explode acad dwg

[yoiyoi]

can i explode an imported cad dwg and erase unwanted elements that are affecting my zoom extents in revit?

if so where do i do that

[ToanDN · Accepted solution]

Yes you can export DWG in Revit if it is imported.  If it is linked, you can change the link to Import and explode.

See pics below for steps.

However, it is better to clean up the DWG in AutoCAD before link it in so your Revit is not cluttered with imported line styles and CAD stuff.

If you do want to explode DWG in Revit, do it in a different project file or family, then link or load it in your working Revit model.

You can also just select a link or imported DWG and use Query tool to delete or Hide layers without exploding it.

[barthbradley · Accepted solution]

You can Explode CAD, but is that necessary in this case? How about turning off or hiding Layers containing those far away elements or removing them from the CAD file and re-Importing into Revit.   If you do Explode, there will be clean-up work to do.  Sounds like CAD Elements will be spread over a vast area so it may be tedious.     

To Explode, select the CAD and press Explode on the Contextual Tab.  

[mhiserZFHXS · Accepted solution]

There are a dozen better ways to solve this than exploding a CAD file in Revit. A few are listed above. You could also crop your views in Revit, delete unwanted elements in the AutoCAD,

You ideally should never explode a CAD file in Revit. It makes a mess. Some insist there is no other option sometimes, but I wouldn't agree. Manage your CAD and Revit files appropriately and it shouldn't be an issue.

[barthbradley]

I wouldn't agree that you should NEVER Explode.  I can't speak for the world, but in my orbit, Exploding CAD is Families is fairly common practice.  I do agree that it can be "messy" and should be avoided - especially in a working Project - but if you do need to Explode, it would be beneficial for you to know what the "mess" is and how to clean it up. There are many articles and videos on-line that delve into this topic. I would encourage you to search them out.  Here's one to get you started:

How do you explode a CAD file in Revit? - Designing with pleasure (groklab.org)