eoghan

ive just got my hands on autocad 2007 and there is no export .3ds function. I have a file off a client but all the windows and doors etc. seem to be externally referenced - so everytime i export the file and re-open it in my 3d package it has only walls but not doors and windows. I don't really know autocad too well as i only use it to export files for use in cinema 4d!!

Help!

prodham

you are right that there is no export to .3DS anymore (i was honestly surprised myself).

however, if you are able to open .DWG like you suggest, the real problem seems to be with xrefs.

what you might want to try is 'binding' the xrefs. type 'xr' and you will see a pallate with the externally linked files. right click on them and choose 'bind'.

you will then see two options for binding - choose the 'insert' bind option, not the 'bind' (which will create extra layers and such).

hope that helps

paul

eoghan

thanks - i've bound the xrefs but all the balconies seem to be still not appearing in the dxfs. they are a clients files and will only open with the balconies in 2007 and not autocad 2004. is is some sort of library of models that is being referenced?

prodham

hard to say ?

if it is an issue with 2007 / 2004 format, then you can download a converter from autodesk at .....

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet...&siteID=123112

prodham

thinking about it a little more, i have a big xref/block project that has issues even when i link it to VIZ.

when you bound the xrefs, they became blocks. perhaps the next step is to explode the blocks that were previously xrefs in the drawing.

hope that makes sense.

sorry - off to work i go......

AJLynn

Cinema isn't good with DWG files, unless the converter got a major upgrade in v10. Do you have an older Autocad installed? Saving down to 2004 format then using an older version to convert to 3DS might be the best way.

BrianKitts

All the extra info, xrefs, and AEC objects load properly into max9 if you have it available to you. To create a 3ds file from an autocad2007 file, I've found it's actually easier to open it in max 9 and export it to 3ds from there...... It's totally an extra step, but like I said its easy and it's a pretty smooth conversion.

I wonder if autodesk is planning on fixing that so that you can export 3ds from within.... specially with the scripting to convert and include all the speacial objects from 2007. Cause even now if you take a 2007 model and downsave it to 2004 format you lose so much if you don't have the right extensions installed. I would think all of this should have been incorporated in the native program.

__________________
Brian Kitts
ANSHEN + ALLEN

eoghan

i use autocad to export (used to be in .3ds) to cinema. I'm using autocad to polytrans to .3ds now and then taking it into cinema. the files are always missing balconies etc. though once the file is opened outside autocad 2007 - but when i open the file in 2007 the balconies etc. are back again - ive checked that there are no xrefs left.

prodham

do you want to email it to me, and i'll have a look ?

i don't use c4d, but it sounds like more of an autocad issue anyways.

Macpod

Just in case anyone havent heard this. Autodesk has come out with a patch/update/whatever that allow you to filelink to 3dmax 8.