Cannot import CAD files to SU

madder · 3 Jan 2010, 20:25

Mods if this is too similar to the other thread about importing with Free SU feel free to merge it in.

OK. So I have SU Pro 7.1. I created a DWG using AutoCAD 2007. The DWG is around 7390kb in size. And yes, there are a lot of circles and curves.

When I try to import it to sketchup, in the normal way, it flies up to 99% and then just stays there and won't import.

Now, the thing is, I have managed to import a DWG that was 980kb in size. But this bigger one won't import.

I have tried it now on 3 different computers. First of all a Dell Latitude D510 Laptop 1.6Ghz Pentium 4 and 2 GB RAM. Then I tried it on my PC which has 2.2GHz Pentium 4 but only 1GB of RAM, and I have also tried on a PC in college but I'm not sure what the specs are?

Could it be down to specs?

Is there another way I could import to sketchup for rendering without losing the things from the DWG? Or am I doing something wrong?

I normally open SU, go to file/import/find the DWG, go to options and select the correct metric system and tick all the boxes(I've also tried unticking each one and all 3) and then click open. Thats when it rushes to 99% and then stalls.

Please help!

thomthom · 3 Jan 2010, 21:03

I often get problems with DWGs that's been worked on. What I find to be most successful to import is select everything I want to import into SU and copy it to a new DWG - ensuring that I paste it around Origin (as SU doesn't handle large distances very well) and then import.

madder · 3 Jan 2010, 21:15

Thanks for the replies so far guys.
As regards copying everything I need to a new DWG, well, it's just I have so many layers, that it could take hours before I know what's not needed. I was hoping to imprt all 7390KB's? Is that not gonna be possible?

thomthom · 3 Jan 2010, 21:19

@madder said:

Thanks for the replies so far guys.
As regards copying everything I need to a new DWG, well, it's just I have so many layers, that it could take hours before I know what's not needed. I was hoping to imprt all 7390KB's? Is that not gonna be possible?

Or at least just select all and copy everything into a new file. That if often enough. I do it routinely when importing CAD files into SU.

madder · 3 Jan 2010, 21:22

@thomthom said:

@madder said:

Thanks for the replies so far guys.
As regards copying everything I need to a new DWG, well, it's just I have so many layers, that it could take hours before I know what's not needed. I was hoping to imprt all 7390KB's? Is that not gonna be possible?

Or at least just select all and copy everything into a new file. That if often enough. I do it routinely when importing CAD files into SU.

Thanks, I will try that and report back!

thomthom · 3 Jan 2010, 22:01

My complete routing is:

Copy CAD drawing into new file
Move everything to Origin
Purge
Import in SU

Anssi · 3 Jan 2010, 22:13

Looking at your computer specs, and the file size, I would assume that the file will take quite a time to import. You said that the import goes to 99% and "stays there". How long have you let it stay? An import like that can take even hours. You might try starting the import and going to lunch, or sleep.

Thomthom's suggestion for cleaning the file is good too. In addition, remove in advance everything that SU cannot import, like text, dimensions and such. They just increase the file size and make the import process longer.

Anssi

jim smith · 3 Jan 2010, 22:21

madder,

A few thoughts on importing the .dwg that have worked for me;

Do what TT and Anssi recommended.

Make sure you have purged everything in the autocad drawing before importing.

If the drawing parts can be divided say there are four elevations or a plan that could be easily cut and re-assembled, import each part separately.

If it is one large plan, see if you can clean up the obvious things you won't need for the render like room, door and window identifications, centerlines, detail bubbles etc. Lighten the load as much as posssible, purge and you might squeeze through the 99% barrier.

Good luck and Happy New Year.

Anssi · 3 Jan 2010, 22:43

I have a sort of hunch that while importing, when SU gets to the 99% mark, the actual work is only just beginning - the import file has just been read into memory, and SU starts to build the actual model objects. Also, the process seems to me significantly slower if the DWG has a lot of blocks.

Anssi

madder · 3 Jan 2010, 22:50

Guys you're suggestions are coming thick and fast so thanks for that.I got to work on the copy and paste before reading about purge.

SO what I did was selected all and copied, opened a new dwg, pasted, saved and now I'm trying to import to SU. I have noticed that the new DWG is almost twice as big as the previous one? That seems strange. But, right now, as before, it's waiting at 99%!

Previously I had left the thing for a couple of hours while at 99%. I suppose I could leave it overnight?

But before I do that should I go back, copy, paste and purge before saving and trying the import?

Thanks guys

thomthom · 3 Jan 2010, 22:57

@madder said:

SO what I did was selected all and copied, opened a new dwg, pasted, saved and now I'm trying to import to SU. I have noticed that the new DWG is almost twice as big as the previous one? That seems strange. But, right now, as before, it's waiting at 99%!

Same file version? Did you purge?

madder · 3 Jan 2010, 23:30

Originally, I didn't purge. But I have now gone back and purged. SO now the file is 5.1MB is size compared to 7.39mb previously. That is an improvement. It's been on the 99% now for about 30 minutes, but I'll leave it for a few hours and see what happens. Thanks again!

thomthom · 3 Jan 2010, 23:31

wonder what causes this. I've imported much larger DWG files before - so I don't believe it's the file size. Must be something with the content.

madder · 4 Jan 2010, 13:20

@thomthom said:

wonder what causes this. I've imported much larger DWG files before - so I don't believe it's the file size. Must be something with the content.

Well, I left it importing overnight, and even left it more when I awoke. It's been 10 hours and 30 minutes, it's still at 99% and my windows task manager says my CPU is using 100% power. If it hasn't worked after 10 hours, I doubt it's going to, so I've stopped it.

Any more suggestions will be appreciated but I do feel defeated. Thanks for all you help guys, I have learnt a few things.

thomthom · 4 Jan 2010, 13:25

Any change you can upload the DWG anywhere so we can look at it?

madder · 4 Jan 2010, 13:56

@thomthom said:

Any change you can upload the DWG anywhere so we can look at it?

Maybe I could upload it as a jpg or PSD? Using tinypic? Would that help?

thomthom · 4 Jan 2010, 13:58

I was more interested in investigating the content of the DWG for clues to what might make SU choke.

madder · 4 Jan 2010, 14:11

ooops, I'm thinking it's too big for the forum, maybe I should scale it down and reload it?

EDIT: I've now resized it!

madder · 4 Jan 2010, 14:13

@thomthom said:

I was more interested in investigating the content of the DWG for clues to what might make SU choke.

I'm not sure if there's a way to upload a DWG to the internet? Do you know of a way to do it? I suppose I could email it? Failing that I'm not sure how? I am guessing it's down to the amount of circles and curves used in the dwg?

Here is a bmp image of it:

Anssi · 4 Jan 2010, 19:24

The image does not tell me much, but I have one question to make:

What did you model this with? Are the "walls" and other such things done with AutoCad Architecture (or its predecessor, Architectural Desktop)?

SketchUp cannot import the special "AEC" objects created by these "vertical" applications, so you would have to use the "Export to AutoCad" function in that application to export the model to a new file with the special objects translated into standard AutoCad 3D surfaces.

Anssi