Hello, I am trying to import contours from a .dwg file from AutoCad into a Sketchup file. When viewing the AutoCad file, the contours appear as contours and in 3D, however after importing, the contours do not import but instead consist of a triangulated irregular network of lines forming what appears to be the geometry of the site. I am unsure how to get the contours to import into Sketchup as contours, to then be able to use these contours later for my project. Help would be much appreciated!
It would help if you share the .dwg and your resulting .skp file
Zoom extents? While I don’t view the files in AutoCAD, I often receive files from Civil engineers. Sometimes they include both a TIN triangulated mesh and the contours. The contours may be high above where the plan and mesh views are.
@DaveR 2021-01-07 Choi Survey.dwg (1.2 MB) Untouched Survey.skp (515.9 KB)
@pbacot Yeah I also just view them in the AutoCad Viewer, but in the viewer it appears to have the contours and when importing the TIN is in the same location where those contours were.
I see what you mean. I can see the contours in the dwg file but they are not there at all in the SU file.
The contours are in the file. I wouldn’t know why they don’t show in SketchUp. If you can’t figure something out and need these, let me know.
Its possible the engineers are working in Autodesk Civil3d, or a similar (more complex) workflow…this can also produce and export DWG files.
The difference is that the objects in the file are programmed in a unique way that doesnt send to other software.
Luckily its usually easy for the engineers to convert or export to a format that SketchUp can import. Ask them to save it as a “3d dwg” and, if necessary, explode or “extract” the C3d object (trianglulated surface) prior to exporting.
Using Autodesk DWG version 2019 should be safe as well .
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@pbacot It would be very helpful to find a solution to get these contours or an accurate representation of them into my file because it is essential information for my project.
@AK_SAM Thank you for your thought, I will see if this solves my importing problem.
I might be able to help. First see if the engineers can send you a better file, as I’d be required to process and cleanup the file some.
The surveyor resent the file, not sure what changes he made but believe it was what @AK_SAM suggested, but the contours imported correctly. Thanks for the help and suggestions!