3D solid models getting corrupted

[bozymoto]

Greetings all.

I am experiencing a complex issue here, that's a bit difficult for me to describe. Here goes.

Some background:

AutoCad 2014 for Mac SP2 - Full AutoCad, not LT. No add-ons.

iMac mid-2011

OX 10.9.5

Experience: Using AutoCad since mid-1990s.

The Problems:

In assemblies containing 3D solid models, pieces will suddenly and inexplicably move out of position, and/or display improperly.

The problem is not particular to this drawing. In most instances, this happens on the fly. In this particular model, it happened when I opened the file. When I saved and closed, I had what is on the left hand view. When I reopened the file minutes later, I had what is shown on the right. Parts out of place, and corrupted. Some parts missing altogether. I have to go back in, and move everything back into place to restore what I already had.

This problem began when I upgraded to 2014 from 2013 a few weeks ago.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

[nestly2]

This is the first time I've seen an AutoCAD for Mac user report the issue,,, but it's not uncommon.  The only response I've seen from Autodesk so far is to Explode the 3D part, then UNDO, then move to back into place if necessarly.   If you're on Subscription, open a Support Case and link to this topic.  If not on Subscription, use the Feedback form to file a Bug report.  It's a serious problem, and affected users need to complain often and loudly.

Related topic with additional links --> http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-2013-2014-2015/my-objects-shift-when-saving/m-p/5349645/highli...

[bozymoto]

Thank you for the reply. I am on subscription, and will open a support case as you suggest. However, it is not in my nature to complain loudly or often. Instead, I am a person who will, once the limit is reached, simply walk away from a non-functional or under-performing product. Feel free to speculate as to how close I am to doing that in the case of AutoCAD.

[christina.davis]

Hi bozymoto, 

We are aware that some users are experiencing a graphical distortion with 3D objects, where the grips are in the accurate location, but the display of the solid is projected elsewhere, or vice versa. I can appreciate that this is frustrating and I apologize for the inconvenience. In the meantime, below are some workarounds that have been successful for other users. 

The following workarounds may help reassociate the grips to the 3D solid, return 3D solids that have disappeared, or alleviate the issue going forward. 

• Double-click one of the object grips to restore the object to its proper location.
• Select the object and edit its dimension in the properties palette
• Cut/Erase/Purge/Paste
1. Create a copy of your drawing
2. Select the entire model/assembly
3. Right-click, pick Clipboard and Cut
4. Erase all the objects
5. Purge All and then paste the assembly back into the drawing

•  Move the object to its original location and then use the BREP command. 
•  This will “reset” the object grips to the proper location.
• In some cases, using BREP has also alleviated the issue going forward

I realize that these are not final solutions, but hopefully they will allow you to continue working, until this can be fully resolved. 

[bozymoto]

Thanks, Christina. I will try the remedies you suggest, and post results as appropriate.

[bozymoto]

Another day of lost productivity, thanks to this ongoing issue.

I have attached a before and after shot of an assembly for which this suggested workaround was performed:

• Cut/Erase/Purge/Paste
1. Create a copy of your drawing
2. Select the entire model/assembly
3. Right-click, pick Clipboard and Cut
4. Erase all the objects
5. Purge All and then paste the assembly back into the drawing

The 2-D geometry on the right side of each view was produced using the SOLPROF command. Then I began to add the yellow centerlines on the 2-D detail. I decided to go back to the model (zoom out), to relocate one part within the assembly. You can see what has happened to the 3D-model assembly. Parts moved out of position, (some of them far away). Parts rotated about the x axis for no reason. It is now garbage. 

I have installed Service Pack 3, but it does not fix this problem. It evidently wasn’t even intended to.

None of the suggested workarounds are a remedy for this bug, with the exception of nestly2’s suggestion above, (explode/undo), and that is only a partial remedy. That restores the corrupted solid models back to one piece, and puts the grips back in place. But, it does not move them all back into their correct position within the assembly. I have to keep doing that on my own, for each part, every time this happens. And I get to do it off the clock, on MY time, at MY expense.

[bozymoto]

"Before" image failed to upload. Here it is.

[nestly2]

Its not a solution, but have you tried UNDOing back to a point before the solids got corrupted? I don't know if it will work...but it might be worth a shot. If undoing does t put them back in order, it might be better to save the drawing as another name and then revert to the last saved version. If you save often, that should help minimize lost time due to this bug

[bozymoto]

Yes, I have tried that, actually. No it doesn't work, unfortunately.

"...save the drawing as another name and then revert to the last saved version. If you save often, that should help minimize lost time due to this bug."

I've been doing this, and it has been as as close to a workaround as it gets. 

[C_Brownlie]

I've wasted many weeks worth of work due to this issue, but have slowly found it to be reasonably predictable and therefor avoidable. Hopefully this info can help others.

The cause of the bug is saving a DWG. If you move a 3D solid, then save the DWG, there is a chance the DWG is corruptly written to disk (while the DWG in memory in Autocad is still good). Opening a corrupt DWG is the start of the trouble.

Workarounds involve never saving:

- Select all, copy with basepoint, paste into new file, save that (first save of a DWG never seems to go bad).

- use EXPORTTOAUTOCAD command, which never saves corruptly.

To reproduce:

1. Create a new DWG file, starting from no template

2. In that file create any 3D solid (box, cone, cylinder, etc)

3. Move, mirror or rotate that solid.

4. Save DWG.

5. Open that DWG as read only, or XREF it into another drawing, or append into an Navisworks NWF. Inspect solid, if not corrupt or appearing in incorrect location repeat from step 3.

[andy.laugisch]

im experiencing the same issue ever since I moved to the Design suite 2016 from 2012.

Autodesk has no solution because their software designers are more interested in bells and whistles to look good rather than focusing on productivelty and stability.

we have 18 licenses on subscription and have already begun looking into solidworks for a better platform.

good work Autodesk in convincing me that we are wasting our money on subscriptions to software when the developers don't have a solution to a stability problem and aren't even aware why its occurring.

work-around-queens is a better title for Autodesk support.

[per-arild.flat]

totally agree, I'm having the same issue, I Have upgraded to 2017 (64 bit), and the problem is still present. AutoCAD is now ( in my opinion totaly useless, I've lost lots of hours.

I've googled this, and it looks like we're not alone with this problem.

Anyone know if Autodesk is working on a solution, or if they admit it's a probmel ?

BR

[andy.laugisch]

I experienced the same issue after upgrading to 2016.

What I have found is that Autodesk is clueless and relies on the users of this blog to beta test and solve any issues that arise. they then use the solution in a patch.

until they get off dead center and patch this issue, here's what you need to do. This isn't a fix, rather its a work around.

1. select the solids within your model that are corrupted or out of place.

2. explode the solid

3. undo the explode

4. the solid should have remapped to the proper place and uncorrupted.

This seams to happen to our designers whenever they use the 2D rotate command on a model. If I'm right, the drawing database gets corrupted whenever the 2D command is used. The diagnoses is difficult because the corruption doesn't appear until the model is saved and reopened, so I'm not sure of my opinion except sentence #2 above.

On a side not, we typically call for AutoCAD & AutoCAD Mechanical tools/configurations within one workspace because Autodesk is still trying to get customers to pay twice for something that should be in one program. this is also causing some tools to function unpredictably and work sessions to crash or behave unpredictably when the file size exceeds 100 mb.

[tom.selven]

Just spent the last two hours repairing my file. Great fun!

Then when I'm finally done and press save, it all jumbles up again. Infuriating!!!

Now the sales team is after my neck for being late...

Any progress on this Autodesk??

[dean]

Just started encountering this in Autocad 2018. There is barely anything in the file and already it's screwed up. 

First happend when xreffing the file. Now it's also visible in the original.