Another alternative to Flattener

[kfauver]

I was asked to flatten some structural steel models (detail center sucks!)yesterday. I spent almost 9 hour trying to come up with a procedure that Drawing Flatten would use to do this. Needless to say, I could find one. So I started searching web for alternative.

Has anyone ever used the DWF2DWG software? This is a wonderful tool that will let you plot to a DWF and the convert it to a DWG. Below is a general procedure used to accomplish this. The attached file is an example of this procedure. I mention freezing all text layers. This is because the conversion program converts at text to polylines.

Make a copy of the original and prefix with FLAT_
Open the FLAT_ file and freeze anything that has text on it. This includes the Titleblock. (Note: Move entities to the appropriate layer if on layer 0.)
Turn off No-Plot on the VPORT layer. The viewports will be used to aligned the newly created dwg during insertion
Plot to DWF using the DWF6 ePlot.pc3 .
Switch to modelspace and delete everything
Save
Open the DWF-2-DWG software and convert the newly created DWF file
If the FLAT_ file is not open, re-open
Switch back to Paperspace.
Insert the file converted from DWF to DWG into paperspace
Turn on/thaw all layers
Copy and paste the paperspace contents to modelspace (optional)
Save and exit

[Zortar]

Ken,
How good is the cad accuracy of the objects created by this method? You don't lose anything by going to a plot file (DWF) do you?

[kfauver]

Check out the attached file for an example

[Peter Walton]

I am trying to find a way to send .dwg files to a client without xref's and without them installing Bentley Object Enabler's. I binded the xref's and used the AT_HIDE command but not all of the structural components are generated with that command. I'm trying your idea as an alternative, but have run into a problem.

I downloaded the Amethyst DWF-2-DWG from http://www.cadopolis.com/autocad_addons/amethyst-dwf2dwg.shtml , but it's not working too well. What software are you using?

Not all of the drawing is created when I convert from dwf to dwg. The only part that is created was on layer 0 in the original drawing. If I hover in space the whole drawing is there but appears hidden, and not on a layer. I have attached a picture for example.

[kfauver]

Are you using the DWF6 ePlot.pc3 plotter configuration file?

Make sure that your settings for the DWF6 ePlot.pc3 file matcg the attached images

[Peter Walton]

I was using the DWF6 ePlot.pc3 plotter configuration file and the settings were not set like yours. I changed the settings accordingly. It came out looking exactly the same, but the layers don't seem to be correct. They are all white, and the drawing is made of blocks. There are 3 blocks: viewport 1, viewport 2, and viewport 3. The .dwg I was using had 2 viewports and the text/title block in model space. It must create a block for each viewport in the .dwg and another for whatever is in model space.

Are there other options I need to select to produce a file like example .dwg in your first post?

I don't mind them being a block, but when I print it does not print correctly without the layer information.

Thanks for your help.

[kfauver]

Can you send me the DWF and the DWG that was created from the DWF?

[Peter Walton]

The original was too large to attach to the forum. I have only attached the .dwg created from the dwf2dwg program, and sent both .dwg files to the email in your signature.

I printed the .dwg you had attached in the first post and it seems like it has the same problem as the .dwg I created. The viewports do not print correctly. They appear in color in the preview, and do not print like the rest of the drawing.

[kfauver]

Upload the DWF file to my FTP site:

ftp://3dplantdesign.com

Username: ftp41728803-3
Password: Guest*8&7

[Peter Walton]

I uploaded the .dwf to the FTP site and attached it here also.

[kfauver]

Is this what you get when you plot preview? I see all the color but no border info. Try setting the Plot Style to DWF Virtual Pens.ctb

[Peter Walton]

Yeah, that is what I get when I preview. When it is converted it doesn't keep the layer information. Everything is layer CL and the colors are indentified by 255,255,0 instead of Yellow. I attached some pictures.

It work's but the layers and colors will have to be manually selected unless there is an option i'm not selecting.

DWF2DWG works better than AT_HIDE because it shows everything, but AT_HIDE keeps the layer info and DWF2DWG does not.

[kfauver]

Yeah. There is a setting or something we need to figure out. Can you upload the original DWG? If it has xref's please bind. This file would be more helpful in figuring out the fix. Thanks

[Peter Walton]

I uploaded the og .dwg to your FTP site on the previous page.

[Peter Walton]

I gave up on the DWF2DWG idea, and started using Bentley Drawing Flattener program. It produces the same results as (at_hide), with not all the ProSteel shapes showing up.

The drawing I was testing had xref's so I tested to see if the model being xref'd was causing the problem. I used the drawing flattener on the model and the steel showed up fine. After seeing it work I removed the xref's then copied and pasted the model into the drawing. I used the drawing flattener on the drawing and some of the steel did not show up still. Since it worked in the model (ProSteel .dwg) I loaded ProSteel out of curiousity in the drawing i'm trying to flatten then saved, flattened, and it still didn't show all of the steel.The only other variable I can think of that would matter is the viewport or work area, but I don't understand how that would matter. What you can view in the viewport should be flattened. Does anyone have an idea how the viewport or work area would affect the drawing flattener?

I added a .pdf to the FTP site on the previous page.

[TurnerSM]

Peter, there are a few things that can affect if a component is displayed in a flattened drawing. Unfortunately, just because it is visible does not guarantee that it will be flattened.

The first thing that I normally check when I am missing objects in flattened drawings are the layer states. Make sure that the layers that have the objects to be flattened are not set to not be plotted or more importantly to not be created in new viewports. These settings will keep any objects on these layers from being flattened.
I've had to go so far as to make sure these settings are correct in the model and the drawing actually being flattened.
Visretain is very handy for this as well.

One other thing that you can look at is the UCS. Make sure the UCS is set to World.

[Zortar]

Also, in AutoCAD try setting the HIDEPRECISION variable to = 1 to avoid it dropping some 3D elements. If using AutoCAD 2008 or later, look at HLSETTNGS to see if there are some other settings that may affect your results.

[Peter Walton]

After my drafting supervisor giving me a contact for help, my problem is now solved with her help! (and the supervisor full of himself)

Even though I was able to see ProSteel steel in the viewport it would not be flattened in the generated drawing.

I changed the work area lower elevation value to be 1/8" lower. After lowering the value the drawing flattener was able to generate a drawing with all of the steel showing.

When using Drawing Flattener if the steel does not show up in the generated drawing, but is visible in the original drawing you should lower the elevation of the work area.

I attached two pictures to this post.

[Man of Steel]

Are you guys trying to flatten the actual prosteel model or blocks created from detail center?

[kfauver]

What if you're not using RWAs and you still have the problem Peter mentioned?

[rwebb]

I've tried this before also. Had some success, but the layers and circles didn't get me what I wanted in some of the test cases. Which software company did you use? I tried www.autodwg.com. I also contacted them about creating a flattener and described what I thought people would want. Basically a print system that went to dwf and back to dwg automatically. They responded and asked for some information, but I didn't have time to go into more detail.

I've also tried plt2dwg in the expess tools with some success. I had a little trouble finding the right printer to setup to create the hpgl plot file, some hpgl drivers work better than others. I think all of the items also come in on layer 0.

Rob

[kfauver]

DWF-2-DWG from Amethyst.

If you create the DWF properly, the layers will come across in the conversion

[rwebb]

The layers came into the DWF for me, but not back into the DWG. I didn't do extensive testing, so there is a good possibility I needed to tweek settings.

Rob

[ncbaker1979]

You will loose your scale when doing this. I used this tool and the DXBOUT command which will also flatten a 3d model, but in both methods your dimensions will not be accurate when you measure the distance on the flattened file in AutoCAD.

[kfauver]

Yeah. I came to figure that out too. Thanks for the input.