Forum dedicated to drawing translation issues.
#29188 by wolverine
Wed Oct 17, 2007 10:07 pm
Hello Forum,

I have an opportunity to to gain much contract work from another designer who uses autocad exclusively for document drafting. I have been using datacad since the DOS days, somewhere around 1985, and am pretty set in my ways. I have done one prior job for this individual who likes my work and experience. However, his employees (autocad users) don't share the same sentiment due to difficulties in dwg translation (can't really blame them).
Long story somewhat shorter, this individual REALLY wants me to jump ship and learn Autocad (on which I am opposed of course), but I do have an interest in doing work for him. He has offered me a seat using Acad 2008. My only Autocad experience to this point was version 3 way back, in which I took a semester in college. Can't say as I remember much of anything from that course, although I was able to learn and did quite well.
My questions are relating to how to successfully execute drawing for this person, keeping their Autocad office standards. I have tried on the previous job done for them converting to dwg with Datacad 12, but seems like they want things very specific. Any advice from bilingual cad users (datacad and autocad) would be very much appreciated. I was considering doing the brunt of the work in Datacad, then exporting to Autocad to finish with their text fonts, dimension styles, lay-outs, etc. or should I consider learning the Autocad language? Not sure yet what the learning curve would be for figuring out enough to get the drawings where they would need to be, or if I would be "learning" the entire program.

Thanks!
#29190 by MtnArch
Wed Oct 17, 2007 11:59 pm
Well, Wolvie (you don't mind me calling you Wolvie, do you? :wink: ) ...

As a bilingual cadd user (Acad by day, Dcad by night for the past 13 years!) I can truthfully say that there are advantages to each program. Some things are WAY easier in DC than in AC, but then there are some things that I REALLY wish DC could do like AC does since it seems a little more intuitive ... but I digress.

The hardest part of switching from one side of your brain to the other is to remember that **AC AIN'T DC, AND DC AIN'T AC!!!!** If you can wrap your head around the fact that, down deep, they both basically do the same thing but with different terminology and different keystrokes it will be an easier transition back and forth. If you fight Acad because "DC does it this way" then you've lost the battle and might as well pack it in. If you can simply say "DC does it this way, but how can I do it in AC" and just accept it you will have an easier transition.

That said, I now step up on my soap box ...

I have a hard time understanding why a program which costs $1,300 provides so much more usability than one that costs over 2 times that amount. I was trying to draft a floor plan in (in Acad) and was doing it the "old-fashioned way" by drawing a line and off-setting the other wall line, and wanted to do a simple clean-up ('T' intersections and 'X' intersections) ... but there's no way to do it in basic Acad other than trimming the lines (a minimum 4-step process). The only way to do this easily is to spend MORE money by purchasing Acad's Desktop product, which is priced at over $4,000. Hmmm ... sounds like a racket to me!!! :twisted:

Okay ... off of the soap box (for now!!!).

Feel free to contact me (on- of off-forum) with any other questions.
#29209 by Paul Nida
Thu Oct 18, 2007 8:48 am
MtnArch wrote:
As a bilingual cadd user (Acad by day, Dcad by night for the past 13 years!) I can truthfully say that there are advantages to each program. Some things are WAY easier in DC than in AC, but then there are some things that I REALLY wish DC could do like AC does since it seems a little more intuitive ... but I digress.



Alan, it might be interesting to hear what some of these things are that you wish DC could do like AC. Perhaps you could start an OT thread with a list of these things. If enough people agree with you or add things to it, these might become wishlist items for DC.
#29217 by wolverine
Thu Oct 18, 2007 9:41 am
Guess I'm more interested in what it would take to convert these drawings to their office standards. I'm really not able to devote much time into learning everything about acad, and would really like to create as much of the drawings in dcad. My biggest problems seem to be paperspace, symbols, text and dimensions. Also, I'm not sure how acad does hatch and if the two programs would display properly (stone, shakes, etc.). Anyone doing this type of conversion successfully?
#40727 by Design&CodeGuy
Thu Dec 04, 2008 8:05 pm
I just wanted to bring this message back to the front.

I am now in a position where i too am needing to provide work into the dwg world.

I am learning how to clear many of the hurtles such as text size, dimension scale, fonts, and correct color translation.
Most of these were thanks to folks here on the forum.
THANK YOU!!!!!

With that said, we still have issues with inserting bitmaps and the like.

To those with experience working in this bi-cad world, your thoughts, advice and experience would be greatly appreciated.
#66394 by customcontracting
Tue May 12, 2015 8:02 pm
I too have used DataCad sine 3.4? and am told either learn AutoCAD or no more work Why is it so hard to convert :cry:
I have tried to use it (once ) I didn't like it and have just refused since then, but I have an engineer that will give me as much work as I want " in AutoCAD :x
whishlist ... translate... :P
#66395 by MtnArch
Tue May 12, 2015 10:06 pm
There are jobs available for DataCAD drafters, depending on your location, experience, etc. If you feel you need to learn another cadd program to provide for your family, you will need to spend the time to learn how the other program works - and it's best NOT to approach it with "Why doesn't this work like DataCAD?!?!" (because you'll only get MORE frustrated!).
#66396 by joshhuggins
Tue May 12, 2015 10:31 pm
Yeah the quality of the DWG translation is becoming an issue for several of my co-workers. This is something I have been meaning to see if maybe we could spend some time on troubleshooting with Datacad LLC.

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