Problem importing .dwg from Acad ADT 2004 into max 6

[Francois Yenny]

Hi,

 

I just installed the max 6 30 day demo that I downloaded from the discreet site.

 

Everything seemed to have gone smoothly during the install, but whenever I try to import a .dwg file created in Architectural Desktop 2004, I get a message telling me the "resource manager" isn't correctly installed, followed by a whole series (so many that I have to quit max) of error messages refering to different resource string numbers.

 

I had read the new features .pdf which I found on this site and had understood that the .dwg to .max integration was supposed to be excellent...

 

Am I doing something wrong?

 

I'll just add that .dwg converted to Acad 2000 format as well as files from VIZ render import fine.

 

I'd apreciate any input on this one, since ADT 2004 is still my main architectural modeling tool.

 

Thanks.

[Chad Warner]

I'm not certain of this, but I think you have to take the 2004 file into Viz Render and save that file, which MAX 6 will then read.

 

-Chad

[abicalho]

François,

 

Can you let us know:

 

What version and language of ADT you have installed?

Do you have ADT installed?

Do you have ADT 2004 Object Enabler installed?

 

If possible, can you attach a DWG file for us to look at? Maybe a screen grab of the error message also.

 

Thanks,

 

Alexander

[abicalho]

Hi Francois,

 

I have setup one system with a French OS, installed ADT 2004 French and installed 3dsmax 6.

 

After that, I was able to successfully import a DWG in 3dsmax 6.

 

Have you ever had an English version of ADT in your system? It seems to me your system is looking for the english files (ENU) instead of the French files (FRA).

 

What I'll ask you to do now is to install the ADT 2004 Object enabler. You can find it here:

 

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=3069629&linkID=2475161

 

Let me know if you can import after that.

 

Alexander

[Francois Yenny]

Sorry for the delay in answering you,

 

Here are the answers to your questions:

 

Yes I have the French language version of ADT 2004 installed on the same machine as max. It's a Dell laptop (Inspiron 8500) running XP.

 

I'm afraid I don't know how to check if Object Enabler is installed...

 

Here are the screen grabs of the error messages I get when trying to import a .dwg file:

 

 

 

 

 

thanks for your replies,

 

Francois

[Francois Yenny]

Sorry about that last screen grab, here it is again:

 

 

Plus, Alexander, I thought maybe your e-mail would be in your profile, but it isn't so I don't know how to get you a sample .dwg file, sorry

 

Francois

[Francois Yenny]

Alexander

 

Let me start by saying how much I apreciate you taking the time to help me, thank you very much.

 

I installed the object enabler as you suggested and ... it works! I can import my ADT 2004 .dwg directly into max 6. Plus it's done in a more intelligent way than before, where all objects on one layer were welded (walls typically) they're now created on an AEC object basis.

 

All I can say is I'm convinced, thanks again.

 

Now all I have to do is learn Mental Ray...

 

Francois

[Francois Yenny]

Alexander,

 

Just one more post to say that I'm not just convinced, I'm blown away:

 

My objects are still on their layers, there are no backwards normals to fix, my multi-layerd walls are seperate meshs (great for aplying different materials inside an out) and I'm sure the list goes on...

 

I don't know about other users who are griping about this not being a major upgrade, but for me, and I'm sure for a whole bunch of arcitects like me, for whom ADT is a mainstay, this is a real boost to productivity.

 

Well that's enough "ranting"...

 

Francois

[Pierre-Felix Breton]

Originally posted by Francois Yenny:

Alexander,

 

Just one more post to say that I'm not just convinced, I'm blown away:

Thanks Francois,

 

this is good to hear once a while..

[Francois Yenny]

Yes I imagine that it must be, today everyone's a critic!

 

Francois

[abicalho]

3dsmax 4 does not support reading ADT files directly. You need to explode the ADT objects before saving the DWG so they can be read in 3dsmax.

 

If you have MAX 5 with the Design Extension, then you can install the ADT 3.3 Object Enabler and read the file using File Link. If you do not have the Design Extension, you'll have to again explode the file before importing.

 

With MAX 6, just go to http://www.autodesk.com/oe and choose ADT and 3dsmax in the list and you'll download the correct Object Enabler.

 

Hope it helps,

 

Alexander

[arkiedmund]

Great..but can it work with max 7 as well?....I read at the page that it only works with max 6. Maybe I'll just give it a try...

[stefkeB]

This thread is from a long time ago.

 

AFAIK, all newer 3ds max version support "file linking" with AutoCAD files, which supports the 2004/2005/2006 DWG format. I don't think any version of 3ds max is allready supporting 2007 files.

 

I have used 3ds max 6 and it read AutoCAD files from ADT 2004, IIRC. But can't check anymore, since my student version expired and I "up/downgraded" to VIZ 2006 recently.

 

It would be nice if all versions of 3ds max and VIZ would read all versions of DWG files and be backward compatible, but that's not happening.