AutoCAD-to-Sketchup import Curve problem

n8richards

I am a designer at an architectural firm and have been using Sketchup for about 5 years now. I usually design in Sketchup and periodically export to AutoCAD for submittals, but sometimes I need to import ALTA surveys from AutoCAD into Sketchup and have trouble accurately transferring curves because Sketchup simplifies them into segments.

I know how to increase the segments of a curve in Sketchup; problem is that Sketchup does not recognize AutoCAD curves so there is not even a curve to modify.

I know that if I change all of the curves on the ALTA survey in AutoCAD to splines Sketchup will much more closely trace them as much smaller segments; problem is that AutoCAD does not join splines to plines which is usually necessary and splines are quasi-parabolic so they do not accurately trace arcs.

I would like to find a way to get my AutoCAD curves into Sketchup so that no accuracy is lost; or I would like to find a way to automatically up the level of segmentation to say at least 50 segments per curve.

I typically use multiple programs for my work so if someone has a solution that requires going from AutoCAD to another third party software and then into Sketchup that is fine with me. I use this method for a lot of little tricks that help compensate a programs weakness. -Nate

herodes

Hello, although I never got this problem myself googling "spline to pline" got me here then here then to a zip file that contained various lisp scripts and it contained the one attached inside it...

In less than 10 exhaustive steps

Download to a location
Rename to spline-to-pline**.lsp** (from .txt)
In AutoCAD: Tools -> Load Application...
Select the spline-to-pline.lsp from wherever you put it.
Click on "Load" button and then the "Close" button.
In the Command Line type "s2p" and select a spline.
It will prompt you for the resulting segments number.
Type the number of segments you want (default: 100)
Press enter, DONE!

Spline to Polyline Lisp

Chris Fullmer

There is an autolisp that I just love for working with curves to bring in to SketchUp. It is called qbrick. It can be found here:

Qbrick english

(www.synapse-informatique.com)

I genereally use it to break all lines segments where they cross another lines segment so they come in to SketchUp cleaner. But it also works well with arcs and segments. Check out the last group of operations on the page. It looks like it lets you divide entities into segments of equal length. Hope it helps,

Chris