Import DWG file

cotty

It's hard to search for a solution without the file, an image, ... if it's a not so usual probem.

ntxdave

It's hard to search for a solution without the file, an image, ... if it's a not so usual probem.

Point well taken.....I do not have permission to share the file though.

ntxdave

Can you open the dwg file? Check to make sure that everything you want to import is in model space, also that there are no missing (or not bound) xrefs.

SU will not let me open it - only import it.

SU is the only software I have. I have seen this with other DWG files people have sent me to look at as well.

andybot

@ntxdave said:

SU will not let me open it - only import it.

SU is the only software I have. I have seen this with other DWG files people have sent me to look at as well.

You can perhaps install TrueView (free viewer from Autodesk) and then you can see the dwg file in its original format. I was not suggesting you open the file with SU, my point here is that there can be information in a dwg file that SU doesn't recognize.

kaas

@ntxdave said:

I am importing a DWG file into SU but I do not see all of the details. I have a PDF version of the file that shows tons of details that I cannot see in SU after importing the DWG file.
Is there some type of setting that I am missing or is this the standard behavior?

Have you tried changing the import scale settings in Sketchup? Maybe the details are merged into 'nothing'.
If you do have a pdf you could also convert the pdf to dxf using Inkscape and import the dxf into Sketchup.

ntxdave

@kaas said:

@ntxdave said:

I am importing a DWG file into SU but I do not see all of the details. I have a PDF version of the file that shows tons of details that I cannot see in SU after importing the DWG file.
Is there some type of setting that I am missing or is this the standard behavior?

Have you tried changing the import scale settings in Sketchup? Maybe the details are merged into 'nothing'.
If you do have a pdf you could also convert the pdf to dxf using Inkscape and import the dxf into Sketchup.

Only option I saw was to change to inches which did not do anything to solve the problem.

I started installing Inkscape and got all kinds of garbage so I stopped the installation. Anyone aware of any other software that can make the conversion?

ntxdave

@kaas said:

If you do have a pdf you could also convert the pdf to dxf using Inkscape and import the dxf into Sketchup.

OK - I got a "clean" install of Inkscape and was able to make the conversion from PDF to DXF. I then imported the DXF and yes, I CAN now see all of the detail. Just one problem, the scaling does not match. When I use the tape measure tool in SU, it comes up with an entirely different measurement than what is shown in the PDF/DXF file.

Any suggestions on how to change it so that I can use it with the proper dimensions?

Just to let you (and anyone else reading this thread), this is a great step forward and I really appreciate the suggestion of converting via Inscape (which looks like an interesting tool on its own).

cotty

Use the tape measure tool for a known length in your model, enter the correct length in the VCB and confirm the dialogue...

ntxdave

@cotty said:

Use the tape measure tool for a known length in your model, enter the correct length in the VCB and confirm the dialogue...

PERFECT

Now I am "off to the races". I really appreciate the assistance on this forum. I have been using SU for slightly over a year now but keep learning new stuff every day. Do not know how you guys know all of this stuff........I am not an engineer and have no other CAD related background. Find that I have leaned enough to accomplish what I have needed to so far but there is SO much more!!

cotty

@ntxdave said:

Do not know how you guys know all of this stuff.......

Try to answer every question here for some years and you will see that this isn't a problem anymore

kaas

@ntxdave said:

Do not know how you guys know all of this stuff..
We all run into the same problems (with importing files / SketchUp / etc) and for most of them, multiple solutions already have been found in the past here on the forum. Just passing the info along...

JGA

SketchUP will not import some DWG information such as text, hatching dimensions, complex surfaces or dynamic blocks. Also, any information on the layouts are ignored.
Finally, curves are faceted when importing to SKUP.