AtutoCad dwg/dxf import problem

[onyx]

When exporting floor plans into 3ds max i usually open the autocad plan - create my own layer , then in model space i trace over the areas i need withe the polyline tool , I also make sure all teh ends are closed. Then i simply quick select my layer, "wblock" and save it so i can import it inoto 3ds max. Once i import the Polylines into max, i just use the extrude modifier on them and build my spaces that way. Ive been doing that for years and never had a problem with it.

 

THE ISSUE

 

Until yesterday i see this message when i tried to import the file into 3dsmax

Didnt pay much attention at first so i just clicked yes. but then when the file imported i noticed some of my polylines became skewd still, the boss wanted to see some basic views of the space so i just went ahead and built up the space really fast...

 

The scene was acting very strange, i could only create new objects correctly in plan view, and the viewports all acted weird even in basic navigation -rotateing -paning everything just make the scene nearly impossible to work in. Yet, i did what i could. So i did a quick render of the sapce and all these strange atrifacts came up

 

at this point i realized i would have to retrace the lines in autocad, and re import them into max so i wouldnt get that error message because there was no way i could work in that currupted space.. Even the rendering came out weird.. So i tried everything i could possibly think of to work around this issue.. I tried extrudeing the objects in cad, then importing into max- same issue.. I tried EVERYTHING i could think of and nothing could get rid of that error message when i imported into max.

 

At my wits end i decided i would just import the lines into max, re trace the polylines with max's "line" tool, save selected the new lines i drew in max, open up another max file and importing in those.. And still same exact error.. Its like, once you import the lines from autocad, anything you create or bring into that max file catches some kinda virus and nothing really work properly..

 

So for some reason, something in that original auto cad file is not how it should be, and i dont know enough about cad to really figure it out. Even some of my Expert CAD coworkers cant see any issue with the cadfile. But there must be something because max just willnot accept anything that come from that file and work normally.. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME ON THIS ONE. Sorry about the long post, but i just spent 6 hours trying to get around this, and cant. The error message discribes all the issues that accour in max once i import the polylines.... Thanks

[SandmanNinja]

Since it looks like it's complaining about the origin, can you reset it to zero?

 

To centre the origin in AutoCAD (preparing to bring it into 3DS):

 

in autocad, use the 'move' command (M) and when asked to select objects, type 'all' (make sure all layers are on and not frozen/locked)

 

hit 'enter' and when asked for a base point, select a point in the center of your model (or where ever you want the origin to be).

 

once you have that, then type in 0,0,0 to move it - this is the origin point in autocad where the intersection of the X/Y/Z axis meet.

 

Maybe something to do with your Units as well?

I type UNITS in AutoCAD, note the units, and then start with a blank 3ds file and go to Preferences -> Unit Setup and make sure they are the same as the AutoCAD file.

 

Do you use File Link Manager?

[onyx]

Ok i'll try that and see what happens.. And no, i dont use the file link manager

[onyx]

Ok, i tried what you told me to in auto cad and still got the same issues. Nothing seemed to actually move in autocad. One of my coworkers tried that one yesterday as well. Then i tried linking to the file like manager and got this error message So, is there something just seriously wrong with this cad file??

[Cad64]

In order to avoid issues like this, I always move my CAD linework to 0,0,0 before importing to Max. I used to experience similar problems before I realized that Max doesn't like it when you get really far from the origin.

 

So try moving your linework to 0,0,0 and then Import and see what happens.

 

Also, Purge and Audit your CAD file to make sure there are no errors.

[anton]

Max's accuracy is not like autocad's. Max will round the numbers that you have thus adding huge rounding errors. The further away from the origin, the larger the errors.

 

These files usually come from civil engineers and topo data. To avoid any issues make sure that you move everything to 0,0,0 before importing to max and also for further reference make sure you note what was the amount you moved the object with. Usually you'll get revised files that are at the same distance from the origin, so you'll need to know how much to move them for the import.

 

As a side note, it probably would be a lot easier to actually import the original linework in max and trace it over there. With snaps on, it's a breeze to do it in max.

[onyx]

As a side note, it probably would be a lot easier to actually import the original linework in max and trace it over there. With snaps on, it's a breeze to do it in max.

ya i tried that too. Something about that file just turns it all into a ball of excrement when imported into MAX. But i will try moving my line work to 0,0,0.. Even manually if i have to. Thanks allot for the information guys.

[anton]

The way I am doing it is finding a point in the linework that I wanted to be at the origin (let's say the bottom left corner of the drawing), draw a line starting at that point and ending at 0,0,0 then move all the linework from the far end of the line to the other end. Save the file and make a copy of it for further reference. Import in max the linework needed, group it and freeze it then trace it all in there.

 

It should all work this way.

[onyx]

The way I am doing it is finding a point in the linework that I wanted to be at the origin (let's say the bottom left corner of the drawing), draw a line starting at that point and ending at 0,0,0 then move all the linework from the far end of the line to the other end. Save the file and make a copy of it for further reference. Import in max the linework needed, group it and freeze it then trace it all in there.

 

It should all work this way.

 

Ok thanks. Next time if I have that issue again I'll keep that in mind. I actually figured out a work around. There was just something really currupt about that file. It contained 3 floors of a buildind I needed to model but, on import it just made my mac file crazy. So I just got the 3 floors I needed from 3 seperate floorplan files instead, n that worked out for me. Still got the same error message on import, but no viewport/rendering issues if anykind. Thaks for everyones help though, this really is a knowledgeable forum.