Line weight changes when sending elevations to dwg file to open in AutoCad Lt 2010

[lesbatt]

I'm doing some drafting for an architect who has AutoCad Lt 2010 and wants to be able to edit my elevations. I've send them as a .dwg file but the line weights are all the same. CA tech support said their wasn't anyway around this. I can't believe this hasn't been figured out yet. I'm new to sending files for others to use in AutoCad and am hoping that there is an easy work around to make the different line weights carry over.

Any help would be really appreciated.

Thanks,

Leslie Battelle
CA X5

[david wert]

I really wish there was a way to do it but your stuck with one line weight. I do all my design and 3d work in Chief but have to export it all to
AutoCad for 2d work, certain clients & engineers who only want it in AutoCad. I use color dependent line weights and just go thru the drawing using AutoCad's match properties tool.

[rlackore]

Leslie,

In my experience exporting as .dxf (not binary dxf) gives better results. This will preserve the layers and layer lineweights, as well as any custom lineweights you've assigned to objects. When exporting there is a checkbox to "Preserve AutoCAD Index Colors" - this will ensure layers and objects that are black in Chief will be white in AutoCAD, which is kind of the standard for working in AutoCAD modelspace. Really, that's all you need to do - when the .dxf is imported into AutoCAD the geometry will be assigned to layers, the layers will be assigned the proper colors (or pretty close) and lineweights, and objects will be assigned either a "bylayer" lineweight or a custom lineweight if it was assigned in Chief (or a close enough approximation, eg a weight of 55 in Chief becomes a weight of .53mm in AutoCAD). The rest is up to the AutoCAD operator.

[lesbatt]

David,

I don't have AutoCad to test anything with and they don't have much time to work work it out with me. I'm trying to understand how it actually comes over. Does the elevation come over as just individual lines and therefore all on one layer? If not, could I then create specific layers for each item and set them to a specific color and size. I could then give her the layers and detail information and she could then update her details per the layer in AutoCad. I'm not familiar with using the match properties tool. Am I saying the same thing as what you described? Sorry if so, I'm new to drafting for other people.

Thank you.

Leslie

[lesbatt]

Robert,

Thank you. I have quite a few elevations to send over (15 total) with the floor plan and electrical plan. Do I need to send each one individually or is there a way to send them in one file?

Leslie

[rlackore]

Leslie,

With elevations you will need to export each view separately: File>Export>Current View... then you can zip them all together to email, or use Dropbox or something.

Only two layers will be exported to dxf - the layer that holds all the elevation linework, and the layer that holds all the patterns (if any patterns have been assigned). When imported into AutoCAD, these layers will be turned off (don't know why), but all the operator has to do is turn them on. Though only two layers are exported, the colors of all the linework will be preserved - so the CAD operator can easily do two things:

1) Control printed output by using a color table (.ctb) for plotting.
2) Use the command line (Select>'Filter) to isolate the geometry by color and assign it to whatever layer, properties, etc. they want.

Shouldn't be a problem for the AutoCAD operator.

[lesbatt]

Robert,

I've read your directions a couple times now and I think I get it. The only other question I have is do I need to go back into my drawings and make sure that each item is a different color so that she can then select the line weights by the line color? Is there a standard list for these? For example the cabinets versus the wall tile versus the mirror frame. Also, she wants the detail of the cabinet to be different line weights too, though I'm not sure that I can define the drawer line weights within CA.

Thanks,

Leslie

[rlackore]

Leslie,

Everyone works differently, but I find it useful to assign layers colors - primarily as a visual aid while drafting. This is true in AutoCAD as well. When you shoot an exterior elevation in Chief, objects will be rendered in color according to their layer - so you may want to define your elevation layerset with different colors for the primary building components and their layers (walls, windows, doors, roof planes, etc.). You can also define different colors for the hatch patterns assigned to materials. Once you've shot the elevation you can make changes to colors a few ways:

1) Redefine the layer color, or
2) Some objects (eg roof planes) can be changed in the Object Specification dbx under the Line Style tab.
3) Recolor hatch patterns within their material definitions.

Interior elevations are similar, but there are limitations, eg you can't (to my knowledge) change the individual color or lineweight of cabinet components (doors, hardware, etc) or symbols (sinks, etc), or windows (moldings vs shash, etc).

So, in summary, for the purposes of exporting to dxf I highly recommend using colors in both layer assignment, and on a by-component basis when it makes sense, eg different colors for different patterns (shake siding vs horizontal siding, etc). The trick is in managing your own drafting/plotting requirements from Chief, vs the exporting requirements for sharing. Chief is not "industry standard" software (at least in my occupation), so there are some big compromises you have to learn to live with, and that the people you collaborate with will have to deal with as well. But honestly, unless two offices faithfully conform to the AIA CAD standards, even sharing native dwg files can be just as much work for the draftsperson.

[lesbatt]

Thank you for the great direction. The files are sent.