Hi,

I've read the posts on how to get AutoCad drawings into Manifold. I see AutoCad can export to shapefile. However, I thought I'd try and do it on my own rather than submit a request up the line through 4 companies to the Autocad contractors to generate a Shapefile. Reading and searching, I found A9Converter which will convert AutoCad 2009 back to version 2000 which I can import into Manifold, but I lose all sense of projection. I don't know enough about projection to know what values to input to assign a projection.

I then tried the trial of CAD2Shape which worked great. CAD2Shape preserves the projection and the single line (a pipeline) I wanted lays down exactly where it should in my map. However, CAD2Shape costs $170USD which is relatively expensive for me for a program I'd use maybe 2 or 3 times a year. Any other options for infrequent import of AutoCad .dwg files? Thanks.

You could check out the free DWG Trueview from Autodesk.

I have the 2008 version. The Help says:

With DWG TrueView, you can convert AutoCAD DWG files between the following data formats:

* AutoCAD 2008 (not a format change, but includes new data)

* AutoCAD 2007

* AutoCAD 2004

* AutoCAD 2000

* AutoCAD R14, AutoCAD LT 98, AutoCAD LT 97

Have you looked at OpenDWG as well? Check out EveryDWG over at http://www.opendwg.org/guestfiles . Of course, feel free to request improved DWG support in Manifold. DWG 2000 is getting old.

Tonyw,

I generally use Map 3D which has an export to shape file feature. However using just plain Autocad, you'll have to save your drawing down to version 2000. I agree that saving down to this lowest level of Autocad is dumb. Hopefully this changes in version 9.

If what you're drawing in Autocad is projected to the correct coordinates/projection, it should not really matter if you are importing a shp or the dwg file. If you have other data in the Autocad file, you'll have to verify the projection too. It should import and be placed correctly. You'll have to assign the projection for the newly imported component.

Patrick

Hi,

Thanks everyone for your responses. Sunsong, thanks for the tip re: DWG Trueview, I have the 2010 version of TrueView and it converted to ver 2000 just fine. The same download from ACad also installed Design Review which seems to be another autocad viewer(?).

I'm at the receiving end of Autocad drawings (produced by another firm with which I don't have contact). Of the project team I think I'm the only one using GIS so I'm the odd person out and have to accommodate the majority working in the Autocad world.

Anyways your tips got me on the right track. With Trueview I can identify which layer has the pipeline I'm interested in. My workflow is:

- Use Trueview to identify the name of the layer with the object(s) of my desire (e.g. pipeline)

- Use Trueview's DWG Convert and convert the incoming DWG file to version 2000 format

- Open the 2000 formatted dwg file in Manifold, select and import the layer with the pipeline

- Select and delete the extranous items *

- Assign the projection as UTM-9 (took a bit of experimenting to figure out what projection the AutoCad drawing was in.

- Change projection to BC Albers (British Columbia)

- Save the (Manifold) drawing as a shapefile for later re-use

* The pipeline layer had extraneous items such as the frame for the autocad drawing legend.

So I can manage without CAD2Shape and A9Converter.

thanks!

-Tony

Hello.

You can go here http://www.opendwg.org/ and check the "Public downloads" on the left menu.

There you can download "EveryDWG File Converter" as well as other software for windows.

You can convert you files to open dwg formar and load them on manifold. You dont need even to install the application.

Regards.

JohnRobot and Gustavo,

Thanks for the pointer to openDWG. I've downloaded EveryDWG file converter. Which output format should I choose? I don't see the option for "open dwg format". I've been arbitrarily choosing Autocad 2000 format. I notice EveryDWG converter is a batch converter and converts every autocad file in the folder.

-Tony

This software is like a batch converter, it "grabs" all files in one folder and converts/place them into to the other.

I normaly choose 2000 format (but other formats are also suported by manifold, ifi'm not mistaken), because it has worked well so far for me, you can try to use any sort of combinations that lead to a successful convert (using every dwg) and import of drawings (using manifold).

The "open dwg format" is "this tool", because is an open and free way to work with dwgs, wich are "autodesk files".

So you should be fine using this application, however i've also used the autodesk dwg trueviewer 2009 for converting files and it worked also on all major dwg files i needed to process. But on some cases i needed to use this open dwg tool to be able to convert them.

Regards.

Great to have these new tools in the GIS kit box!

-Tony