load dwg file in revit

[haydenwse]

I am trying to load a civil dwg file into Revit but it comes in sort of scrambled.  the dwg file jumps around on the Revit model and locations are not accurate.  The dwg file is unitless but checking a distance, it appears to be drawn in decimal feet.  I have uploaded a video grab showing the jerky motion of the dwg one the smooth Revit pan and zoom.

dwg on Revit 

[SteveKStafford]

It boils down to extents. That means the elements in the file are farther apart than 20 miles (Revit's threshold for warning). This applies vertically as well as horizontally so it might "look fine" in plan but in a side view you might find a great distance is there instead. Also blocks can contain elements that create the extent issue...as well as attached Xref's.

Generally you can:

Thaw/Turn On all layers first

Use Wblock - select just the portion of the site you really want

That might be enough, if not:

Purge all

Explode all (or at least AEC elements, blocks etc.)

Delete Named UCS

[haydenwse]

That could be part of the problem.  When I first tried loading the file I set it "origin to origin" but that yielded a black screen with everything spread so far that I could not find either model.  I then inserted it using "Manual - Center" which got it close enough  to move into place. 

One other part of this file is that the grid lines are at 0' elevation and the items I am trying to track are at 617'.  This file is an "as-built" file which I am trying to use as an underlay to make changes to my model as required so I need it to be accurate. 

[SteveKStafford]

Nothing I suggested would make it inaccurate. It would just remove elements that fall beyond what is relevant and those that might have elements inside that are. Once you determine what is necessary to link it successfully you can talk that over with whoever created the file for you. Maybe they can save the file in such away to avoid it.

Link the file using Auto-Center to Center. The places the center of the file's extents at Revit's center of extent...roughly where the origin of the Revit file is anyway. If after doing that you zoom to fit and find that you can't see anything then the the CAD file's extents are too large.

[haydenwse]

I tried saving the dwg file using wblock and putting the origin at the intersection of grid A/1.  It was easier to import because using origin to origin the model was at least in the right neighborhood.  The dwg file is still jumping all over the place with I zoom and pan with the shapes all distorted.  Any other ideas?

[bin]

Try this: after import/link using Origin to Origin, move the cursor to the bottom right corner of your screen then click and hold to the top left corner. You should be able to find 2 pin icons(or work share icons if it’s a central file). Re-select one of them and figure out where your link is. Then select the link, unpin and try to move it to your model, after each move, use “ZE”, and repeat. After a few rounds they will be close enough and you will be able to see them, then you can zoom in and move the link to the correct location. 
This is only to fix the “model disappear issue” not to fix the “Moving lines issue”. But sometimes the later can be fixed by using “Origin to Origin”. 
If you did receive a warning while importing, you should probably fix the DWG file first. 

[haydenwse]

I was able to move the model to the correct place by using the alignment tool on the grid lines.  the problem is that the point entities and other items that I need to check are all over the place.

[haydenwse]

I had another team member with a different firm try importing the DWG civil drawings and he got the same results I did so the problem seems to be on the dwg side but I haven't used AutoCAD since 2006 so have no idea what to try there.

[bin]

Did you use Origin to Origin? 
Try to follow @SteveKStafford ‘s steps in his previous steps. 

Its basically just copy part of the DWG and paste it into a new DWG file if you want to know what that is. 

[haydenwse]

If I remember my basics from AutoCAD for a dozen years ago, that is what I have already done.  I selected the part of the dwg file that I needed and then used the wblock command with the origin set to an easy to find spot on the drawing to save the part I want to a new file.  Am I missing something?

[bin]

Can you upload a small part of the CAD drawing maybe?

[SteveKStafford]

Wblock is not always "enough". Sometimes there are blocks and/or AEC elements that have elements embedded very far from their own origin and that will cause the same extents problem as the file itself.

I don't change the origin of survey/site files since that file's origin is the one we are all trying to match, the purpose of Shared Coordinates tools and the Survey Coordinate System.

Link such files (the primary one) using Auto - Center to Center so that the extents of the file are close to the Revit origin. Secondary but related site/survey files can be linked after Shared Coordinates are defined, using Auto - By Shared Coordinates so Revit will align them via their World Coordinate System (WCS)...assuming they don't also present file extent issues too.