Topic Title

I do not have much experience at deciphering dwg files.

I have just received a heap of dwg files for a swimming pool complex. There are a great number of drawings, which strikes me as odd, but there are some things within the drawings which stike me as even more odd.

Firstly, the drawings seem to be readily importable into DC 12 - this is good. But, without fail every entity on a layer is grouped. Is it normal to group say every dimension on the dimension layer? Or every window and door on their corresponding layer?

Secondly, the elements that identify as symbols are sometimes strange. A line will identify as a symbol. Many seemingly unrelated entities also identify as a symbol.

I was wondering, is it me? Or Datacad? or the strange way in which Autocadders work? Any comments would be appreciated.

Always take the third option but I think you might have been lucky. It is possible that this job was done in an overlay of AutoCad, like DRC or Architectural DeskTop, and then exp[orted as plain vanilla DWG.

Nick is right. It's your third option.

Sometimes they create a symbol with attributes, vaguely like ours, and its text contents can be not allowed to be seen.

I'd suggest you to to search for hidden properties of this (supposed) symbols, trying to loose as less as possible.

Miguel

Thanks for the comments chaps. Sometimes you do doubt your own sanity

I do not have much experience at deciphering dwg files.

I have just received a heap of dwg files for a swimming pool complex. There are a great number of drawings, which strikes me as odd, but there are some things within the drawings which stike me as even more odd.

Firstly, the drawings seem to be readily importable into DC 12 - this is good. But, without fail every entity on a layer is grouped. Is it normal to group say every dimension on the dimension layer? Or every window and door on their corresponding layer?

This is a Datacad import problem, Autocad does not use grouping. I active only the layers then create smaller groups. The Dims run in string lines, and if Associative can be erased or moved easy.

Secondly, the elements that identify as symbols are sometimes strange. A line will identify as a symbol. Many seemingly unrelated entities also identify as a symbol.

I have been having problems with Lines being 3d vs 2d - Normal lines becoming Polylines ect. I will just turn on that layer then goto the Explode menu in the 3D Section. Almost all symbols in Autocad imported into Datacad with text will not show up.

I was wondering, is it me? Or Datacad? or the strange way in which Autocadders work? Any comments would be appreciated.

I have been working with Both for some time now. There are several differences in both programs, but one I do like in Autocad is the Paper Space VS Model Space. Can you belive that the designers using Autocad in our office Still offset the lines 4" to draw a Wall! Thats crazy.

I was wondering, is it me? Or Datacad? or the strange way in which Autocadders work? Any comments would be appreciated.

Just part of the import process. DataCad lumps everything on one AutoCad layer into a group in DataCad. I too work with both everyday and each has it's advantages, but you don't draft in "groups" in Autocad. Same with the symbols (blocks in AutoCad)... they are just programmed different so when imported into DataCad things get "lost in the translation". It is really tough to flop back and forth between AutoCad and DataCad... especially if one of the two parties isn't willing to adjust alittle to help the converting process.

LOL, still offsetting huh? Tell then to learn their program. AutoCad has had the ability do draw multi-line walls for years.