nisus Posted April 17, 2003 Share Posted April 17, 2003 Hi all, What kind of inexpensive/free tool can we use to view autocad files, measure distances and print/plot dwg-files? rgds nisus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernest Burden III Posted April 17, 2003 Share Posted April 17, 2003 What kind of inexpensive/free tool can we use to view autocad files, measure distances and print/plot dwg-files?Autodesk has a free viewer called VoloViewer Express. It will view, display xref'ed files (if they are finable by the app, of course) and paperspace, saved viewports, all up to ACAD2002. It will print, but not to scale and not allow measuring. There is a 'regular' version for about US$150 that has measure and print to scale. I have found that if you are willing to do some work, you can print to Acrobat Distiller and use full-version Acrobat (which no CG artist should be without) to save an .eps file, and ultimately get a dxf file in vector of the paperspaced ACAD drawing. You lose layers, but otherwise I don't know of ANY way to 'export' an ACAD paperspace layout. Two important notes: I have heard that installing the regular VoloView (I am using the free version) it will screw up your installed Acrobat, forcing a re-install. Autodesk is like that. Also, if you have the free version you must completely un-install it before putting in the regular one, or other suffering will follow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nisus Posted April 17, 2003 Author Share Posted April 17, 2003 Tnx Ernest! What a pitty Autodesk has to ask money for the measure tool as this is not available in the express version. Anyone knows a free program to do so? rgds nisus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ingo Posted April 17, 2003 Share Posted April 17, 2003 Just curious, why do you need that software ? Why not simply import that files in your existing 3D software ????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nisus Posted April 17, 2003 Author Share Posted April 17, 2003 Hi Slarti, It's easy: plans are but a schematic view on the reality and 3d-packages are not as good as cad for quick and correct measuring. Importing complete plans with all dimensions and text are too heavy for decent import, so one has to strip plans for sure. So basicly one models in a 3d-package and has a cad program in the background. Our modellers want to be able to check distances in a CAD program at any time and as this is the only command that they use often, even an AcadLT is not worth the expense. rgds nisus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ingo Posted April 17, 2003 Share Posted April 17, 2003 Hi nis, its easier for me to import a plan in one file and keep it in the backround while working on the 3D in another file, and measuring is as good as in every CAD software of course; what are you using, Bryce ? But its easier to have kind of a viewer in the back that understands those files, how about a plugin for your webbrowser like that Simple Vector Graphics viewer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nisus Posted April 17, 2003 Author Share Posted April 17, 2003 Simple Vector Graphics: does that read dwg? and can you measure with it? nisus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ingo Posted April 17, 2003 Share Posted April 17, 2003 Ah sorry, its called of course "Scalable Vector Graphics" (to many alloholic easter egg testing i guess) and is kind of a XML language. You have to save this from your CADD software, like DXF or DWG. Than you can open the files over the net, save, rework and plot them. The last time i have seen it three years ago (with Microstation) it worked fine, but haven't seen anything more about it since now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nisus Posted April 17, 2003 Author Share Posted April 17, 2003 Do you got an url? nisus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ingo Posted April 17, 2003 Share Posted April 17, 2003 Sure m(7+1) : Adobe, makers of crab graphicsoftware SVG 1.1 Specification O'Reilly XML.com IBM's SVGView Comparsion FlashSVG SVG FAQ As you might have guessed there is a lot more about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nisus Posted April 17, 2003 Author Share Posted April 17, 2003 tnx m6+2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernest Burden III Posted April 17, 2003 Share Posted April 17, 2003 I seem to have lost a post I (thought I) sent in today. It's too long to re-do, but the important parts were: Most 3D software CANNOT read all flavors of dwg files. Autodesk keeps changing the format, the newest one, dwg2004, has a muli-level encryption in the file, varying by entity type. Can ANY 3D software display ACAD paperspace? Also--another important note about VoloView--I think it may not be available for much longer, so I strongly advise everyone to download it, even if you think you don't need it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nisus Posted April 17, 2003 Author Share Posted April 17, 2003 Tnx Ernest. We downloaded the express version today. Unfortunately we cannot buy the full version online in Belgium... I wonder why US and UK habitants can... rgds nisus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ingo Posted April 17, 2003 Share Posted April 17, 2003 Well youre right Ernest, i have no problem reading the files with Microstation, but some 3D programs won't read Autocad files. But since i had no client working with Autocad since now, i never run into a problem. And than there is DXF, a format even Autocad won't read sometimes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernest Burden III Posted April 17, 2003 Share Posted April 17, 2003 Here's the problem: A client hires you to do a big job (complicated building) and they have all the design drawings done in Autocad (great! digtal, no scaling off paper) but they are all in v2002, and your CAD/3D app doesn;t want to open the particular flavor of dwg that they work in. You CAN ask the client to save out as an earlier version, but often ACAD drafters do one file for each sheet. There may be dozens of them. Don't expect the client to be happy to manually convert dozens of files just because you don't have the same version of Autocad as them. You really need to be in control of your own destiny, and have ways to deal with client files without asking them to do more than just send them to you. You do not want to become a pain-in-the-butt to your clients, if you don't have to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ingo Posted April 17, 2003 Share Posted April 17, 2003 Here is my solution ; since i worked several years as a Microstation supporter i know a friendly CAD company selling Microstation (and now Autocad) and several nice architectural add-ons. So if i really run into that kind of problems i only feed them with cookies and they let me convert the files (mostly only pure Microstation needed). And we all know what can happen when you ask your client to deliever DXF files, although i must admit that now many are able to deliver good DXF plans since they exchange files with other engineers. BTW, sometimes its easier to draw over their plans than to delete parts of a plan with lots of pattern all on one layer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuno Posted April 17, 2003 Share Posted April 17, 2003 ... Don't expect the client to be happy to manually convert dozens of files just because you don't have the same version of Autocad as them. take a look at this... here its not free but....it worth the value. best to you, nuno Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now