What’s the best way to get Autocad drawings into Blender? .dxf files don’t import so well. Right now I’m using Crossroads to convert the Autocad files to VRML and then importing them into blender. Is there a pathway that produces better results?
I have had sucess in importing from autocad as dxf; and microstation as well; though it had to be a mesh and not a solid. It also didn’t import curves very well. What version of autocad are you using? I also had to scale them down a bit so that I could find them when imported to blender. When you say that they aren’t importing “so well”, what kind of problems are you experiencing? I may be able to offer some other suggestions.
-Brian
I’m getting the drawings from a third party, so I’m limitted in what I can do to them. I can give them directions, but I don’t have a copy of Autocad myself, so I can’t really experiment.
Basically, there are a lot of meshes that aren’t filled in. Curved surfaces that aren’t showing up, and a lot of extruded surfaces where only the flat mesh is showing up, and not it’s extrusion. Also, there appears to be some gaps in-between meshes where there shouldn’t be. With the curved surfaces, if I get the client to export to 3ds and then convert it to VRML and then import it, I at least get the curves, although I have to extrude it into a surface myself.
Anyway, a lot of the problem is that a lot of the needed vertexes are in these bunches and they are hard to pick out and pick apart.
In fact, I have one drawing where I have a surface that’s filled in, but it shouldn’t be. However, I’m having trouble finding the points I need to modify to open it up, because they are bunched together with a bunch of vertices of other objects. However, since it came in through VRML, it’s all part of the same object. In fact, importing the DXF of that one produced basically nothing. It was mostly just a set of unconnected vertices and edges – it was supposed to be a lobby of a building!
I’m able to work through it, but it’s taking a long time. Any help would be appreciated.
Yuck.
Can you email me a copy of one of the files? I have autocad 2002. Is your client using the architectural desktop? If so, this could also be a factor. I will try to import it on my lunch break (noon - eastern standard time). I can receive emails up to 5 meg in size, so try and send me one if it isn’t too big. I’ll let you know what I come up with.
[email protected]
-Brian
Blender does have some troubles with DXF format with missing verts, faces etc.
You may want to try and export to 3DS format and then convert to OBJ and then import to belnder witht he obj script. May solve your problems.
BgDM
Where can I get the OBJ script?