when saving as DWG file....

[Anonymous]

when saving as a DWG
is it possible for grouped elements to remain grouped?

I already set up the DXF-DWG translator to Convert complex Elements to Blocks and to Convert splines into Polylines.

I draft very detailed patterns and i find it easy to modify them by drawing a portion of it...grouping the piece...and then while it is grouped, I repeat the pattern several times. Sometimes I have to export them and save as DWG files for other peopple to open them in AutoCAD. Once I do the SAVE AS, the pattern looses its grouped elements. Is it possible for grouped objects to stay grouped?

[Anonymous]

Have you tried saving your final grouping as a GDL part? This would certainly translate as a block to autocad.

[TomWaltz]

I think part of the problem is that Autocad does not have a grouping function.

As Melisa pointed out, you could save them as an object, but there is no way to have Autocad match Archicad's ability to group elements and keep them editable by simply "suspending groups"

[Anonymous]

Would using the "Unify" command to convert linked lines (if that's what these patterns consist of) help at all?

[Anonymous]

Ariana05,

I come up against the same thing on occassion, too. What has worked for me is to take the elements translated from ArchiCAD and after they have been translated to AutoCAD, turn them into blocks. Either one big one, or a small one (the basic pattern) and then do a SUPERHATCH..but then, I have Express tools for ADT, and maybe that's not available for all versions of AutoCAD. And you can edit the blocks in-place with the REFEDIT command. You have to open up the translated drawing anyway to delete and purge the wipeout_contour objects anyway, so this doesn't tend to bother me too much anymore.

It isn't perfect, but maybe this helps.

best!
Zolli

[Anonymous]

Zolli: I don't think I can do that because I don't have AutoCAD to go back into translated files and covert my objects back into blocks. I translate my ArchiCAD drawings so often that I don't think I could do that for every single file after I convert it to a DWG.

s2art: is the Unify command in AutoCAD?

Melisa: How do you convert an object that has been drawn with the ArchiCAD tools into a GDL object? I have never done that before since I don't work with GDL objects.

Tom: I think you might be right. I am going to keep tyring a few more things.

[Anonymous]

Okay, Ariana05, here's an answer that will probably help out a lot:

Option 1: insist that the AutoCAD folks you send your translated files to do the block creation...

Option 2: the Unify command is in ArchiCAD, under the Edit menu, Reshape commands. I don't use it very often, maybe I ought to....

Option 3: you convert ArchiCAD-drawn elements into GDL objects like this: once you have drawn your basic tile for your pattern (I'm assuming 2D lines, arcs, etc), select all those objects in the tile-unit-thing. Then go to File > Libraries and Objects > Save Selection As, choose a logical location in the object library file tree, give your new GDL object (.gsm file extension) a cool name, and then click OK. So now, instead of dragging multiple copies of your grouped objects, access and place your new GDL object via the Object Tool (chair icon), find your object in the file tree on the left of the dialog box that appears, and then start placing it on the drawing. It's important to note that you will only be able to snap future objects to the hotspots on the GDL object, not to endpoints etc of the lines and arcs that compose your GDL object. Try it out and see.

So, when you translate your drawing to AutoCAD, set the Save Options to "Convert complex objects to Blocks" and the GDL object will be a block in the translated .dwg file. Your recipients can then edit the blocks as needed with the AutoCAD REFEDIT command.

Try that out and let me know if it works okay for you.

buena suerte
Zolli

[Anonymous]

ariana05 wrote:
s2art: is the Unify command in AutoCAD?

Ariana

Unify is an Archicad command (Edit> Reshape> Unify) which joins any connected lines and arcs together to form a single polyline. Only adjoining lines / arcs will connect with each other, but you can select more than one group at a time, and each will form its own polyline. (Grouping must be suspended, if items are grouped)