Export Layout Creates Large Files

[bdimenna]

When I run exportlayout, the files that are created seem to always be very large (15-20+ MB).  Why are they so big when it's just simple linework? Is there a way to make them smaller?

Also, TIN surfaces although frozen in the viewport, always seem to show up in the export as blocks which can then be exploded to 3d lines.  Is there any way to export the layout EXACTLY as it is displayed/I see it?  What am I missing here?

Thanks in advance.

EDIT*

My file sizes are large because the surfaces insist on showing up and then getting exported as well.. but I don't want them to!

[jmayo-EE]

I belive the ExportLayout command is an AutoCAD command and if so I would not expect it to recognize what a surface is.

Try ExportToAutoCAD then ExportLayout

[bdimenna]

Tried it.  That just crashes the entire drawing instantly.

I've also just tried the export civil 3d drawing button from the Output tab.  It seems promising but then it too crashes the drawing.

[jmayo-EE]

When you do the export to acad are you choosing dwg output or dgn? If dgn make sure that a seed file is used.

Mess with the Xref bind,insert, explode options.

If the file to be converted has xref's that contain Civil 3D points, those xref's will need to be exported first. Points in xref's will not explode down to acad natives. I personally prefer to make sure all xref's with any c3d data are exported to acad, xref's replaced in the main file and then export to dwg. I then open the dwg in MS.

[Neilw_05]

What version of DWG are you exporting to? You may be seeing large file sizes due to annotative objects. What happens is C3D creates a block with annotation for each scale used in the drawing. These blocks make for a very large and slow performing drawing. To check this, open the exported file and look for blocks named something like "AECobjexplode_....." in the block library.

[bdimenna]

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@Anonymous wrote:

When you do the export to acad are you choosing dwg output or dgn? If dgn make sure that a seed file is used.

Mess with the Xref bind,insert, explode options.

If the file to be converted has xref's that contain Civil 3D points, those xref's will need to be exported first. Points in xref's will not explode down to acad natives. I personally prefer to make sure all xref's with any c3d data are exported to acad, xref's replaced in the main file and then export to dwg. I then open the dwg in MS.

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I'm choosing dwg output.

So based on what you said I've unloaded my xrefs which have points in them but we're on frozen layers before.  On top of that, I tried both the Ignore and Detach xref options without luck.  If I select more than 1 layout at a time to export, it will crash.  If I select just 1, it will complete but nothing from within the viewports with be converted (odd).  This all however may have to do with my drawings not being organized/separated nicely as I always have files 30+MB, but I'm learning and its better than 50/60+MB drawings I had before.

However.... with enough trials, I've realize what autocad is doing.  It's trying to convert the extra objects because they are frozen (some overall and some just in the specific viewports) but the layer is technically visible (on).  I'll have to see about turning off all layers that are frozen prior to exporting.  I'm no lisp routine writer so I suppose I'll just have to make do, but if someone is up for a challenge....

For the brave inclined:

A routine that will export a layout (perhaps multiple layouts allowed), while first turning off each layer that is frozen (overall or in each viewport), and then restoring all the layer settings afterward.  I can watch Autocad put focus on each viewport as the export command is running, so the routine would have to somehow account for viewports having different layers frozen.