topic Re: Importing AutoCad DWG Files to Maya in Maya Forum

Importing AutoCad DWG Files to Maya

lhmullan — Sun, 19 Nov 2017 19:23:08 GMT

Hello,

I am trying to import a DWG floor plan into Maya 2018 and am having difficulties. Using Maya 2018's ATF (Autodesk Translation Framework) plugin, do I also need to export to a certain format in AutoCAD?

I tried exporting it as an IGES as suggested in a few other forums but isnt there a way to directly import DWGs? When i imported the IGES the linework was all wonky.

Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated,

Levi

Re: Importing AutoCad DWG Files to Maya

sean.heasley — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 16:44:28 GMT

Hi @lhmullan

I'm not an expert on AutoCAD to Maya workflows but we do import DWG_ATF format in 2018. If that doesn't work, you could export from autocad as fbx, igs or like you said iges format and import that into Maya.

Please let me know if this information helps or if you need any more information!

If one or more of these posts helped answer your question, please click Accept as Solution on the posts that helped you so others in the community can find them easily.

Kudos are greatly appreciated. Everyone likes a thumbs up!

Re: Importing AutoCad DWG Files to Maya

sean.heasley — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 20:14:50 GMT

Hi @lhmullan

I'm just checking in again to see if you need more help with this. Did the suggestion I provided yesterday work for you?

If so, please click Accept as Solution on the posts that helped you so others in the community can find them easily.

Re: Importing AutoCad DWG Files to Maya

lhmullan — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 20:46:44 GMT

Hi Sean,

It imported the DWG (I just had to change the far clip plane for the perspective camera so it would display).

The lines are still all messed up though. In the attached image the curves are supposed perpendicular and here they are all wacky.

Not sure why.

Re: Importing AutoCad DWG Files to Maya

mspeer — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 22:16:01 GMT

Hi!

This looks like rounding errors, could you upload the Maya scene-file?

Re: Importing AutoCad DWG Files to Maya

lhmullan — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 15:17:36 GMT

Here is the scene file. Not sure what a rounding error is to be honest. I think the imported cad might be a ways from the origin which could cause the problem?

Re: Importing AutoCad DWG Files to Maya

mspeer — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 16:52:55 GMT

Hi!

The more far away an object is from origin is the more coarse the calculation/precision will be (rounding errors).

Move the object(s) back to scene origin and the problem is gone.

1. Center Pivot

2. Bake Pivot

3. Move object to scene origin [0 0 0]

4. Freeze Transformations.

Re: Importing AutoCad DWG Files to Maya

lhmullan — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 17:16:39 GMT

It worked! Thanks so much mspeer!

Re: Importing AutoCad DWG Files to Maya

Anonymous — Wed, 11 May 2022 16:26:53 GMT

This might work if you have original software the file is made with, which is not the case in 100% cases where clients are sending the files.
DWG import in maya is not really working, while previously it was much better.
Another issue is that I even tried using Fusion360 as inbetween autocad and maya,
and it sort of works, but loses the layer connections.
Exporting from Fusion as dwg again was only solution which worked.
So Autocad -> Fusion360 -> maya.
Not great way of doing it, and it just shows there is not file formats team inside the Autodesk, which should make all the applications talk to each other without glitch. Without that, what else is there ?