[Plugin] ImportDXFtext as SketchUp Text

TommyK

The plugin imports DXF text as SketchUp Text Label entities.

Adapted from TIG's importDXFText (which can be found here: http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=23002). SketchUp Text Labels are more lightweight than the 3D Text that TIG's plugin makes.

Download from the Plugin Store:
http://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=importDXFtextLabel

Run by:
Menu > File > Import DXF Text Label...
Select the DXF file [text-type] from the first dialog.
Select the DXF's Units in next dialog.
Progress is reported in the Ruby Console.

paulhensey

most surveyors and architects issue DWG files, the text and spot heights drop out when imported into SU. can this plugin be made to work with DWGs?

regards

Paul

TIG

DWG files are proprietary binary files, and therefore much more difficult to parse and extract data.
DXF files are readable ASCII and these are thus relatively easy to parse [ but please don't underestimate the complexity of doing even this ]...

BUT, someone providing a DWG can just as easily provide an exact duplicate DXF version.
Depending on their software, it's either a 'save_as' or 'export' option...
If you 'colleagues' are not as helpful as one might expect of them ! then there are also several converters to help you...
But some are for $$$...
https://client.autocad360.com/
http://askubuntu.com/questions/49100/how-do-i-convert-dwg-to-dxf-with-free-software
http://anydwg.com/dwg-dxf/
http://www.autodwg.com/dwg_dxf_converter/
Do some investigations...

This newer tool [ http://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=importDXFtextLabel - with floating 2d text labels ] and its formally recognized 'progenitor' [ my tool - with 3d-text - http://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=importDXFtext ] both need DXF files to import the text.

Since these are both 'free' plugins, then you are extremely unlikely to get an unpaid "order of magnitude" improvement in their functionality - especially because you'd just like it to be so, it doesn't make it easy/possible/likely...
If it were so easy to do, then perhaps the authors would have already given you this capability...
Or perhaps offered a paid option for the more involved solution...