Issue in Layout 2018 exporting multiple layout pages to DWG format. I upgraded to 2018 pro from 2015 pro and the export to DWG procedure used to work fine. There was a dialogue box in the export window that you ticked to export to model space in 2015. The 2018 layout version doesn’t have this option and it removes all the layout page formatting and puts all the layout views in sequence in the DWG model in one long seamless line rather than keeping in individual layout drawing formatting. OK… layout 2018 has a few additional export options that are handy, but why remove the option to export your pages as is to the model? Also the window schedule I had on one of my pages (CSV embedded in the layout using the generate report option in sketchup) when exported has changed formatting and has huge text about 100 times what it should be. I cannot seem to get this to export at correct scale.
The present DWG export procedure was introduced in the 2017 version and I too sometimes miss the old options although I consider the current way to be overall the best.
The LayOut page formatting is all there, but, following the standard workflow for AutoCad today (for some 15 years at least) the page items are placed on AutoCad paper space tabs, one paperspace sheet per page. It is OK if you are postprocessing ans printing your export in AutoCad yourself but not so handy if someone else is going to import your DWG into some other non-Autodesk application.
A workaround is to export one file per LayOut page, and to use the Change Space command in AutoCad to send the paper space items to the Model Space. It wouldn’t work too well if you have multiple viewports with different scales in LayOut.
The text size thing is a known bug that I hope Trimble will fix soon, especially as I noticed that it sometimes leads to parts of the text to go missing that is IMO more serious than a formatting problem.
I hope you don’t mind me switching this thread to the LayOut category.
Hi Anssi. Thanks for the response and workarounds. You have been a great help.
I use paperspace layouts in Autocad anyway… so it isnt a biggie… just frustrating… I draw all my text in paperspace just to be sure that my text size formatting is correct and to get a nice page layout without mistakes. The only problem is that I do a “change space” command to push all the text back into the model at the end of the job. This means I can then keep libraries of multiple old jobs and details in one file in the model with the text and linework all in the one space, It is great for future cut and paste. It is a really handy way of setting up an Autocad job detail archive library.
Its a pity about the text formatting, as this was my first try at a window schedule in Sketchup and I was quite chuffed at the results in layout and soooo disappointed when it didn’t come through to Autocad properly. It took one day to set up the model for the job (a 6 unit motel) and 3 days to then re-organise the way I worked to ensure the Schedule was workable. It took ages to work out how I should name instances and what level they should be on to get it to work effectively as a useable tool. I love the feature but am thinking that I could have saved heaps of time drawing up a window schedule the old fashioned way in Autocad. I think I’ll import the CSV directly into Autocad and skip the Sketchup layout part of the process until the bug is fixed.
B.T.W. I use my Sketchup and Autocad in Tandem in my Architectural Practice
using each what it is best at. I measure up the job and draw the building in Autocad 2d and then propose alternate plans to the client using Autocad. When we have settled on a plan I export the Autocad plan into Sketchup and use it as a base for my sketchup model. I then set up scenes for all my elevations and perspectives and a roof plan on the full site. I set up my layout pages from these scenes and then export these pages back into Autocad format with the images in model space so they are i:1. I then set up a clean Autocad drawing and xref the new Autocad files into model space. I then add all my dimensions and text in the Autocad drawing and set up paper space layouts in the Autocad drawing for each of these. I do my sections and section details in the model space of this drawing the old fashioned line by line way in Autocad. All my dimensioned plans are also done in Autocad in a separate file which I also xref into the master file. It is a bit complicated but this way I get the flexibility, speed and accuracy of old fashioned 2D Autocad and the great images of Sketchup. It also means that I am more compatible with Engineers as the final output files are Autocad.
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