AutoCAD File Import

NOTE:
Importing of 2D DWFx files is supported on installed clients, as well as from the management station Web Server and Remote Server clients. However, AutoCAD conversion of 2D DWG and DXF drawings are only possible on installed clients; conversion is not possible from the management station Web Server and Remote Server clients.

The Graphics Editor allows you to import any valid 2D DWG and DXF AutoCAD file for viewing and using with a management station graphic. When you import an AutoCAD file into the Graphics Editor, it is first converted to a DWFx AutoCAD file format internally, and then imported and placed on the active graphic as an XPS element. Modifying an XPS element in management station is limited to the size and position of the image, and the overall stroke thickness for the entire drawing.

The behind-the-scenes conversion to DWFx occurs in the AutoCAD Importer window, which opens once you select a DWG or DXF AutoCAD file to import. Existing DWFx files do not need to be converted; therefore, when you drag or insert the DWFx file onto the Graphics Editor canvas, it does not go through the AutoCAD conversion process, but instead displays directly on the canvas as an XPS element.

AutoCAD File Types

The following is an overview of AutoCAD file types supported by management station:

DWFx - A file format developed by Autodesk for CAD data and is based on the XML Paper Specification (XPS) from Microsoft. This file format does not require a conversion prior to adding it to a management station graphic.

The following AutoCAD file types require conversion in the AutoCAD Importer window before adding it to a graphic:

DWG (Drawing) - A binary file format for CAD data. It is the Autodesk native format.

DXF (Drawing Exchange Format) - A CAD data file format developed by Autodesk to enable data interoperability between AutoCAD and other programs

The management station supports Read support of DWG and DXF files created using Autodesk AutoCAD up to 2019.

Importing AutoCAD Drawings

There are three ways you can import an AutoCAD drawing to a management station graphic:

From the Graphics Menu that displays when you right-click the Graphics Editor canvas
From the Graphics Editor Home tab > Elements group
Dragging the AutoCAD file over any part of the Graphics Editor canvas

Exporting to DWFx File

Once you have modified a DWG or DXF drawing in the AutoCAD Importer window, you can save the drawing as a DWFx file, by using the Export to feature. This option provides you with an edited AutoCAD drawing that you can either share with an outside party or import into the management station.

Converting Large AutoCAD Files to Image

Converting an AutoCAD file to XPS is preferred and recommended as it offers the best image quality while zooming in/out of the image. However, when an AutoCAD file is too large and causes system performance issues, converting to an image file is an option.

If you choose to convert to an image rather than an XPS file, the AutoCAD Importer allows you to select from one of the following image quality levels. Please note the following when it comes to resolution and image quality and performance: Note that lower resolution offers the low image quality, but, better performance :

Variable Resolution Image – (Default) Imports five images at various resolution levels (see below). In Runtime mode, the Min Visibility and the Max Visibility properties are evaluated and based on the current Zoom level the appropriate image displays. The five imported graphics display in the Element Tree view under Group (Variable Resolution Image).

NOTE: Lower image resolution results in low image quality, but better system performance, while a higher resolution results in higher image quality but slight performance degradation.

Highest Quality Image – (16000)
High Quality Image (8000)
High Quality Image (6000)
High Quality Image – (4000)
Normal Quality Image – (2000)

Highest Quality Image – (1600)
High Quality Image – (4000)
Normal Quality Image – (2000)

Customizing AutoCAD Files

There are several options available for customizing an AutoCAD drawing before converting it to an XPS file for use in the management station or exporting it as a DWFx file.

When a drawing is imported into the AutoCAD Importer window, it may come packaged with the following components:

Model space – contains all the building blocks of the drawing. Displays in the Model tab.
Layout pages – contains different layouts of the drawing and may contain title blocks and notes. Displays on the layout tabs.
Layers – contain objects; each layer may or may not have objects known as block references.

These components can be customized so that the appropriate size, layers, and views are imported into the management station and/or exported as a DWFx file.

Model and Layout

When you import an AutoCAD drawing into AutoCAD Importer window, any associated Model and layout pages are brought in with the drawing and each is displayed as a separate tab: Model, Layout1, Layout2, and so on. Naming of the layout tabs will vary on a drawing-by-drawing basis. You can determine which drawing page, Model or a specific layout, you want to import into your graphic. Whichever tab is active, is the page of the drawing that is imported into the management workstation as an XPS file. By default, the Model tab is active.

Layout pages cannot be re-cropped. While title blocks and additional objects can be deleted, some drawing objects cannot.

You can use the Crop Mode feature to select sub-sections of the drawing so that only those sections are converted and imported into the management workstation.

The following table contains several basic rules about Model and Layouts tab:

Model Tab	Layouts Tab
Drawing objects	Provides varying views of the model drawing. However, a layout tab can be empty
Cropping allowed	No cropping allowed

Layers, Blocks and Block References

Each AutoCAD drawing has a number of layers associated with it that cumulatively make up the drawing.

A block is a component of an AutoCAD drawing which is stored inside something called the block table. Each block can be represented on a drawing by instances of that block; these instances are called block references.

If a layer has a block reference, then the corresponding block is associated with the layer as a child in the Layers tree. Block references are selectable and can be hidden from view. The check boxes next to each layer and block allow you to specify which layers of the drawing you want to make visible and which block references related to the block can be hidden in that layer.

If you want to preview a layer whose check box is not selected, you can select the Hover check box, and then move your cursor over the layer’s check box to temporarily reveal the layer on the drawing.

Measurement Units and Drawing Size

In the AutoCAD Importer window, if you click the Units button, from the Units Settings dialog box, you can specify the height and width of the drawing, as well as the unit type; for example, centimeters, inches, or micro inches. You can also choose to apply the current measurement units of the AutoCAD drawing to the graphic where it will reside.

Cropping and Selecting Objects

The AutoCAD Importer window provides buttons that allow you to crop your drawing to focus on a specific area of a drawing, or to select and delete objects (text, lines, and so on) that you do not want displayed in the final drawing.