# Vectorworks to AutoCAD conversion.



## Van

I'm putting this in General simply because this might be helpful to anyone, not just Scenic Folks. 
I have a designer who works exclusively in Vectorworks. I work exclusively in AutoCAD. Last year we had some issues getting drawing in a useable format and this year it looks like we are having even more issuses. So I figured I'd throw this out there for advice and input. He sent me a pdf of what the drawings are supposed to look like. There should be 5 tabs each a different 'drawing' VW exports eveything to a 'model' sheet, than assembles different drawing tabs by pulling info from each area of the 'Model' < at least that's what it seemed to be doing last year.> When I decompress the drawing he has exported I have the 'Model' tab and a have one named tab but that's it. all the other 'pages' are missing. The info for the other pages is on the 'Model' tab but the tabs are not. Any VectorWorks Gurus out there know whats happening to the other tabs ? He can't seem to figure out where the issue is and since I don't have all his drawings I definately can't fix it on my end. And just to quash it before it starts, " No I will not be going out and purchasing a copy of Vectorworks and trying to learn it" I have enough time invested in Autocad already and I'm old and cranky and don't want to learn another program. Thanks.


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## chausman

Vectorworks can export into .dwg. Have you tried that? AutoCAD can then open .dwg files.


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## Van

Yes I'm receiving a DWG from him. The issue is that he has 5 seperate 'pages' of drawings. When he exports only one drawing, the first, exports. Let me see if I can attach a screen cap of the issue.

https://picasaweb.google.com/vjmagi...&authkey=Gv1sRgCOTl-YKcn-zTaw&feat=directlink


Well, see if that works.


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## museav

chausman said:


> Vectorworks can export into .dwg. Have you tried that? AutoCAD can then open .dwg files.


It can and I am sure it is better than it used to be but the time spent related to importing and exporting the AutoCAD drawings our clients worked with is what led one of my past employers to switch the entire design staff from Macs and VectorWorks to PCs and AutoCAD. Frankly, the whole layers/classes conversion, how arc and curves translated, how the translation dealt with hatching, etc. was beyond me but always seemed to result in someone having to spend some time verifying and usually some time cleaning up the results, to the point that we literally justified the hardware and software cost to change within one year.

It seems that what many people do is bring .dwgs into VectorWorks then save that as a VW file and reference it into a Design Layer View Port in the drawings they create. I guess the inverse would be to export to .dwg and then x-ref that into your drawing. In both cases I believe that you essentially get the basic drawing (Model Space in AutoCAD) but not any 'sheets' (Paper Space in AutoCAD).


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## ScottT

What about exporting as a .DXF and then importing it?


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## Traitor800

Your first problem is that white background in autocad. eww. jk.

Now I don't know much about Vectorworks but I do spend 40+ hours a week drafting in autocad and if I'm understanding you correctly your getting all of the information in model space (and that's what it looks like from your first pic) and just not getting the layouts. correct? If that's the case I guess I don't really see the issue, yes its harder to read but I never work out of paper space anyway. If your not getting all the info, than the only thing that I can suggest is to see if the designer can export each page individually so you would have 5 files instead of 1.


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## museav

Van, check out DXF_DWG_Export_Options, it looks like when you export from VectorWorks you have to select which sheets to export and whether they are exported as one file or separate files.


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## Van

Sort of solved. I bitched and moaned and he finally said, " Ok I'll send you everything in the folder!" he zipped it all up and Wham, Bam, all 5 sheets are now available. Thanks for the input from all. 

Traitor800 Yeah, I know, I draft with a black background That grab was opening his drawing from Vectorworks. The rest of the issue is not that the stuff isn't there, the info is in the model space, and as you stated I usually work in Model space all the time. But not being able to see what he wanted to emphasize, areas that he wanted to elaborate and not knowing what areas he had provided distinct details for is very frustrating. While I agree I could go through and change all his line colors from icky Cyan on white to white on Black I might miss something miscolor something and most importantly I didn't want to scan the entire drawing zoomed into 12:1 scale just looing for details.


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## Van

OK, One more thing. 
I did finally get a drawing with all 5 sheets or in ACAD terms 1 model tab and 5 'layout" tabs. If you activate on tab by clicking on it, then go to File>Export layer to model> enter. it will take the information from just that tab and export it to a new DWG file. HOWEVER if you are working in 'Paper' space when you export it will only export the lines on the layout it will not export the items which are pulled in from the model space. I know this is really stupid confusing right ? So when you are on a "layout tab" go down to the bottom right of the working window, below the command line window and click the button which toggles whether you are working in Model or Paper space. < This is in ACAD2010-11 not sure where that button is in previous versions.> Make sure to click it so that you are toggled into "Model Space". Now do the previous exercise File> Export Layout to Model> <enter> Viola' all the reference <"annotative content" in Acad Speak> material AND all the lines from the Model will now be in the new drawing file which will have, by default the same file name as the layout tab from whence it originated. 

I hope all this helps some folks out there. It proves that the two platforms can work together, it's just a total PITA.


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