I’ve imported a .dwg model from an Adobe Illustrator export. My plan is to make it 3d, but need to create faces on it first.
The curves always have multiple lines which makes it hard to get separate, selectable faces. They look like woven lines instead of curves. I haven’t been able to find a plugin that will remove these extra lines. So far I’ve had to go through and remove the extra lines by hand, but there are too many. My goal is to have separate faces inside each curve stripe.
Your file seems unusual, in that the geometry is inside a component that is inside another component. Usually I would expect there to be only one group or component. You could select all, right-click, explode a couple of times to get the geometry up to the top.
You can create a face by redrawing one of the lines, and once a face is there it becomes easier to select and delete the rogue extra lines.
Could you post the Illustrator file, so I can try the same export test?
You’ll save a lot of time and frustration by simply building the model in SketchUp.
A plugin will not relieve you of learning SU’s native tools.
• Concentric circles created by drawing one and then offsetting thereafter.
• A rectangle drawn on top.
• Then erase what you don’t need.
• 3D Text (unfilled)
Thank you @Geo. I was able to recreate the model in sketchup using your technique. Thank you for those good directions. This takes time but is a lot quicker than removing all the extra lines by hand.
I get the same results as you. One good thing to note is that other DWG viewers see the same issue, so it’s not a SketchUp import issue, but an Illustrator export one.
As a work around you can export SVG from Illustrator, then use a converter such as this one:
I didn’t ask anyone yet, but I think I have an acceptable workflow. There are a lot of posts that are on the right lines, but almost none that have good solutions. But there is this one:
If you read the proposed solution it will get you on the right lines. The basic problem is that CAD wants arcs and Illustrator wants splines, and the work around is to make the curves more detailed, then change them to be straight lines. That then exports fine.
My steps would be:
Select All
Object/Path/Add Anchor Points, several times
Object/Path/Simplify, check the Straight Lines box (also Preview, so you don’t have to commit to the change yet)
If the curves become too straight, add more anchor points. Once it looks good enough, commit to the straight lines change.
SU 2018 is in fact better at importing splines than older versions, but still far from perfect. The link to the DWG is gone (?) and the AI is from a newer version incompatible with my CS5 so I can only guess. Do the paths have a width, however small, in Illustrator? The double lines might be the result of the exporter trying to draw a line around the arcs instead of through the middle line of the path, and the SU importer does the rest of the messing up. I am not sure as most of the things I have imported have been logos and the like where the artworks consist mainly of filled regions.
As far as I understand as a not very proficient Illustrator user, the double lines are caused by the fact that you indeed have two series of superimposed paths. When I ungroup your drawing, there are white filled paths directly underneath the red ones. I deleted the white paths and released the red compound path. Then it started to behave, in my opinion. I didn’t do anything to the splines. I used a larger than life import unit (exported in millimeters ans imported in centimeters). curve-export-test.skp (113.3 KB) curve-export-test-cs5.dwg (10.8 KB)
Did you do the Select All, Object/Path/Add Anchor Points a few times too? What you showed just now is exactly what I get if I don’t add the anchor points. But even then if I do my own export I don’t get the double lines you’re seeing. Here’s my Illustrator export settings:
And it would be great to know a simpler process if you have the time. I’ll adopt this workflow for now. Thanks again!
