Import Ramsteel into ArchiCAD

[dtownsend]

Anyone know how I can take a 3D ramsteel drawing that has been saved as a DWG and move it into ArchiCAD with all the 3D data? Anykind of plugins or anything that will allow this to happen?

 

Thanks

[Ace_Face]

Never heard of Ramsteel.

Sorry I can't provide any useful support.

 

You may have to save the file from a 3D view in the original CAD program.

[bricklyne]

What version of ArchiCAD are you using?

 

With the latest version (v9) you can import .3ds file format models. You may have to re-save your model as a 3ds file format either through another program ( like AutoCAD. MAX, Rhino etc) or if Ramsteel can export 3ds format. The model imported contains all the necessary 3D geometric information ( including texturing and material mapping if available from Ramsteel) but is largely a static model ( i.e. you can't edit individual elements in the model vis-a-vis scaling, cuttting, modifying and that sort of thing), but you can scale and resize the overall model within the ArchiCAD file. In this respect your model has to be relatively complete by the time you bring it into ArchiCAD.

 

The only other way might be to save the model as a 3D block ( as in AutoCAD block) object as re-save as a 3D DWG file and then open that 3D DWG file in ArchiCAD. If you go into the DWG translator options ( you might have to create a new translator to do this) you can specify and tell ArchiCAD to convert any AutoCAD blocks into ArchiCAD gdl library parts, which can then be loaded into the project file like any other library parts. I typically don't use this method to import 3D models, so I can't really vouch for the efficacy via this route.

 

BTW all this only applies to ArchiCAD v9. With any earlier version ( specifically versions 8.1, 8.0 and 7.0) the only way possible would be to use the 3ds file format method but you would have to get a 3ds import plugin to achieve this, since this function was not available integrally, prior to version 9. I earlier posted links as to where to get this plugin, as well as other pertinent information in this thread:

 

http://www.cgarchitect.com/vb/showthread.php?t=12872

[AJLynn]

Was it imported into Architectural Desktop using the Ramsteel plugin and then saved as a DWG file? You'd need to know which version of ADT was used, you might have an importer for it (it should now be an ADT DWG -> Archicad problem, not a Ramsteel problem, I think...) or get somebody who has ADT to convert it to something you can use. It probably doesn't need to be a copy of ADT that has the Ramsteel plugin. Heck, it probably would open in an appropriate version of Autocad.

[stefkeB]

Anyone know how I can take a 3D ramsteel drawing that has been saved as a DWG and move it into ArchiCAD with all the 3D data? Anykind of plugins or anything that will allow this to happen?

Thanks

Try to open it as a library object in ArchiCAD. This retains the 3D from the DWG. But I do suggest playing with setting up a custom translator, so you have control over scale and geometry.

The new ArchiCAD 9 can even import (convert) the AutoCAD ACIS-solids, which was not possible with earlier releases.

[dtownsend]

Thanks. We are using ArchiCAD 9 with the latest build, we also have the latest version of constructor.

 

I'm not sure what happen with the Ramsteel drawing before we got it, but I do know that we tried making it a 3DS files using AUTOCAD 2004, but when we put it into ArchiCAD it was useless. The steel guys use ram steel and it is the same as an as-built for there steel since they build from the model, so we don't have it in house. I can suggest we try to get a 3ds file from them.

 

Tried the block too and no luck.

 

Thanks

 

What version of ArchiCAD are you using?

With the latest version (v9) you can import .3ds file format models. You may have to re-save your model as a 3ds file format either through another program ( like AutoCAD. MAX, Rhino etc) or if Ramsteel can export 3ds format. The model imported contains all the necessary 3D geometric information ( including texturing and material mapping if available from Ramsteel) but is largely a static model ( i.e. you can't edit individual elements in the model vis-a-vis scaling, cuttting, modifying and that sort of thing), but you can scale and resize the overall model within the ArchiCAD file. In this respect your model has to be relatively complete by the time you bring it into ArchiCAD.

The only other way might be to save the model as a 3D block ( as in AutoCAD block) object as re-save as a 3D DWG file and then open that 3D DWG file in ArchiCAD. If you go into the DWG translator options ( you might have to create a new translator to do this) you can specify and tell ArchiCAD to convert any AutoCAD blocks into ArchiCAD gdl library parts, which can then be loaded into the project file like any other library parts. I typically don't use this method to import 3D models, so I can't really vouch for the efficacy via this route.

BTW all this only applies to ArchiCAD v9. With any earlier version ( specifically versions 8.1, 8.0 and 7.0) the only way possible would be to use the 3ds file format method but you would have to get a 3ds import plugin to achieve this, since this function was not available integrally, prior to version 9. I earlier posted links as to where to get this plugin, as well as other pertinent information in this thread:

http://www.cgarchitect.com/vb/showthread.php?t=12872

[dtownsend]

We are not using ADT. We are using C&G Survey for AutoCAD and AutoCAD 2004 and 2005.

 

We do have the ramsteel plugin installed. The ramsteel files will not open without it.

 

Thanks

 

Was it imported into Architectural Desktop using the Ramsteel plugin and then saved as a DWG file? You'd need to know which version of ADT was used, you might have an importer for it (it should now be an ADT DWG -> Archicad problem, not a Ramsteel problem, I think...) or get somebody who has ADT to convert it to something you can use. It probably doesn't need to be a copy of ADT that has the Ramsteel plugin. Heck, it probably would open in an appropriate version of Autocad.