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Errors in hatch patterns and text - imported cad files

7 REPLIES 7
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Message 1 of 8
darling66
3716 Views, 7 Replies

Errors in hatch patterns and text - imported cad files

Hi - We are in cd phase of our first Revit project. We are using the Revit model for elevations, plans, building sections and wall sections and we are attempting to do all the drafted details in Autocad and import into Revit. Should work nicely in theory.... but we're running into a lot of problems with imported cad details -

1- Hatches in the cad files don't always display or print correctly in Revit. The only solution we have found is to explode the hatches in cad files.... which makes the files bigger and increases aggravation with the drafters. Anyone else encounter this? Any better solutions than exploding the hatch?

2 - Dimensions in Revit disappear as soon as the cad file is reloaded. We have been dimensioning in Autocad and only writing text notes in Revit.

3 - The format of imported autocad text oftentimes is screwy. Text that is supposed to wrap becomes one line, or the spacing of the letters gets a little weird.

Any thoughts/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Integrating autocad seems like a great stepping stone to help make the transition from cad to Revit, but doesn't seem as smooth as it should be.
7 REPLIES 7
Message 2 of 8
Anonymous
in reply to: darling66

Why not put a title block around the details in AutoCAD and call it a day,
instead of importing it into Revit. However, we find it better to do the
details in Revit and then you'll have them the next time. I'm trying to
keep my people away from switching back and forth from Revit to AutoCAD. Do
everything in Revit and build up your detail database, it can be much easier
in the long run.

wrote in message news:5518513@discussion.autodesk.com...
Hi - We are in cd phase of our first Revit project. We are using the Revit
model for elevations, plans, building sections and wall sections and we are
attempting to do all the drafted details in Autocad and import into Revit.
Should work nicely in theory.... but we're running into a lot of problems
with imported cad details -

1- Hatches in the cad files don't always display or print correctly in
Revit. The only solution we have found is to explode the hatches in cad
files.... which makes the files bigger and increases aggravation with the
drafters. Anyone else encounter this? Any better solutions than exploding
the hatch?

2 - Dimensions in Revit disappear as soon as the cad file is reloaded. We
have been dimensioning in Autocad and only writing text notes in Revit.

3 - The format of imported autocad text oftentimes is screwy. Text that is
supposed to wrap becomes one line, or the spacing of the letters gets a
little weird.

Any thoughts/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Integrating autocad
seems like a great stepping stone to help make the transition from cad to
Revit, but doesn't seem as smooth as it should be.
Message 3 of 8
darling66
in reply to: darling66

Thanks for the responses. I was hoping there might be something we were missing but sounds like this is typical behavior for cad files in Revit. If there are these compatibility issues with hatches and text, then why is Revit sold as being so easy to integrate with Autocad?
Message 4 of 8
Anonymous
in reply to: darling66

I have not read that Revit is "so easy to integrate with Autocad". Can you
please post a link to this? Seriously though nothing is ever perfect with
Autodesk software. There's always problems and workarounds. For the most
part importing CAD files works, but there are some exceptions. Don't forget
that you can draw over CAD files in Revit, so you could turn off the hatch
patterns and the text and redo them in Revit. You would have half of the
work already done, before you even imported it.


wrote in message news:5519807@discussion.autodesk.com...
Thanks for the responses. I was hoping there might be something we were
missing but sounds like this is typical behavior for cad files in Revit. If
there are these compatibility issues with hatches and text, then why is
Revit sold as being so easy to integrate with Autocad?
Message 5 of 8
Anonymous
in reply to: darling66

AutoCAD's Hatch command is one of the primary reasons I started doing more
details in Revit instead of importing dwg details. Hate the Hatch. Revit's
Filled Region is much more versatile....although I'd like to get more
patterns...maybe 9.1 has 'em.

Seriously though...I think CRyan's comments make a lot of sense. Doing your
details in AutoCAD instead of Revit is missing a huge advantage that Revit
offers....REAL sections (100% dimensionally and geometrically accurate) that
you can further detail and annotate. Further.... taking a Revit 3D view or
3D section, dragging it to a sheet, exporting to AutoCAD, re-importing as an
underlay to do a 3D detail in Revit really rocks.

IMHO

--
David Ford
Eric Barker Architect, Inc.
881-3016 cell


wrote in message news:5518513@discussion.autodesk.com...
Hi - We are in cd phase of our first Revit project. We are using the Revit
model for elevations, plans, building sections and wall sections and we are
attempting to do all the drafted details in Autocad and import into Revit.
Should work nicely in theory.... but we're running into a lot of problems
with imported cad details -

1- Hatches in the cad files don't always display or print correctly in
Revit. The only solution we have found is to explode the hatches in cad
files.... which makes the files bigger and increases aggravation with the
drafters. Anyone else encounter this? Any better solutions than exploding
the hatch?

2 - Dimensions in Revit disappear as soon as the cad file is reloaded. We
have been dimensioning in Autocad and only writing text notes in Revit.

3 - The format of imported autocad text oftentimes is screwy. Text that is
supposed to wrap becomes one line, or the spacing of the letters gets a
little weird.

Any thoughts/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Integrating autocad
seems like a great stepping stone to help make the transition from cad to
Revit, but doesn't seem as smooth as it should be.
Message 6 of 8
darling66
in reply to: darling66

Ideally we would go all Revit.... I certainly understand the benefits of detailing with Revit but not so sure it is superior to cad for drafting at this point. Also, seems like a shame to abandon standard detail library and have to start from scratch. Right now I'm the only person who is fully comfortable with Revit and staffing a project is much easier if you can integrate technology that everyone in the office knows, understands and feels comfortable with. (Especially if those grey hair detail drafters are somewhat allergic to new technology...)

I guess the bigger issue is how to make the transition a little more palatable. I was hoping being able to integrate cad successfully would be a good stepping stone. Young folks who are facile with software will fly with Revit right away, keeping cad as part of the work flow allows us to benefit from the skills of more grey hair staff who have never even opened a 3d application.
Message 7 of 8
Anonymous
in reply to: darling66

We import CAD details into Revit quite often. Especially stuff that we feel
we shouldn't waste time redrawing. I'd recommend doing some testing to see
what imports nicely and what doesn't. Most of the time everything comes in
fine, but if you use mtext then don't tab. We've found that exploding the
mtext fixes that problem. Then you'll need to play around with lineweights
in Revit to make your CAD details look correct. I'd recommend if you use
centerlines or hidden lines to put them on their own layer, b/c sometimes
they don't import but sometimes they do. If they don't then it'll make it
easier to assign a line pattern to the imported layer if it's on a layer by
itself. Good luck. Let us know if you find anything interesting.


wrote in message news:5521468@discussion.autodesk.com...
Ideally we would go all Revit.... I certainly understand the benefits of
detailing with Revit but not so sure it is superior to cad for drafting at
this point. Also, seems like a shame to abandon standard detail library and
have to start from scratch. Right now I'm the only person who is fully
comfortable with Revit and staffing a project is much easier if you can
integrate technology that everyone in the office knows, understands and
feels comfortable with. (Especially if those grey hair detail drafters are
somewhat allergic to new technology...)

I guess the bigger issue is how to make the transition a little more
palatable. I was hoping being able to integrate cad successfully would be a
good stepping stone. Young folks who are facile with software will fly with
Revit right away, keeping cad as part of the work flow allows us to benefit
from the skills of more grey hair staff who have never even opened a 3d
application.
Message 8 of 8
Anonymous
in reply to: darling66

In the real world not everyone likes change....AutoCAD gurus may hesitate
taking a step that will require learning from others, especially when others
have always learned from them. Others will simply be at a point in their
career when they'll say "why bother." Regardless who's up to the challenge,
I don't see a major problem having Revit and ACAD users contribute equally
to a Revit...or for that matter an ACAD ...project.

DWG is the common denominator. Use your CAD jockeys and your existing DWG
detail library. As CRyan says...play around. Import. Export. See what works.
A great deal of dwg details are usable as is, imported into a Revit project
and simply drop on a sheet. Keep your CAD guys busy....export Revit sections
and have them further annotate....import back into Revit and drop on a
sheet. Have a CAD guy do a floor plan...import it to Revit and use it as an
underlay. There are a lot of options...using Revit in an office or on a
project needn't be an all or nothing endeavor.

--
David Ford
Eric Barker Architect, Inc.
881-3016 cell


wrote in message news:5521468@discussion.autodesk.com...
Ideally we would go all Revit.... I certainly understand the benefits of
detailing with Revit but not so sure it is superior to cad for drafting at
this point. Also, seems like a shame to abandon standard detail library and
have to start from scratch. Right now I'm the only person who is fully
comfortable with Revit and staffing a project is much easier if you can
integrate technology that everyone in the office knows, understands and
feels comfortable with. (Especially if those grey hair detail drafters are
somewhat allergic to new technology...)

I guess the bigger issue is how to make the transition a little more
palatable. I was hoping being able to integrate cad successfully would be a
good stepping stone. Young folks who are facile with software will fly with
Revit right away, keeping cad as part of the work flow allows us to benefit
from the skills of more grey hair staff who have never even opened a 3d
application.

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