Need .png to behave like .rfa when exporting to .dwg

[mathildeD2MY7]

At my workplace, we make evacuation route plans, fire escape plans and stuff like that. We use Revit for this as this is our preferred method over Autocad. For our symbols, we use .png or .pdf. Making sheets and printing out the plans works great, and our customers are happy. However, we have a few customers who in addition also require us to send them the .dwg-file, and here is where the problem lies. When we export our project to .dwg, all our symbol files show up in Revit as they should… but with each symbol also having saved itself separately to the same folder the project is in. This causes us a problem as we can’t send 20-50 files to the customer in addition to the project file. The customer also does not want this. They use us as they don’t know how to use Autocad, and therefore want to keep it simple with only the .dwg-file. If we close Autocad, delete the symbol files and go back into Autocad project file, the symbols are now showing as a missing link. We all understand why this happens as when exported from Revit they have a specific path they “tag along” with, and we need to keep the files to keep them linked up. This is a problem.

In Autocad, we tried adding the symbols with “link cad” instead, but we get the same problem. When sending the files to someone else without the separate symbol files, they appear as missing links (naturally). From Autodesk support, we learned that we can use the “publish”-tool in Autocad as this will zip the entire file and we end up with a zip file we can send our customers, where they have the main .dwg-file along with each of the symbols. This is also not optimal.

We can send .rvt-files from one to the other and all the symbols are there as they should be. They appear normally with all the .png files intact.

When you create a project and put in either a component (Revit family-file), Enscape asset or whatever it is, they get implemented into the project without the need for links or extra steps to keep them there. When exporting this file to .dwg and open it in Autocad, these files appear intact with no extra files or missing links.

We hope for a change. We wish for a function where, when using .png-files (preferably) in Revit, they get implemented in the project the same way as family files and they export into Autocad with no extra steps needed.

[victor_vijeuKD42L]

@mathildeD2MY7 : I don't believe that is possible. Not now, not ever. Because .png are raster files, but .rfa, .rvt, .dwg are vectorial files. It should be a lot simpler if you could use revit symbols instead of .png files. Revit symbols are also vectorial and can be exported directly in .dwg file as CAD lines. A famous example is Rebar Shape Bending Details: in Revit 2024 they are revit native symbols , in previous Revit versions they were png files. Structural detailers are overjoyed by this Autodesk solution. Rebar Shape Bending Details can now be exported directly into dwg files as CAD entities, no more linked png files are needed anymore.

You can create a new rfa file, import (or link) your png file into it, draw Detail Lines overlayed on the png shapes to create the contours you need. When done, you can delete the png from the rfa file. Save the rfa family file. Create an rfa file for each png you need to use. Then go to Annotate menu, Symbol button, select your rfa file and place it into your project. It will be exported as CAD lines no more pesky links will appear anymore in your dwg files.

[mathildeD2MY7]

@victor_vijeuKD42L Thank you for your input. Your suggestion does not work for us. We have used this method, but the problem with it is that when using detail family and detail lines to make the symbol, these won't be scale-able. And we need scale-able symbols for our job, hence the use of .png. I have found an out-of-the-box way of making scale-able symbols saved as a Revit family, but the problem with these ones is that they lose their color when exporting to .dwg and only show up as mesh lines in Autocad.

[ks2_wmb]

This... sounds like your own fault.  Learn how to make vector symbols using families.

If you need scalable symbols, try using generic annotations (scale relative to paper) instead of detail items (scale relative to model).  If you need lines that are shorter than 1/32", draw the symbol as a DWG, load it into a family, and then use object styles to give it the fill that you need.

You know, linked/embedded DWG files have a scale value too.  If you wanted to just embed DWG files into your Revit plans, those come with a scale value and can be instance-scaled without being embedded into a family.

[mathildeD2MY7]

@ks2_wmb Nothing is my own fault, that`s just a weird thing to say. There are reasons we use raster instead of vector in regards to the end product we deliver to our clients, and neither of these matter as per our issue.  We have no problems creating scaleable symbols using different methods, the problem is the poor cooperation between Revit and Autocad as per our and our clients needs. As for linked/embedded DWG-files having a scale value, we are fully aware of this, this is not where the problem lies.

[Mike.FORM]

Although this would be a nice addition to Revit, it is fundamentally an AutoCAD issue. 

It is currently very difficult to bind images into AutoCAD when working directly in AutoCAD.

You need to open do the following:

1. open the image in a program which will allow you to copy the image itself to clipboard.
2. then PASTESPEC in AutoCAD.
3. Select the options Paste and Picture (Metafile) in the Paste Special box.
4. Then place your image on your sheet or in a view.
5. Then size your image to how big you want it.

As a side note you will want to scale down your image before copying to something that is around 100-200kb as every image you bring in in this way will add that size to the overall file size. So if you have a lot of images (doesn't matter how small they are visually on the sheet) it will bloat your file size.

Until they make it easier in AutoCAD we are sol in Revit.

[ola6n4qrvdsr]

I'm not clear on the AutoCAD side of this issue, but I would try PDF from CAD or just a screenshot then save that result to the same folder as the Revit.RVT file, then link. It should work fine as long as you send all the linked files along with the RVT.

[Mike.FORM]

@ola6n4qrvdsr that is exactly what the OP is asking not to have. They do not want to have to send additional Xref files with the dwgs that the client then has to keep and make sure their relative paths remain the same.

As I stated in my previous response this is possible to do In AutoCAD but the process is very difficult and time consuming and thusly it would likely be extremely difficult to implement.

They process needs to be come easier in AutoCAD first so the function can be more easily utilized when exporting.