Troubles with DXF import.

[ezen]

Is there a specific version of DXF that Turbo FP 14 uses?

The CAD program I use exports in ASCII and Binary covering versions 2000 up to 2010.

acad 2010 dxf crashes the program totally.
earlier versions dont import at all.

Ideas anyone?

CAD = Bricscad v10 (intellicad)

[Allan Chesney]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

I have never had any problem importing any version of DXF into any version of TFP. Having said that I do not know what version they were either. The team I have worked with  over many years, have all been using different versions of AutoCAD, TurboCAD and others CAD programs and in each case I have just asked for is a DXF of the plan. They have supplied it ,from whoever I ask, from whatever software they happened to be using (without any questions of version etc) and I have imported it and had no problems.

Since the usual purpose of importing a DXF is to get the plan for tracing, you can turn off many things that are not needed, so you essentailly only import the wall and site layout.  This should be relatively small and not tax the resources too much.  If on the other hand you are importing a full 3D DXF model, then there may be issues with resources probably. It would be unusual to import a full house 3D DXF, as it would no longer be editable and it would be a massive job, almost impossible, to reassign textures and materials to every surface, so I am assuming you just want to trace a plan.

This leads me to a few questions: Are you importing a 3D DXF or just the plan for tracing? What is the purpose of the import - i.e. how are you going to use it?  How you are importing it?  What is the file size?

Sorry there are more questions than answers at this stage.

Allan

[ezen]

Thanks for the reply Allan 

Right now I am in the workflow stage of planning my mission.
(Which program exports to which...etc.)

The goal is to import 3D custom items of some of my creations, like custom tables and shelves etc.

I was able to get a random 3D object exported from Intellicad into a demo of TurboCAD 17 and then into TurboFP.
I guess it proves that there is a simple incompatability somewhere.

My next attempt will involve exporting into Sketchup Pro then into TFP 14.
Sketchup Pro isnt my favorite "go between" but it really does seem to import nicely into TFP.

I'll see how it goes.
Crossing my fingers...
Thanks,
B

[Allan Chesney]

Hi,

A few other thoughts now that I have an idea what you are doing.

If I understand correctly, you are creating an object in Intellicad and want to get it into TFP.

First I tried creating exporting a DXF file from TurboCAD V17 and importing it into TFP and it worked perfectly, so there does not appear to be any incompatibilities between the latest TurboCAD and TFP. This would seem to indicate output of Intellicad and TurboCAD.

You could try the following:

Export Intellicad to TurboCAD and export from TurboCAD as a 3DS file not DXF.  This should import perfectly to TFP.
This may fail too of course if the problem is between Intellicad and TurboCAD.

I assume from an internet serach that Intellicad does not export as a 3DS. TFP prefers 3DS to DXF anyway and I noticed that there is a free add-in to Intellicad to allow it to export as 3DS. Have you tried this? (http://software.filestube.com/software,26273817,3DS+Export+for+IntelliCAD.html).

If this works it would save having a "go between" and the 3DS may go straight into TFP.

Allan

[Kajvin - Robert W]

Hi ezen!
I have download some free both dwg and dxf 3D files from the net I supose that this files is down in Autocad, to dwg files will I use Acme CadSee and save them as AutoCad 2000 dxf this worked OK in TFP14 and TFP15 both original dxf and converted dwg-dxf.

Robert

[Draft Patrick]

My next attempt will involve exporting into Sketchup Pro then into TFP 14.
Sketchup Pro isnt my favorite "go between" but it really does seem to import nicely into TFP.

Keep in mind the Sketch up / TFP limitation --> TFP V14 and V15 will import *.SKP files developed with sketch up version 7 or older

Pat

[ezen]

To everyone,
Thanks for the input thus far...

Anyone who might be following this thread should probably understand that TURBOCAD + TURBO FLOORPLAN is the simplest way to go as far as compatibility.

I "think" that what is happening is that my version TFP does not like acad2010.dxf. (it crashes every time)
Intellicad only likes to export as acad2010.dxf... It gives warnings when trying to export as older versions of .dxf

I'm going to try and demo current version of TFP after work today.
It might be that simple.

Here is the work flow as it sits now: It works...
Intellicad object into Sketchup Pro (scale @ 0.0833), explode, apply textures(YAY!- Bonus!), export as *.3ds (thanks Allan), import into TFP.

I don't mind owning Sketchup Pro 8 being as it is a great companion to Intellicad as well as TFP.

Will update with results.

[Draft Patrick]

Hi there,

I am curious with this issue

I "think" that what is happening is that my version TFP does not like acad2010.dxf. (it crashes every time)

Can you attach one of these dxf files? (the ones that crash the system)

Intellicad only likes to export as acad2010.dxf... It gives warnings when trying to export as older versions of .dxf

Can you tell me the text of the warning?

Pat

[ezen]

Pat,

The message is a standard issue warning you would get when saving to any older format in many programs.

"This pre-2010 format does not support some entities. These entities will not be saved in the drawing."


I attached a simple drawing of a cube in 2010 ascii dxf as well as binary dxf.
Yup , they crash TFP every time.
The message I get with these is "Abnormal Program Termination".

Will finally get to demo the current TFP today.

Regards,
Bill

[Draft Patrick]

Hi Bill,

I think that I discovered the problem
I edited your cube. Please, can you try to import it? (attached)

Let me know if you receive any message

Pat

[Allan Chesney]

Hi Bill and Pat,

I tried importing your 'cubes' Bill, and did not have any crashing problem but also did not get anything useful. It showed the size as 0" x 0" x 0" and even after import, when I edited the size, I still got nothing visible, dispite setting colours and zooming in. I was also not able to select anything. This was the same with both files.

When I tried your editied file Pat, things had changed, some dimensions appeared, but certainly not cube shaped! The 2D and 3D view was the same - two half circles like eyes with eyelashes  and some distance away, two more half circles with very long eyelashes on one 'lid' only! (as in the image but much further apart!)  Clearly not what was intended - nothing like a cube. Seems most odd to me.

All three files looked OK in TurboCAD, like a wireframe box, although clearly not a cube proportions.

I do not profess to understand any of this but, going back to the original question, none of the files caused TFP to crash.

Allan

[Draft Patrick]

Hi there,

Some computers / configs don't recognize the "0" (zero) as space, so these systems crash. And this is my theory regarding Bill's issue.
I saw the same crash issue in one of my customers' old computer, trying to import objects or creating manual floors, for example, with two points too close --> if the computer can't handle this, it crashes

I opened the cube in Turbo Cad 17, and I got a wireframe entity. In other words, it was not a solid.
I didn't touch the geometry of the file (IMO, this is important to identify the problem), I just converted the cube to solid in order to import it in TFP, and it worked

This is why I posted the file converted to solid--> to verify if the problem is in the geometry / computer

Pat