Forum dedicated to drawing translation issues.
#5735 by Ted B
Sun Sep 04, 2005 9:34 pm
I'm considering shopping-out the drafting for a project to an drafting-house that does their work in AutoCad 2004. My concern is that the final documents will be delivered to my office as .dwg-files with their 2D and 3D drafting intact, along with the nested Xrefs, etc...that I would like to retain intact. But I need to be able to go into the master drawings, or atleast the titleblocks, to address titleblock issues like my firm's name, issue dates and digital signatures. The final construction documents will be issued as .pdf's, but the AutoCad .dwg drawings must remain intact and editable.

Can I safely do this with DataCad ver.11, or am I going to need to consider the expense of buying and installing AutoCad 2005 on one of my workstations...just for this job?
While DataCad affect the formatting and the AutoCad's 'sheet manager'?

The client requested that I use this drafting-house since the drafting-house is familiar with the client's drafting standards and digital-publishing requirements. They will do the drafting for me as a sub-contractor; but the client will reimburse them for the work. (They do a lot of drafting work for the client, in addition to this project.) I want to be sure that I will not destroy the drawings files usefulness...and that I retain control of the title-block portion of the drawings.

We will be using .Dwf Composer for redlines and review/coordination. And issuing the actual field and record drawings in .Pdf-format at 36x24" and 17X11"-only. The final .Dwg drawings go into the files, until they need to be re-issed or revised again.

Any thoughts??
#5746 by Nick Pyner
Mon Sep 05, 2005 12:23 pm
The really sinister problem with ACad > DCAD > ACad is where multi layer blocks cannot be handled by DataCad and the file going back to ACad therefore has all the entities from same on one layer.

But here, you are actually in control and should have no problems and the material you are interested in actually comes from you in the first place. So all should be well. I think you should explode your symbols, multi-layer or otherwise.
#5747 by Miguel Palaoro
Mon Sep 05, 2005 2:56 pm
Ted B wrote:...My concern is that the final documents will be delivered to my office as .dwg-files with their 2D and 3D drafting intact, along with the nested Xrefs, etc...that I would like to retain intact. But I need to be able to go into the master drawings, or atleast the titleblocks, to address titleblock issues like my firm's name, issue dates and digital signatures. The final construction documents will be issued as .pdf's, but the AutoCad .dwg drawings must remain intact and editable.

Can I safely do this with DataCad ver.11, or am I going to need to consider the expense of buying and installing AutoCad 2005 on one of my workstations...just for this job?
While DataCad affect the formatting and the AutoCad's 'sheet manager'?

Hello Ted B,

If is your client requirement to be able to do constant round-trip among your office and the other one that works only with AutoCAD, I am afraid you should think about to have also a license of AutoCAD.
The unability of DataCAD to read AutoCAD's 'Paper Space' will bring you several difficulties to work together.

...I want to be sure that I will not destroy the drawings files usefulness...and that I retain control of the title-block portion of the drawings.

You can be sure you will not 'destroy' the drawings usefulness. But, you could request the drawings should be made on 'Model Space' in AutoCAD.
Other solution: the title block should be added by yourself.

We will be using .Dwf Composer for redlines and review/coordination. And issuing the actual field and record drawings in .Pdf-format at 36x24" and 17X11"-only. The final .Dwg drawings go into the files, until they need to be re-issed or revised again.

I couldn't understand. If you will be the contractor, wouldn't be better you do have the drawing files in DataCAD .AEC format ?
Your sub-contractor would produce his AutoCAD drawings at the limit it would be his duty. The other steps will be your. So, would be enough if he produces his job in AutoCAD and send you to make the final adjustements in DataCAD.

IMHO, if your client want to keep control of the service, would be better if he orders a license of DataCAD 11 and send it to the office of your sub-contractor. It is cheaper to him, and a garantee of integrity of the projects.
You can publish it in DWF format, and also produce final drawings in PDF, all in DataCAD 11.
Wouldn't it be handier ?

Thanks,
Miguel
#5748 by Ted B
Mon Sep 05, 2005 4:42 pm
If is your client requirement to be able to do constant round-trip among your office and the other one that works only with AutoCAD, I am afraid you should think about to have also a license of AutoCAD. ....The unability of DataCAD to read AutoCAD's 'Paper Space' will bring you several difficulties to work together


This was my original suspicion.

I may convert my "final copy" to .AEC-format, but the client wants to have the final-version in .DWG-format for their files and further digital-work. (brochure floor plans and take-offs) There will be atleast 4-5 round-trips for each building of the extended series. ....Although I don't actually have to get into the actual CAD drawings until the finals are reviewed and approved-for-constr. Up to that point it will only be comments and redlines in .Dwf Composer (or .Dwf Writer). The drafting-house will have control and resposibility for the drawings-files up to the point of title-blocking and digitally signing the final "drawings" at the point that it's time to create the .PDF's.

The "paper drawings" for the field and submittal to the building department for permit will be the .PDF's. Also, the .PDF's will be the drawings-of-record for the contract...and to demarcate the extent of my approvals and responsibility for contratual and liability purposes.


And having the drawings originally created in Datacad is not possible.
#5749 by RParker
Mon Sep 05, 2005 6:39 pm
You should consider a single AutoCAD LT package. It is much less expensive than the full package and might be just enough to allow minor changes. Check with the drafting shop to see if LT will work with their output. We had a similar situation and LT was fine. We had a draftsman that came to us from an ACAD shop so learning it wasn't a problem
#5750 by MtnArch
Mon Sep 05, 2005 11:13 pm
While I don't enjoy promoting other software here, you might also want to consider purchasing IntelliCAD in lieu of Acad's LT version. It will be cheaper and will provide some functionality that Acad can't (or, more appropriately WON'T) provide.

I'm partial to BricsCAD over the other flavors of Icad, since they seem to be on the leading edge of squashing bugs and providing additional functionality that the vanilla Icad doesn't have.

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