Problem importing in Autocad a DWG/DXF file created in Archicad

[frank87]

I have received this drawing in DXF and DWG format created in Archicad, and when i open either of them i get a blank screen (or i should say a black screen in Autocad).

 

Now, if i switch from model space to layout space, bingo, the drawing appears. I immediately thought that the different layers of the drawing, all set to black, logically couldn't appear on the screen. So i went back into model space to change the colors of the different layers, but still nothing appears ( but in the layout space, the color changes in the layers is apparent).

 

More strange, if i create a big select window in model space, hoping to catch elements that are supposedly there but invisible, it selects nothing; it's as if there's nothing there.

 

Anybody can help me to make appear the drawing into model space ?

 

Why can't evryone just use Autocad ?

[SuperCAD]

Is there a block of the drawing in paperspace that has been scaled down to the plotting size?

[frank87]

Is there a block of the drawing in paperspace that has been scaled down to the plotting size?

 

In the layout space you mean ?

There's a few hatches and a few blocks (lavabos, windows, etc..) and there's about 10 layers all set to black.

I have no idea how to tell if something has been scaled down to a plotting size.

[qball]

I think SuperCad is wondering if there is nothing in Modelspace. Is the drawing in Paperspace?

if not:

Also in Modelspace, try SELECT > ALL. If it's zoomed out so far that you can't see anything, you might be able to see the grips or something else highlight. Better yet, in Paperspace, activate a viewport and select an object, hit copy or move or something but cancel the command. Then switch to Modelspace and ZOOM > OBJECT > PREVIOUS. That will locate some of your items. But it's likely that there are objects floating around in Modelspace. You can Wblock the items you want to keep to a separate file.

[frank87]

I think SuperCad is wondering if there is nothing in Modelspace. Is the drawing in Paperspace?

It is in paperspice and i did a copy and paste on another dwg file, so i got the drawing, but i would like to understand why it doesn't appear in model space.

if not:

Also in Modelspace, try SELECT > ALL. If it's zoomed out so far that you can't see anything, you might be able to see the grips or something else highlight.

Did that; even zoomed out and hit regen three successive times, then did SELECT > ALL and waited 2 minutes, but absolutely nothing showed up.

 

Better yet, in Paperspace, activate a viewport and select an object, hit copy or move or something but cancel the command. Then switch to Modelspace and ZOOM > OBJECT > PREVIOUS. That will locate some of your items. But it's likely that there are objects floating around in Modelspace. You can Wblock the items you want to keep to a separate file.

In autocad 2007 i get VIEW-ZOOM-PREVIOUS, but even on a normal drawing it doesn't locate the object selected previously in model space.

[qball]

It is in paperspice and i did a copy and paste on another dwg file, so i got the drawing, but i would like to understand why it doesn't appear in model space.

 

So you're saying the Objects were drawn in Paperspace?

[frank87]

So you're saying the Objects were drawn in Paperspace?

Apparently; when i open either DWG or DXF file, i see next to model space a widget saying "layout 3" and when i click it, the drawing is there.

[qball]

I'm not sure you understand Viewports.

When you are on "Layout 3" tab, type PSPACE. Can you select the objects on the screen?

 

can you post the drawing here?

[frank87]

I'm not sure you understand Viewports.

When you are on "Layout 3" tab, type PSPACE. Can you select the objects on the screen?

 

can you post the drawing here?

 

 

As you can see, the drawing exists in paperspace, but when i click "model", i get an empty screen.

[qball]

I'm not sure you understand Viewports.

When you are on "Layout 3" tab, type PSPACE. Can you select the objects on the screen?

 

Can you select the objects on the screen while in Paperspace?

[qball]

Typically, objects are drawn in Modelspace. In Paperspace you create Viewports, essentially Windows to the Modelspace. My thought is that the Archicad exports objects to Paperspace instead of Modelspace. I think there might not be anything at all in your Modelspace.

check out these videos to understand viewports etc.

[qball]

if you post the .dwg file I could probably figure it out

[frank87]

Can you select the objects on the screen while in Paperspace?

 

Yes, i told you i did a copy and paste and saved the entire drawing on another DWG file.

[frank87]

if you post the .dwg file I could probably figure it out

 

You mean i upload it to megaupload or some other storage facility and post the link ?

I can do that.

[qball]

how big is the file? It might be able to be uploaded directly on here using "Go Advanced" below. Or since you can select some objects, erase a bunch to bring the file size down. Just leave a few things for the example.

 

max. 250kb

[qball]

My thought is that the Archicad exports objects to Paperspace instead of Modelspace. I think there might not be anything at all in your Modelspace.

 

yup ^^^^^^^

[frank87]

yup ^^^^^^^

 

So, there's absolutely nothing in modelspace ?

These archicad guys are crazy !

[SLW210]

You can use _CHSPACE to move objects to and from Paper Space/Model Space.

[AutoCAD master]

Um, there is a simple answer for this. You can't see it in Model space because it it black and the lineweights are all black, hence you cannot see a black line drawing on a black screen. Since paper space is white background, you can see the black line drawing. So change the background color in model space to gray or lighter than black.

[SLW210]

The original post was over 9 years ago. Answer was already provided, all of the objects were in Paperspace.