AutoCAD Line Type into Revit?

[TrevN]

Hi All,

I have been told you can import your CAD drawing as a link into Revit and it should show the line types as you would see them in AutoCAD.

I have linked an AutoCAD file to my Revit project but the line type style does not appear as it should. The object style imported object setting says its the sytle I want!

How do I get the line style to appear as I want it?

Thanks

[CoreyDaun]

The translation from AutoCAD to Revit is far from perfect as AutoCAD handles Line Types a lot differently (and much more poorly) than AutoCAD does. Due to this, the imported Line Patterns will seldom appear as they did in AutoCAD. If there is a specific Line Pattern appearance that you wish to replicate in Revit, you'll have to create it in Revit.

You can create a new Line Pattern under Manage tab » Additional Settings ▼ Line Patterns, and click "New".

[TrevN]

This is all well and good if you just want dots and dashes.

What we want are shapes and text as per AutoCAD.

Revit is supposed to be all singing and all dancing, at the moment it's about as good as strictly come dancing!!!

[CoreyDaun]

Revit is simply not capable of complex Line Patterns as AutoCAD. There have been a few discussions about it in the MEP forum in the past. In you feel you need the functionally of complex line patterns, then use the following link to provide feedback. This link is frequently provided by Autodesk Support personnel in these forums.

---

Autodesk Product Support

The following link is setup for you to submit feature requests, or feedback, directly to our Development group:

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=1109794

---

[klaus.schumann]

Hi,

There was this old workaround which gave a few more possibilities to draw complex line types (with text) in Revit. This was posted for an older version of Revit though the workflow is still applicable to newer versions.

By drawing a repeating detail line (with imported text) on top of a simple detail line, you can add text to linetypes to create utility lines for gas, electricity, phone, sewer, and storm drains.

To add text to linetypes

1. In AutoCAD®, create the text that you want to use with the linetype, and save it as a DWG file.
2. In Revit®, click File menu > New > Family.
3. Select a Detail Component family template, and click Open.
4. Import the DWG file into your new Detail Component family by clicking File menu > Import/Link > CAD Formats.
5. Place a filled region behind your imported text.
6. Click the Region Properties button on the Sketch tab of the Design bar.
7. In the Element Properties dialog box, click Edit/New and specify No Pattern for the Fill Pattern parameter.
8. Click Finish Sketch.
9. Click Load into Project on the Design bar.
10. On the Drafting tab of the Design bar, click Repeating Detail.
11. Click Properties on the Options bar.
12. In the Element Properties dialog box, click Edit/New.
13. In the Type Properties dialog box, click Duplicate.
14. Enter a name for your repeating detail (for example, phone line), and click OK.
15. Select the name of the new detail family for the Detail parameter.
16. Set Detail Rotation to 90° Counterclockwise.
17. Set Spacing to 1000mm.
18. Click OK to close each dialog box.
19. Using the Detail Line tool from the Drafting tab of the Design bar, draw a detail line in your project.
20. Draw the Repeating Detail over the new detail line, as if you were tracing the detail line.

[jctoro]

I just did this in Revit 2014 and it worked perfectly.

- Create a Drafting View

- IMPORT your CAD drawing with the desired line types 

- Select the now imported file and explode.

Done.

[wcarlton]

Might as well just create an image file of your AutoCAD drawing and link it in. Then when you update the AutoCAD drawing, recreate a new image file to replace the previous and then do an update from in the Revit manage links palette.