A Real DWG Exporter

[michael.smithSNAPA]

Unfortunately we have to export DWG's for a lot of our clients and they have strict CAD Standards that we have to follow.  It would be GREAT to have two of the flagship design applications talk to one another with a more sophisticated DWG exporter.  Getting layers into the Client Standards works good enough but could use some improvements as well.  We've tested the Enhanced DWG Exporter, but it's not sufficient nor is the documentation.

The real problems are as follows:

- Sheets have no attributes

- Text/Dimensions exported get a new Style based on the View Scale they were exported

- Text/Dimensions exported aren't annotative

- Text with leaders exported from Revit don't become Multi-Leader styles, but are Mtext instead.  The leaders are also segmented.

- All Block sub-entity items are hard coded to a layer and color.  Typically block sub-entities should be on Layer 0 and set to ByLayer

- Revit families become block objects with a Revit naming convention

- The list goes on and on...

[dmarchant]

Indeed how long have we been waiting for Uni-class 2015 layers !!! i think the clue is in the name & to be honest i find it disappointing as above.

[steiner]

And it would be useful to be able to split export layer into carring wall edges and seperation walls. Splitting layer for material hatches and as you say so many more wishes.

[ipselute]

Why do we need 2D dwgs anymore? Because 3D detail views are nonsense (for not having dimensions). When it comes to precision dimensioning Autocad is the best. When it comes to 3D modeling and BIM management Revit is the best. So, why not merge Autocad into Revit alltogether? Autocad should be implemented into all Autodesk engineering products.

Exporting hundreds of sheets to individual dwgs or pdfs, that's awful management. I'm having daily talks to people on construction sites, workers not being able to identify the correct plan according to numbering code. In multiple building projects, sometimes they can't even identify the correct building at a glance.

Having the entire project into one file, that's what we really need. For easy management. Can someone write an entire book in MS Word? Yes! So, why create separate files for each chapter?

A free Revit viewer should be implemented by Autodesk ASAP ! Small and really free Revit viewer, no strings attached. No subscription, no email accounts, no usage surveys. Just basic stuff. People on construction sites don't give much fuss about latest digital technologies. Pen and paper are still very much used there.

Autodesk online Viewer is a good start. But .. it requires good internet connection. On remote sites, that may be a problem: slow speed, additional cellular costs, additional antennas, etc. Autodesk, please make minimal offline Revit viewer !

[dgorsman]

@ipselute - Navisworks Freedom covers most of that already.  Free, easy to use, offline operation, and can work from a wide variety of 3D sources.  We've had client field teams using it successfully, albeit in a non-Revit context.  A couple of site photos also showed where someone had printed off screen shots and taped them up as guides.

[ipselute]

@dgorsman : Thanks a lot! Didn't know about Freedom. Will definitely try it.

[archx15]

We want to use 100% Revit, but most of our poject clients still want a CAD format for submission. The reason is that they could open CAD format easily with any computer. Most of drawings with CAD format don't need high spec computers. Our biggest problem when we try to convert to DWG is annotation symbol. All of them is become line. I think it would help a lot if the annotation symbol in Revit could be converted as dynamic block object.

[Disappointed]

I agree. For the time being, why not give the Autodesk add-in Enhanced DWG Exporter for Revit a try. It allows using attributes filled with parameter values and should solve some of the block issues. I had to ask AD for it as the tool's internet page (www.biminteroperabilitytools.com/Enhanced_DWG_Exporter) does not mention it at all.

[jphosch]

I have a very real need to be able to export Revit 2024 to AutoCAD with the ability to include the Revit family parameters as AutoCAD block attributes.  We're attempting to convert our drawings from AutoCAD to Revit, but there are many legacy systems and processes that require our downstream users to use AutoCAD for the foreseeable future.  The inability to export from Revit to a usable .dwg format my end up limiting our conversion to Revit if we can't find a workaround.  Even if visible parameters exported as text we could make something work.  However, they are currently exporting as lines and hatch patterns that look like letters.

This 3rd party app is the only way I've found to do it.  https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/enhanced-dwg-expor...

It would be much better if it was a native feature of Revit.