R2009 Inventor.

Hope this helps, Paul

[ARCross]

Yeah, that is what I am afraid of. It would be a great deal of work to copy all my idw's to model space and then cut and paste to paper space. I would have to create viewport scales, repopulate title blocks...etc.

I am hoping there might be an easier solution. I would have thought that separate views in .idw will form corresponding viewports in paper space with the proper scale.

[Anonymous]

I don't have any good ideas to get your idw's to paper space but for the future you should change your settings so your drawings are saved as Inventor DWG's. Then when they are opened in AutoCAD you will get all of the views and sheets in paper space just as you need.
N-

[pauldoubet]

OOPS, I did not understand what you needed to accomplish. I would not use the idw format if the customer wants dwg files as the end product. Consider doing the details as an Inventor dwg format. Not my preferred method but it is an option.

Paul

[ARCross]

Inventor dwg seems to work the best although the scale in paper space is still not correct.

It is helpful to have the views as blocks that can be pasted into model space.

Thanks for your suggestions.

[Anonymous]

What do you mean by the scales are still not correct in paper space. I have never had a probelm with Inventor DWGs, expect AutoCAD blocks will not print.

[ARCross]

Here is an example of the dwg exported from my idw with the incorrect scale. This is exported as "Layout - Sheet Scale" I cannot find a view port scale to edit. (I am very rusty in AutoCAD)

I have also tried "Layout - Base View" but in order for the dwg to dimension properly in paper space, I need to scale it down by a factor of .625. I believe this is because it is generating the scale from the parent view (this is a section view) Also, for some reason the sheet size is too small. I am sure this is just problem with my sheet set up in AutoCAD but as far as I can tell the AutoCAD sheet size is 11x17 and so is the sheet size in my Inventor dwg.

My client also wants the geometry in model space so i have tried to write my idw to "Model space - Geometry Only - Scale 1:1" but all i get is an empty dwg.

Unfortunately, I need these dwg's in AutoCAD 2007 so I am not able to write them to Inventor DWG.

Thanks for any help.

[ARCross]

Here is an example of a dwg exported with "Layout - sheet scale"

[Anonymous]

try this:
type MV to make a viewport and draw a vport in paperspace,
then type CHSPACE (Moves objects between model space and paper space.)
select all the object you want to move to paper space,etc.

hope this help

more on CHSPACE:
The moved object is scaled appropriately in the new space.

When transferring objects to paper space, the SOURCE viewport that you click determines the paper space location of the transferred objects. When transferring objects to model space, the TARGET viewport that you click determines the model space location of the transferred objects.

[Anonymous]

>>scale it down by a factor of .625. I believe this is because it is generating the scale from the parent view

you are correct, this is how i've noticed it works
I just scale up/down the views as needed when I run into this.
I've also created a custom (giant) sheet size and made all views the same on that sheet and then used the option to export everything to modelspace, then I use the quic select in acad to select everything on the layers I don't want and discard them, you could probably use the CHSPACE tool to move the dims to Pspace

>>My client also wants the geometry in model space so i have tried to write my idw to "Model space - Geometry Only - Scale 1:1" but all i get is an empty dwg.

I've noticed this as well, sections and details are ommited when usingt that option

[ARCross]

Thanks for the reply! This is getting me closer although i am still having a few hangups.

If I apply 'chspace' to my imported geometry I lose the proper relations of my dimension. (they congregate in the bottom left corner)

If I understand correctly, i need to scale my geometry .625 to correct for the incorrect scale. However, when I do this, the dimensions imported from Inventor are also changed. I have tried changing my viewport scale but without any success.

I've attached my sorry attempt.

Thanks again,

Andrew

PS - You've obviously worked through these issues. Do you have any suggestions for transferring upwards of a hundred dwg's from idw to AutoCAD 2007 dwg? It appears to me that I will have to create a separate file for each sheet in my idw which I will have too create a new drawing number for each sheet (not ideal).

[ARCross]

I am still mucking around with exporting to dwg. Here is my problem:

1. - If I export to the Layout view, using base view scale, the drawing exports to the proper scale (ie. it dimensions properly) but does not fill the sheet in my dwg. Both my sheet in my idw and the sheet in my new dwg are the same size. I have attached an example. My exported geometry is the size of a postage stamp in the upper left hand corner of my sheet.

2. - I have used 'MV' to create a new viewport and 'CHSPACE' to transfer geometry from paper space to model space. Unfortunately, every time I try this, my dimensions are lost. Am I doing something wrong?

Thanks!

[pauldoubet]

If you would like to send me a set of files (ipt and an idw) I would experiment with them to see if I can help you come up with a solution for you. pauldoubet at sbcglobal dot net

Paul

[ARCross]

Paul,

Thanks for your offer. For some reason I did not get a notification that I received a response to this thread.

Here is my inventor 2010 idw to AutoCAD 2004 dwg protocol:

1. - Create custom properties and prompted entry in the IDW with attribute names required by the file management system (meridian)
2. - Populate title block
3. - Export to model space using base view (including title block). Each sheet in your idw will be a separate DWG so it is worthwhile to descriptively name sheets in Inventor and include their dwg or sheet #.
5. - If DWG set has more than one sheet, copy and paste all exported autocad geometry into the model space of one DWG
4. - Scale section views and detail views so that geometry is scaled 1:1
5. - Use quick select (top right hand corner of properties box) to select all geometry on the dimension layer
6. - change dimension text size to match leader text (when dwg's are scaled, the font size does not scale)
7. - ensure that the dimension scale ('dim scale linear' under Primary units) property is 1:1 (note: in the top left corner of the object properties box (it will read - 'all') you will need to further specify which kind of dimension you wish to change in order to change dimension scale)
8. - Now move to paper space create layout view port with the scale used in Inventor
9. - In the layout, use 'chspace' and select title block and border. This brings them into paper space from model space.
10. - Repeat several hundred times for every DWG view in your project. ouch.

Any thoughts as to ways to improved this work flow?

Thanks

[pauldoubet]

Like I said previously, send me file and I will experiment with it. Otherwise send me an email to continue this discussion privately.

Paul