Save as/ Export .dwg/ .dxf Alias design 2017

[28degrees]

HI

Is it now not possible to save as or export > Active as: .dxg or .dxf?? This feature has been there in Alias Design up untill the 2016 version but is now missing in 2017??

PLease help, this is king of a deal breaker in my workflow.

Thanks

[QuasiLoci]

See this post:

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/alias-general-discussion/missing-freeform-blend-tool-in-alias-design-2...

Was this export functionality removed in 2017 as well?

[Florian.Coenen]

Hello,

FYI: The Freeform Blend tool is missing by mistake and will come back with the next hotfix soon.

I will investigate about the dxf/ dwg import function and will come back to you.

Question to you:

Can you do use another format than dxf/dwg? Or why do you need specifically the dxf / dwg export?

Awaiting your reply.

Regards,

[28degrees]

Hi Florian

I need the save as, or a export feature to .dxf, or .dwg so I can create technical drawings from my line work, created in Alias using curves etc. I do my technical drawings in Autocad.

I also use this massivly in my workflow when I need to exporting the line work into Solidworks, or share with manufactures. As they require the line work ( FLats) in either .dwg, or .dxf.

Is there another format that I can export/ import just the linework?

Regards

M

[Florian.Coenen]

Hi M,

can`t you do a Iges import into ACAD?

As Iges can be exported from out of Alias 2017

Regards,

[28degrees]

yep .iges does import, but it duplicates lots of the lines, and it cant create the lineowrk with the same perfect curvature.

The.dxf, or .dwg imports perfect, linework. I have attached some screen shots to show the difference of the same linework.

 

M

[Florian.Coenen]

Thanks for the screenshots.

I will discuss that internally.

For now, It seems that you have to use 2016.

Or is there potentially any other format that can be used from ACAD.

OBJ, STEP,...?

Or: One option for exporting degree 3 Bezier, at high quality, is the illustrator .ia, which is fairly new and heavily used by other customers.

Regards,

[Florian.Coenen]

Hello 28degrees,

I have had a look onto a colleagues ACAD installation and saw, that ACAD can handle a lot formats.

So I would also encourage you to do tests with JT , NX, STEP or CATIA V5.

Is one of these mentioned formats working for you?

Awaiting your reply.

Regards,

[28degrees · Accepted solution]

Hi

NX, and Catia v5 seem to work ok.

I guess this is a work around for now. Still seems a bit strange that; save as .dwg, or .dxf has been removed, and have to use Autocad as a file translator to share files to our vendors? I know this has never been in the Mac version.

Surley as there is an export to Illustrator, there should be a send or export to Autoca? As Alias doenst have the tools to create technical drawings like Rhino and Autocad is needed for this?

Do you know if this has been an over sight as the freeform blend tool in 2017, or this is going to be removed in all future versions? As this might impact our workflow, and will have to revert back to Rhino.

Regards

M

[Florian.Coenen]

Hello,

we are discussing the dwg/dwf export option internally.

But right now I am not able to tell you, if this will be removed for all future versions.

As NX and Catia seem to work, you can use that workflow, or is there any disadvantage when exporting as NX or Catia instead of dwg?

Awaiting your reply.

Regards,

[QuasiLoci]

Although this particular loss of functionality does not affect me...

It is very concerning, and borderline unethical that Autodesk is OK with removing functionality with no communication to its customers. I am a relatively new license owner and I was unaware Autodesk did this. I figured after purchasing a license no functions would ever be removed, only added over time.

Removing the blend tool, really? That is a big deal. Especially quietly with no notice. (I realize this is being put back, but it was obviously done intentionally). What is Autodesks logic here?...that if we want the blend tool we have to upgrade to surface?

What other functions have been removed from 2017? As a paying customer a specific list should be released. Please post this list here.

What functions will be removed next year?

I now have little confidence with sticking with Alias because I fear an upgrade to the next "package" to get the same functionality I originally purchased won't be feasible or acceptable.

[Florian.Coenen]

Hello,

Basically you don`t have to upgrade your software. There will be a hotfix for the missing Blend Tool coming soon.

The communication about thge dxf can be found in the What’s New documentation of Alias 2017:

Here you can get a PDF version of the What’s News 2017:

http://help.autodesk.com/view/ALIAS/2017/ENU/?guid=WhatsNew

So nothing else has been removed. Only added functions.

BTW: We are discussing the dxf topic internally futher more.

Regards

[QuasiLoci]

Thank you for the reply.

One of the main advantages of a subscription style license (only option now) is to always be on the latest version. Sure you could stay on the previous year, but that defeats the purpose.

[Anonymous]

Dear Mr Coenen,

please put the export as DXF/DWG function back to alias design 2017. We need this tool massively in well elaborated workflows with many of our customers. Workflows you probably didn't think of... like converting splines to polylines in native DWG formats for machine programming etc.

We already talked to our reseller, this tool is essential to us.

Best,

A. Bergmann

[Anonymous]

Dear Mr Coenen,

it's devastating - not only the export dwg/dxf tool is missing as listed in the whats new 2017 pdf, but also the import function is not given any longer. If this is part of adsks strategy to move autocad users to fusion by not supporting the dxf/dwg format any longer, maybe the effect is that alias users will move to rhino more often, at least for import/export...

Please bring dxf/dwg back.

Best,

A. Bergmann

[Anonymous]

This is a pretty big deal for me. I do lots of laser marking of parts and prefer to set those marks up in 3d. There is a lot of workflow that this supports including making drawings for vendors. Those drawings come from our 3d files. DXF is a necessary part of this total workflow.

I also do all of my linework in Alias to import as sketches into Fusion because the spline tools in Fusion lack some maturity at this point.

This is easiest in DXF.

[Anonymous]

This is, quite frankly, ridiculous .. I have been working with ALIAS since 1997, and have constant workflows between Adobe Illustrstor and ALIAS. I need DXF/DWG in both my workstreams as an automotive transportation designer, AND as an instructor of vehicle packaging at the College for Creative Studies.. I use illustrator to make package drawings of vehicles as occupants in 2D and then send them to ALIAS for 3D model surface development .. Using other products to perform basic translation function is an unacceptable workflow solution for a software version update that used to have this functionality .. For decades ..

[Florian.Coenen]

Hello @28degrees, @Anonymous, @Anonymous, @QuasiLoci,

I just wanted to give you the information that we will bring back the dxf/dwg import and export functionality and the development is working on that.

At the moment there is no information in which Service Pack/ Hotfix/ Release this will be implemented, but it will come back.

The explanation, why the dwg/dxf disappeared, is, that RealDWG migrated to a different version of the compiler that we were not prepared to support. After some investigation with the field it was determined that no one used this functionality and that it could be safely removed. Apparently that is not the case and we are sorry about that. 

Now we need to migrate to the new compiler.

In the meantime the workaround is to switch to a different format or use Alias 2016 for import or export purposes, as you already know.

Best Regards,

[Anonymous]

That's great news, looking forward to the re-implementation. Thanks for the explanation.

Best Andreas

[Anonymous]

I just loaded the SP1, but this fix is not included. When do you expect the fix to be implemented?

Thanks in advance.