CAD imported components, how to change their rendering materials?

[kettuma]

Hi!

When you do not find any Revit made components by the manufacturer, for example a furniture.....

You have to import a CAD image: *.dwg or *.dxf file.

Ok, but you can not change or create any materials to them? Specially to rendered pictures!

Usually they are gray, so without any real material.

I tried to import dxf file to family template, and so create a new family, but no success.

It remains the imported images "box" in it whatever you do, and so it is different to real Revit family.

If you have met same kind of problem or have a solution, I would be very pleased!

Many manufacturers in Europe have their products and components in dwg, dxf or Archicad file formats, but not Revit format!? Why is that?

Thank you for your reply! 🙂

Matti Kettunen, Finland

[ryan.duell · Accepted solution]

You should be able to apply a material to the CAD block or geometry through the following process:

1.  Make sure the specific elements of the block or extrusion [in the CAD file] are on relevant layers.

2.  Materials under Manage > Objects Styles > Imported Objects.

3.  Look for the name of the CAD file and expand to see individual layers.  You can remove layers default material assignment if needed by clicking the "..." button > No Material.

4.  Assign the desired Revit materials to the layers and they should appear in the project views.

Blog post on this topic:

http://revitclinic.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/05/overriding-materials-for-linked-or-imported-files-i...

If the CAD geometry is in a block, make sure to override the layer inside the block.  For example if the geometry is on layer “A-Case” and the block is on layer “0”, override the material for “A-Case” in Revit.

Thank you,

[info]

If you import a 3d model in AutoCad (Dwg) format, you will only be able to change its material within Revit if all 3d objects within AutoCad have their properties set to "By Layer".  If an object has *any* property like material, color, transparency set by object, then it will not take the material that you assign to its layer in Revit (i.e. its imported category in object styles).