Export from Layout to DWG

Which thread?

I think this is the problem I encountered.

They were indeed raster rendered. I have changed to my default hybrid (not sure why they weren’t that already) and will try again.

The problem with multiline text size in SketchUp exports is that the size is set in character formatting, so changing the properties of the multitext container in AutoCad has no effect on the actual displayed text size. Character formatting should be used only when the text entity contains text in different styles.

@simoncbevans this was the link [REQ] Export to DWG with correct CAD formatting for texts - #2 by trent

I was referring to and it might apply if the text was made in SketchUp vs only LayOut. Anssi’s comment is spot on. We have another issue where SketchUp text with a fixed is passed to LayOut and is then hardcoded with that hight on export.

I don’t often use text in SU as LO is the proper place for annotations and dimensions for what I do. Even in LO, I don’t consciously do much text formatting either. I do use multiline text and I do sometimes change the font size, but that’s about it. I haven’t looked closely enough at my exported DWG file to understand why the text that was enlarged became so un-WYSIWYG but perhaps I should to understand better what I might do to prevent it happening in future.

I have just looked at the conversion done after changing my rendering to Hybrid. I still get the enlarged text (as expected, but I notice that I also get text references to the viewports reporting them as PNGs (this doesn’t show in the LO drawing). But if you go into Modelspace, it does look like vector geometry.

I may well still be doing something wrong but it really isn’t working well for me.

Here’s what I get:

Working.dwg (228.6 KB)

During export, a folder is created with PNGs. It’s named for the LO file and appended with .image.

That begs a whole raft of new questions such as:

  • why?
  • where does the folder end up?
  • why is its name printed on the DWG file?

What this all boils down to is that if you want to export a DWG of a LO file, you have to do quite a bit of tidying up before you send it if it’s going to look professional. Is that right?

That sounds like a question for @trent although I’m guessing those PNGs could get used with the vector export in some way. Maybe imported into AutoCAD to provide the colors and textures.

This one I can answer. It ends up in the directory where the DWG file is saved.

Maybe to let you know what file to look for if you need it.

I have little need for DWG exports from LO but I guess if I were going to make them and all I want is the geometry, I would set up scenes in SU using Hidden Line and no background so it’s just lines in LO. Then I would turn off the text layers before exporting. But that’s just me.

I have had success in the past exporting directly from SU, which is effectively exporting geometry to Modelspace. I used to think that was all you could do. But then someone put me right and said “of course you can export from LO”. I assumed that meant that geometry would be exported to Modelspace and LO stuff would go to Paperspace with the end result looking pretty much identical on either platform. But life is never that simple is it?

Here in the UK, most of those involved in architecture/surveying/engineering still use the dreaded AutoCad and so that has become the de facto standard. So it can look a bit naff if you cannot exchange files readily between any other platform and AC. Obviously, an end user wants any conversion process to be quick and seamless and not have to dive under the bonnet each time!

Understood. I think as Trent indicated, this will get worked out and improved.

Hi all,

Yes Dave you are correct.

If a style was used containing shading, when exported from LayOut we create an image so that they display the same in AutoCad. This will also contain the vector line work. Both the image and the line work will be placed in the modelspace with an appropriate scaled viewport. The LayOut info will be placed in the paperspace. If you do not want to send any shaded version, change your style in SketchUp to hidden line. You could also detach the images in the xref dialog in AutoCad.

The only time when exporting a SketchUp model viewport from LayOut that it does not place the info into modelspace is when the SketchUp model is in perspective. The perspective view along with the image (if applicable) are placed in the paperspace

Thanks for sending your file and I verified I could scale the text. The part that can be confusing is some of the text is placed in a block and could be edited or exploded before editing the height.

Also, we do pass a hardcoded font value that defines the style and height on multi-line text so this can be confusing as well. The hardcoded values are visible on the Properties dialog under Text ‘Contents’. It will display something like {\H25.6487x;steel cross beams…}. That H25.687 is the fixed text height being passed. To change the height you can simply change the ‘Text Height’ field of the dialog (to something like .125)

Let me know if you have any questions.

2 Likes

I think I have followed all that and it’s useful to know the workaround. Looks like I can’t put my electronic monkey wrench away just yet though!

yea… not quite yet… sorry about that.

Hello! This thread has been very helpful in learning a workaround for exporting .layout files to .dwg and other relevant details.
I believe that another issue has popped up on my Mac.

I followed the instructions to click the arrow to reduce the window to just the small details needed for export, and I have had success with that in the past (literally within the past hour or two).

But now, when I reduce the window, it removes the options for export, and I am confined to pdf export. I have already tried to close the application and reopen it to see if anything needed resetting, but this didn’t help either.

Are there any suggestions for the solution?

Thank you!

I ended up restarting my entire machine after trying several times to find what was wrong with the export window. That fixed the issue.

Just FYI for anyone else who runs into this.

disremember? queens english? :smile:

@dgoforth this is a known issue with High Sierra and now Mojave. Once you experience this issue by minimizing the dialog should allow you to select other export Format types.

Trent

Thank you, Trent! It has still been a little finicky, but it has worked nonetheless.

I am having the same issue as @dgoforth, using Mojave, and have no export options for file types. Looking for export to .dwg. Can you explain what you mean by

Thanks,
Joey

Sorry about the delay. With this issue when you select .dwg as an export option, with the dialog maximized the dialog can expand and prevent you from being able to select different export options. The way to prevent this is to minimize the dialog by selecting the carrot as shown…


You should now be able to select other file types and get to the Options dialog.min

Also upgrading to 2018 or 2019 the issue is not present.

Trent

1 Like