Opening Autocad Files In Illustrator

[amy9]

Does someone have a good solution in opening Autocad files in Illustrator? This issues at hand are:

1. All of the autocad layers come in on one layer even with unchecking merge layers on the initial prompt.

2. Xrefs are lost and don't come in with the drawing.

3. Scaling sometimes seems to be an issue as well.

I need a remedy for this. Something that will make crossing platforms simple.

Hope someone can help!
Thanks

 

[apepp]

...have you explore exporting from autocad to pdf, or printing to an eps file from autocad?...

...this is what i heard about autocad files to illustrator and vice cersa...

>>>AutoCAD doesn't like AI text and AI doesn't like AutoCAD text. If you must export text then use Helvetica, Left justified, size in inches. You can use the scissors tool to mark and remove the lines under your text. AutoCAD uses 16 places of accuracy and AI uses 3 to 4 and rounds off. Avoid hatch patterns and fonted lines. Autocad will turn them into individual line segments. Basicly just send AutoCAD basic line art to the text and fills in AutoCad. Remember that AutoCAD is PC based and runs on Windozzzzzzzz. I used to have a MAC version of AutoCAD in the 80's that ran on a PC, but it was very slow and locked up all the time.<<<

all the best
andrew

 

[apepp]

...from another post in a different forum i found, hope it helps...

(took me ages to load the page though)

http://www.archinect.com/forum/threads.php?id=33798_0_42_0_C158

andrew

 

[apepp]

from the adobe website:

Illustrator CS2 and earlier does not support the importing of AutoCAD 2004 or later files.

 

[apepp]

AutoCAD DXF or DWG files have stroke weight of .25mm in Illustrator (CS-CS2)


Issue

When you open an AutoCAD DXF or DWG file in Illustrator, objects have a stroke weight of .25mm applied to them.



Details


Objects in the Autocad file have the Default lineweight applied to them and you changed the default line weight from .255mm in Autocad.



Solution: Change the stroke weight using the Stroke palette.

In Illustrator, select the artwork and then change the stroke weight using the Stroke palette. You can use the Select filters in the Illustrator Edit menu (for example, choose Edit > Select > Same Stroke Weight) to select artwork with the same stroke weight.


Background information

The default lineweight in Autocad is .25mm. If the default linewieght is changed in Autocad, Illustrator incorrectly imports lines with the original default lineweight of .25mm.

 

[apepp]

DXF or DWG file scales up and fills entire artboard when opened in Illustrator (CS2, CS)


Issue

DXF or DWG files scale up and fill the entire artboard when you open the files in Adobe Illustrator.


Details

The Autocad file was saved with unitless dimensions or was saved out of Unigraphics with mm dimensions.


Solution: Scale the file when you import it.

To scale the file by 3.93700 percentage when you import it:

1. Open the DXF or DWG file.

2. Select Scale By in the Import Options dialog box and type 3.93700 in Percentage.


Background information

Illustrator imports DXF or DWG files saved with unitless dimensions, or saved out of Unigraphics with mm dimensions, in inches which causes the files to increase in size.

 

[apepp]

this link for setting up to print to pdf from autocad:

http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/322770.html

have fun!

andrew

: )

 

[amy9]

Thanks Andrew,

Well, the last link you sent briefly explains how to create a pdf from distiller however how do I get distiller to show up as an option in my print window?

Any thoughts?
Thanks
Amy

 

[apepp]

Hi Amy!

You will need to purchase Acobat Distiller, if you don't have it installed it won't be an option in your printers control panel. Installing distiller ought to install all the necessary files to run. Sounds like your computer is without it if you cannot see it in AutoCad.

Another popular application to use is CutePDF, this also requires Ghostscript installed:

http://www.acrosoftware.com/Products/CutePDF/writer.asp

All the best!!
Andrew