The DXF DWG Import Options dialog box provides all the necessary options to import a DXF/DWG file with the maximum file integrity.
The first tab, Primary Settings, contains important basic settings. The Graphic Attributes and Objects tabs contain settings for advanced users to customize the import process.
Options that do not apply to the current file import appear dimmed, and an explanation displays next to the option. For example, if no paper space objects are contained in the DXF/DWG file to be imported, the Paper Space Units options is dimmed, and the message “No paper space objects were found” displays.
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Version 2000 and later DXF/DWG files support true units. When importing a file with true units, VectorWorks determines and sets the units automatically. If the DXF or DWG file does not contain true units information, VectorWorks tries to guess the units setting; however, it may still require adjusting (see Setting Units Manually).
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Units Setting In File
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VectorWorks tries to determine the imported file’s unit settings, and displays the information to the right of Units Setting in File, along with the unit format (such as Architectural), and the scaling factor that will be assumed (such as 1 DXF Units = 1”).
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Set VectorWorks Units to Match
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Changes the VectorWorks document units and units format to match the DXF/DWG file being imported; the physical sizes of imported objects will not be affected. This option is disabled when Use VectorWorks Document Units is selected from the Units Setting In File list.
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Select the paper space units for converting paper space objects. Version 2000 and later DXF/DWG files can have multiple paper space layouts, with each layout having its own units setting; if that is the case, select By Layout (this option is not available for earlier versions of DXF/DWG).
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Once the units have been determined, specify the scale for VectorWorks to display the imported file.
Choosing the model space scale is important. The scale affects the dash length scaling and the conversion of polylines with widths (world-space line weights) to VectorWorks line weights. If the scale or drawing size are set incorrectly, some polylines may seem to have the wrong line weight and some dashes may be too long or too short.
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VectorWorks estimates a scale based on the bounds of all of the objects in model space; the scale fits those objects on the page. Select this option to use the estimated value.
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To import at a different scale, set the scale manually. Click Scale to open the standard Layer Scale dialog box, and select the desired scale. (All Layers and Scale Text do not apply to DXF/DWG files.) Click OK to return to the Primary Settings tab, and the selected scale displays.
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Center After Import
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Select this option to center imported objects on the page in the VectorWorks document. The origin is moved so that the most recent import has correct coordinates. In other words, if all the imported objects are shifted to be centered on the page, then the user origin shifts by the same amount. Only objects from the current import are moved though, so previously imported objects do not get centered and thus are no longer at the same location relative to the user origin.
Deselect this option to position imported objects according to either the user origin currently set in the VectorWorks document, or the internal world origin (a constant), depending on the Use World Origin Instead of User Origin setting. Deselecting Center After Import keeps origins aligned for multiple file imports. Note that some imported objects may display off of the page if Center After Import is not selected.
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Use World Origin Instead of User Origin
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If Center After Import is not selected, select this option to position imported objects in VectorWorks according to the world origin (a constant value in all VectorWorks documents).
Deselect this option to position imported objects according to the user origin currently set in the VectorWorks document.
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DXF/DWG files are 3D in nature. From the Convert Objects To list, specify whether objects should be imported as 3D, 2D, or a mixture of 2D and 3D. Generally, select the 2D and 3D option, which converts objects that appear to be 2D (planar objects parallel to or in the ground plane) to VectorWorks 2D objects. The remaining objects are imported as 3D.
Because VectorWorks does not have 3D text, selecting 2D and 3D can cause text in 3D symbols to be deleted. In addition, objects parallel to the ground plane that have a thickness are imported as 3D even though the originator of the file may not have intended for them to be 3D. If problems occur, import all objects as 2D by selecting All 2D. A warning displays if selecting this option will distort any objects, such as 3D symbols with 3D rotation.
If the file contains only a 3D model, select the All 3D option. Otherwise, parts of a large object composed of several entities could be converted to 2D.
Occasionally, none of the choices is appropriate for all the objects. In this case, select the option that best converts most of the objects.
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Sometimes DXF/DWG drawings are split up into pieces and saved as separate files, such as different areas of a large city map. When multiple files like this are imported into one file, they need to have their coordinates aligned, and their layer scale set the same. The recommended workflow is to import the first file with the default Fit to Page scale, and with Center After Import turned on. For subsequent files, manually set the scale to the same scale defaulted for the first file, and turn off the centering option.
The Primary Settings tab covers the basic requirements for importing a DXF/DWG file. If the results are not satisfactory, explore the options on the Graphic Attributes and Objects tabs.
If objects seem to be the wrong physical size after import, ensure that the units chosen are correct. (Model Space Scale only affects the display, but Units Setting in File affects the actual measured size of the objects.) DXF/DWG files do not always have the true units set, and sometimes have incorrect units set.
VectorWorks guesses the units based on the information available, and indicates what it found in the dynamic text at the top of the pane. If the guess is wrong, set the units manually.
If you do not know the correct units, but you know the true length of one of the objects in the drawing, determine the true units as follows.
Import the file and choose Custom units, setting the edit boxes to something like 1 DXF Units = 1". After import, measure the size of the object that you know the true length of. Close the document and redo the import, but this time set the units to Custom with these values in the edit boxes: (measured length) DXF Units = (true length). For example, if the true length is 1", but the measured length is 2.54", enter 2.54 DXF Units = 1". (Do not include units in the first box, and if in feet and inches mode, just use the total measured length in inches.)
If VectorWorks finds an exact match for that ratio, it will change the Custom choice to the correct units. (In the example above, it changes it to Centimeters.) If the measurements and the ratio are not exact (for example, 2.539 instead of 2.54), manually adjust it to a standard ratio. Common ratios have values such as 1, 12, 2.54, and powers of 10. Examples: 1/12, 12/10, 2.54/0.01, etc.
If you do not know any true lengths, but the document contains dimension objects that show lengths, follow the steps just described with the following change: Select Convert Dimensions to Groups (see Objects Tab), import, and use the value in the imported dimension object as the true length.
Normally VectorWorks leaves the document units setting unchanged after an import. If a DXF/DWG file is set to meters, but the VectorWorks document is set to feet and inches, then a dimension object that shows 1 meter in the original file will show as 3'3.37" in the imported file. If you want the imported drawing to be the same as the original, select the Set VectorWorks Units to Match option. You can also import with the option to convert dimensions to groups (see Objects Tab) if you want the document to stay in the current units, but you want the dimensions to look the same as in the original.
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Color and Line Weights
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Most DXF/DWG files do not use true line weights, although that is starting to change. Color is traditionally used to indicate line weights. There are some standards that specify mappings between colors and line weights, but those standards are often ignored. VectorWorks automatically chooses the standard mappings when exporting, if the document does not already have a hidden record left over from a previous export or import that specifies the mappings. When importing, VectorWorks does not choose the standard mappings, but rather defaults to a reasonable line weight for all colors, implicitly alerting the user that they should determine the true mappings that are desired.
If desired, specify mappings by selecting Map Colors to Line Weights. Select the desired color mapping during the import process; if necessary, communicate with the file originator to determine the correct line weights.
The colored lines can be changed to black (or white if the background is black). Select Set Colors to Black and White. Note that most DXF/DWG files are created with a black background, and the colors may not show up well on a white background.
Version 2000 and later uses .ctb files to store color mapping information, but it also supports line weights, so these options may or may not be needed.
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In some files, dash lengths may import at an inappropriate scale. Change the dash length scale by selecting Manually Scale All Dash Lengths by and entering a scale value. A suggested scale value is displayed. The scaling does not affect line thickness. VectorWorks converts any dash patterns that are extremely small to solid lines to avoid unacceptable slowdowns during file display and printing.
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DXF/DWG layers correspond more closely to classes in VectorWorks than they do to VectorWorks layers. Normally, import DXF/DWG layers as VectorWorks classes.
There is no equivalent to VectorWorks layers in a DXF/DWG file. When DXF/DWG layers are mapped to VectorWorks layers, a warning displays if some of the objects in symbols or groups would leave their original layers and take on the layer of the symbol or group. For simple files without blocks, or files with objects inside the block that are set to “by block” attributes, importing layers as VectorWorks layers should pose no problems.
To group imported DXF layers in VectorWorks class and layer lists for easy identification, select Add Prefix to Imported DXF Layers. Enter the custom prefix to use in the field to the right of the checkbox. If Import DXF Layers As Classes is selected, the prefix and a hyphen is added to the beginning of the class name when imported into VectorWorks. Similarly, If Import DXF Layers As Layers is selected, the prefix and a hyphen is added to the beginning of the layer name when imported into VectorWorks.
Rays and Xlines (or construction lines) are DXF/DWG objects that are similar to VectorWorks guides. A ray starts at a point and goes off to infinity, while a construction line is anchored at a point and goes off to infinity in both directions. Select Rays and XLines use Guides Class to convert Rays and Construction Lines into lines in the Guides class, which are of finite length.
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The Objects tab contains settings for advanced users to customize the import process. In particular, decisions about preserving object visibility and record field links are available.
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DXF/DWG Points act either like the locus in VectorWorks (a drawing aid that is not printed), or like a symbol that is visible and can be printed. Select whether to import points as Loci or as Symbols. The default behavior is to import as symbols if the point style has specified a real world size (that is, it is zoom invariant and always prints the same), or as loci if the point style is specified as a percentage of the pixel size of the drawing window (that is, it varies with the zoom level). Select Use Guides Class to import points as Symbols in the VectorWorks Guides Class; this allows them to be hidden. In VectorWorks, use the Show/Hide Guides commands to toggle their display.
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“Attributes” in a DXF/DWG file are similar to linked text in VectorWorks. Select how to handle attribute conversion into VectorWorks symbol linked text. Regardless of the selection, record formats will be created based on the attributes found during import, and imported blocks with attributes will have record formats attached.
Choose a Linked Text Handling method from the list. Depending on the file to be imported, not all options are available.
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Preserve Look and Links
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This option should be selected when available. The attributes will display as they did in the DXF/DWG file, and they will be converted to symbol linked text.
If the file contains invisible attributes or attributes that override the attribute definitions, this option is not available.
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This is the next best option. The attributes will look and print as they did in the DXF/DWG file, but some symbol text may become unlinked, if necessary, to preserve the look. Symbol record field updates are not reflected in unlinked text. With this option, an individual symbol could have a mixture of linked and unlinked text.
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Preserve Visible Links
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This option is available when the DXF/DWG file contains attributes marked as “invisible.” This type of attribute is converted in to a record format attached to a symbol, but is not converted to linked text. The look of the drawing should be preserved, but minor changes to visibility are possible. The advantage of this method is that linked text is preserved for all visible attributes.
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The link between record fields and symbol text is preserved with this option. Any invisible attributes will become visible. The look of the DXF/DWG file may not be preserved, but the symbol text will not be unlinked.
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All attribute text is hidden upon import. The information is still attached to the object in record format, but it is not visible.
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Group Record Fields
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Each block attribute imports as a record format field. Select Group Record Fields to group those fields into a single record format. VectorWorks groups sets of attributes into record formats if they have the same set of field names. For example, if two blocks (symbols) have attributes with field names of “color” and “part number,” both blocks are converted with the same record format. If one of the blocks has “color,” “part number,” and “price,” while the other only has two of those, then the blocks are converted with different record formats. When grouped, the record format name is created from the names of the first few fields in the record format.
Deselect Group Record Fields to create one record format per field, with no grouping. Without grouping, the record format uses the same name as the record field.
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Multilines (or “mlines”) are similar in some ways to walls in VectorWorks, in that they can have breaks that are “healed” and can be connected to other multilines. There are several significant differences between multilines and walls, but an option is provided to import multilines as walls. Do not select this option unless all multilines in the DXF/DWG file are intended to be walls.
When importing multilines as walls, the wall heights may need to be adjusted. This can be done quickly by selecting Tools > Custom Selection, selecting all walls, and changing their height in the Object Info palette.
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Select Convert Dimension to Groups to preserve the look of the original dimensions by converting them into groups, rather than as recognized VectorWorks dimension objects.
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Dimensions are imported using the file’s current unit and dimension standard settings. The Convert Dimension to Groups option is most helpful when the dimension standard used in the DXF/DWG file is unknown.