Low visual quality of 2-line piping after being exporting to AutoCAD

[alex7003]

Hi, 

is any known parameter or procedure to improve visual quality of 3D MEP objects as being exported into AutoCAD as 3D blocs and subsequently flatten into 2D in AutoCAD? 

Thank you!

Alex

As exported 3D blocs

3D blocs after 2D flatten, unacceptable quality. 

[Washingtonn]

Post the AutoCAD drawing with the blocks.

[alex7003]

Hi Washingtonn, here is attached MEP file.

Thanks,

Alex

[pendean]

@alex7003 May I ask, why do you need to do all of that just to share your file with a plain-AutoCAD user for 2D work?

AECTOACAD command from inside MEP strips all AEC content from a copy of your file to share if that is the major concern: FLATTEN with hidden-line-removal option after that will probably take care of everything else unless you hit that " no translatable objects" issue, but again, is your recipient truly in need of a flat 2D that basically hides/makes/removes all of the elevation-critical content? Just curious.

OSNAPZ and FLATSHOT commands are at the plain AutoCAD software's disposal if that user truly needs that level of information-removal.

HTH

[alex7003]

I'm curious about why AutoCAD offers 3D MEP tool that is not widely used in the industry and can be challenging to work with, but can give management the impression that we have the necessary tools to get the job done.  Just got of the phone with Charlotte Pipes, they do not support anything else but Revit since around 2015.  It reminds me of the "true parametric" mechanical desktop from 2002 that was near impossible for people to use. In my opinion, the 3D MEP tool doesn't offer enough design-level functionality, and there's no real need for it when it comes to creating 2D schematics.

Our internal bureau standard is 2D AutoCAD, and I'm not being forced to use the 3D MEP tool. However, I wanted to simplify things for the next person and save time by creating high-quality 2D ISO views. If necessary, I can use library 2D ISO blocks to recreate a poor-quality MEP ISO view, and it's not the end of the world.

[pendean]

@alex7003 I don't know any PE that uses AutoCADMEP for anything "3d" to design systems: 2D Schematics only all day long. They all uses REVITMEP for 3D all day long instead.

[alex7003 · Accepted solution]

All credits to ChatGPT AI.  It is actually working.

If the MEP piping elbows are losing smoothness and circles are appearing as squares after using the FLATTEN command in AutoCAD, it is likely due to the display settings for linetypes and lineweights. To address this issue, you can adjust the following parameters:

Linetype Scale: The linetype scale affects the appearance of lines, including the linetypes used for representing pipes and elbows. If the linetype scale is set too low, it can cause circles to appear as squares. To adjust the linetype scale:

1. Type "LTSCALE" in the command line and press Enter.
2. Specify a larger value (e.g., 10) to increase the linetype scale. Experiment with different values until you achieve the desired result.

Lineweight Display: Lineweights control the thickness of lines in AutoCAD. If lineweights are not properly set or displayed, it can cause issues with the smoothness of elbows and the appearance of circles. To adjust the lineweight display:

1. Type "LWDISPLAY" in the command line and press Enter.
2. Make sure the value is set to "ON" to display lineweights.
3. If the lineweights are still not appearing correctly, you can try adjusting the "LWEIGHT" system variable or the properties of individual objects.

Viewport Display: If you are working in a layout viewport, check if the viewport display settings are affecting the appearance of circles and elbows. Ensure that the viewport is set to display the objects correctly and that any overrides or view settings are not causing the issue.

By adjusting these parameters, you should be able to improve the smoothness of elbows and restore the circular shape of circles in the flattened MEP piping design. Experiment with different settings until you achieve the desired results.