Microstation to Cinema 4D - Help please!!

[chalky]

i'm presently working on a building model and use Vectorworks/Cinema 4D. i have access to a site/context model from another firm of architects which was modelled in Microstation and have recieved a DXF version of their model, which when imported in to both C4D and VW doesn't contain all the information it should.

 

can anyone advise on what would be the best export option from Microstation to either C4d or Vectorworks.

 

thanks for any suggestions.

 

Ian

[Paul Griger]

Hi!

 

Can you let us know what is missing fmro the DXF model? Is it actual polys/structure items, or is it textures. lights?

 

For my, I use ArchiCAD, and I export using the WaveFront/obj file format. It has almost half the poly count for some reason and organizes the layers/groups well.

 

paul

[chalky]

sorry to have not been more descriptive and for posting twice by mistake.

 

the imported model is missing lots of polys, some are there but not nearly as many as there should be. whilst i wouldn't expect textures/materials with a dxf i would hope that all the polys would appear.

 

i've a feeling its a compatability issue and was wondering if there is a more suitable export from Microstation. The guy using microstation didn't really seem to know his software and wasn't much help, am hoping someone here will have a better idea as i've never used microstation.

 

Ian

[Paul Griger]

Hey chalky,

 

missing poly's, well, I don't know all that much about microstation, but is he doing something as simple as not having all of the layers turned on? are there other formats that he can import? what version of microstation is he using?

 

It sounds like a user problem to me, but to get more ideas if you don't get them here i would post this Q over at CG Talk C4D forum. The problem is not really C4D, but maybe someone over there canhelp:

 

http://www.cgtalk.com/forumdisplay.php?s=b7e658a58751c05819f72bac51d1ad09&forumid=47

 

best,

 

 

paul

[garethace]

Any models created in Microstation version 7.0, 5.0 for the MAC or those earlier version did have this problem.

 

The ASIC solids modeler was a POS.

 

With new Microstation 7.1 or 8.0, you would not have this problem at all.

 

I wanted to export models into Art Lantis with version 7.0 and always had the same problem. With FormZ i never had a problem.

 

But as i say, its all worked out now with the new version of MicroStation, so my guess is that the Architecture practice is either using MACs or an old version of MicroStation J.

 

If there isn't too many objects in the scene, you can bring the MicroStation model into Triforma J and click each object in the whole scene to apart 'a part' to it.

 

This will update the MicroStation solids definition to the newer Parasolids format, which will export into almost any program you can think of, with all layer information perfect etc., etc.

 

A very laborious process clicking each and every solid in the whole scene though. I am sure a good script writer for MicroStation could automate the process though. Where you might find one of those is anyones guess however!

 

Lisp writer for AutoCAD are here and there, but for MicroStation never.