DWG/DXF files

In this section

Importing_DWG/DXF

Merging DWG/DXF

Exporting DWG/DXF

Importing DWG/DXF

When importing a DWG/DXF file into WYSIWYG, you have two options:

• You can open a DWG/DXF file.
• You can merge a DWG/DXF file into an existing WYSIWYG document.

If you open a DWG or DXF file while another show document is currently open, you are prompted to save changes to that document before another show document is opened. Only one show document may be open at a time. When you merge documents, it enables you to add the contents of the DWG or DXF file to the contents of the current document.

3D solids contained within an AutoCAD file are automatically placed inside blocks by AutoCAD. When you import any file that contains a block, WYSIWYG will automatically explode the blocks in the DXF or DWG files for you if you decide to do this before opening them in WYSIWYG.

Note: WYSIWYG supports DWG or DXF files from AutoCAD version 2018 format and earlier at the time of this release.

Entities that can be imported

The DWG/DXF entities that can be imported are detailed in the following table. The resulting WYSIWYG objects are also shown.

* A closed AutoCAD ellipse will be imported as a circle; otherwise, it is imported as a multi-segment line.

Entities that can be imported as a library item

• Circle
• Arc
• Line
• 2D Polyline
• 3D Polyline
• Polyline
• Mline
• Polyface Mesh (PFACE)
• Polygon Mesh (3D Surfaces)
• Face (3D Face)
• Spline
• Ellipse
• Revolved Surface
• Helix
• Text and MText (See Note)

Note: Text and MText entities in blocks are not integrated directly into library items (a feature WYSIWYG does not support). However, a copy of each Text or MText entity is extracted from the block and inserted into WYSIWYG document as a text label. Attributes are substituted.

Limitations

• Multilines becomes single lines.
• Multiline text becomes a group of individual text items, with each line represented by its own item.

Note: The formatting for each line is taken from that of the first character of the line, except in the case of bullets, in which case the first character after the bullet point is used.

• Segments that are not straight (for example, arcs) become straight line segments.
• A spline must contain “Fit” data for it to be imported. When a Spline is initially drawn in AutoCAD, it is defined by a series of user-provided Fit Points, which are automatically converted to Control Points by AutoCAD. To import Splines into WYSIWYG properly, you must maintain the Fit Points that define the Spline. If the Spline is defined only by Control Points, it will import into WYSIWYG as a regular line, with additional points to help follow the curvature.
• Stretched (scaled) blocks are not supported.
• Blocks to be converted to library items cannot imbed other blocks.
• Blocks to be replaced by a fixture cannot imbed other blocks.

Tips:

• Do not import 2D/3D solids whenever possible. Instead, use 3D Face and 3D Surface entities.
• It is recommended that you explode Polyface Mesh or Polygon Mesh entities in AutoCAD before importing to WYSIWYG so you can access each face in WYSIWYG.

Opening a dwg/dxf document

Before you begin

Clean up the CAD file by removing all unnecessary layers, such as doors, windows, and architectural details. Generally you want to remove items that you do not need to see or will not use in the plot.

Use the Purge command in AutoCAD to remove layers, blocks, and so on, that are not wanted or needed. You may want to do this several times since layers and blocks are sometimes linked to other parts of the drawing, and the Purge command might not pick them up the first time. The more unwanted items you can remove, the smaller the file size will be, and the easier/faster it is to import.

To open a dwg/dxf document

This procedure creates a new WYSIWYG document from the imported DWG/DXF file. If you are already working in a document, you are prompted to save any changes and close the document before you import the file into WYSIWYG.

1. From the File menu, choose Open.
2. From the files of type box, select the DWG or DXF type. Files of this type appear in the browser window.
3. In the browser, click the file name, and then click Open.

Result: The Pre-Processing Options window appears.

4. In the Pre-Processing Options window, you can specify which DWG/DXF blocks and non-block entities are converted into Library items.

1. From the Define Content section, choose which layers and items will be converted into your drawing.
• Select the Import All radio button to include in the import, all blocks, block references, all non-block items and layers for conversion into your drawing. You can import all entities in one pass if you select this option.
• Select the Only import Blocks radio button to include in the import, only items that are blocks and block references for conversion into your drawing. You can import one or more times selecting different sets of blocks if you select this option.
• Select the Only import non-block entities to exclude from the import, all items that are blocks and block references. You can import only once if you select this option.

2. From the Number of Segments per Mesh drop-down list in the Mesh Segments section, choose the number of segments that will affect how the Library Items and Set Pieces are converted into your drawing. Blocks with higher number of segments consume more memory which affect the performance of your computer hardware.
3. Click Next.

Result: The Working dialog box appears showing the Pre-processing progress bar, and then the Scale window appears.

5. Select the unit type used in the DWG/DXF drawing.
6. Click Next.

Result: The Layer window appears.

7. Highlight the layers that you want to import. Note that you do not need to import all the layers at once. Refer to Importing scenario for suggestions on how to import the various layers. For each layer that you want to import, ensure that the Import checkbox is checked. If you do not want to import a certain layer, highlight it and clear this checkbox.

Note: In the Layer window, the State column shows the state of the layer in the DWG/DXF file. Frozen layers are not selected for import by default. Off layers are selected but will be set to Not Visible in WYSIWYG after import.

8. To add a description to the layer, enter the information in the Layer Description field of the layer.
9. To add metadata to the layer, enter in a descriptive tag in the Tag field of the layer.
10. To add a prefix to selected layers, click Add/Edit prefix for selected layers... button.

Result: The Change Layer Prefix dialog box appears.

1. In the Change Layer Prefix dialog box, enter in the desired prefix you want to add to the selected layers.
2. Click OK.

Result: The selected layers have the prefix added to the layer’s name.

Note: If a prefix is added to a layer that previously had a prefix assigned, the new prefix will override the old prefix.

11. Click Next.

Result: The Block window appears.

12. If you have blocks in your drawing, you have the option to ignore the blocks, explode the blocks, convert them into a library item, or substitute WYSIWYG fixtures for the existing blocks.

Note: 3D solids are automatically placed inside blocks by AutoCAD, and assigned an abstract block name (for example, *X1). The number of “blocks” that are found are dependent on the number of solids that were in the AutoCAD file. You will be prompted to determine what action to take for each type of “block.”

• Block Name: The name of the block.
• Status: This icon  indicates that the block is currently on a layer being imported. This icon  indicates that the block is on a layer that will not be imported.
• Type: This icon  indicates that the block is a singular block and does not contain any sub-blocks. This icon  indicates that the block is a nested block and contains one or many sub-blocks.
• Ignore: Select this action to ignore the block. The block will not be added to the resulting file.
• Add to Library: Converting a block into a library item imports the object and creates a duplicate of it to add to the library for future use. Note that the component will lose all surface properties, such as color and texture, and it will only be available in the library of the current document. To make it available globally, see To create a custom library item. When you convert DWG or DXF files into custom library items, they appear on the Library tab of the Library Browser within the DWG or DXF folder.
• Explode: Exploding the component breaks it into its sub-components. That is, it breaks the block into its components. You must be careful of components that are made up of other components as WYSIWYG will only explode down one level.

Note: Exploding is not recommended. Exploding should be your last resort to import the file, as it is taxing on performance.

• Convert: Converting a component into a fixture replaces the DWG/DXF component with a WYSIWYG fixture of your choice. Once you have selected this option, select the ellipsis in the neighboring column.

Result: The Library Browser window appears.

13. Select the fixture that you want to use to replace the block. If you find that you are always replacing a particular type of component with a specific fixture, you can set an option in WYSIWYG so that the substitution will automatically occur each time you import the component. For example, if you have files in which the ‘PAR64M’ block is always a PAR 64 fixture with an MFL bulb, you have the option of telling WYSIWYG to automatically import the component in that way. To change this option, edit the Import.lst file that is created in the Library folder (usually C:\Program Data\CAST Software\WYSIWYG\1.xx.xx.x\Library) once the first fixture is set to be remembered for future imports.

Note: WYSIWYG creates a pipe for every imported fixture since fixtures in WYSIWYG need to hang on a hang structure. If, however, fixtures are on a straight pipe represented by a straight line in the DWG file, WYSIWYG will convert the entire line into a pipe.

Tip: If you select the Remember for future imports checkbox in the Library Browser, WYSIWYG will automatically map the same fixture that appears again in the next DWG/DXF file being imported. (You can change the automatic mapping if required.)

14. Click Advanced Block Options to filter objects within the block based on their layer.

Result: The Advanced Block Options dialog box appears.

Use the drop-down menu to control how the contents of incoming Blocks should be handled based on the layers on which the Blocks’ components reside.

• Ignore Frozen and Off Layers (Recommended): This is the preferred option in most cases, since it offers the best optimization for the import: no parts of Blocks that are on layers which have been turned Off and/or Frozen will be imported. Once the import is complete, what you see will most-closely match what is seen when this file is opened in AutoCAD or DWG TrueView—with the exception of DWG entities that cannot be imported at this time. (Use the radio buttons in the Empty Library Item Options section to control how to deal with such entities.)
• Ignore Only Frozen Layers: Choosing not to import parts of Blocks that are on layers which have been Frozen will skip those parts, but parts that are on layers which have been turned Off will import. This will lead to a potentially more complete, but also more complex model—but entities that cannot be imported at this time will still not import. It is important to remember that if you chose to convert such Blocks to DWG Library Items, you will have no control over them: you will not be able to “edit” the DWG Library Item in order to “remove” from it the parts which were imported from the layers that were Turned Off.
• Ignore All Layers Not Being Imported: This option offers layer-based control over which parts of a Block should be ignored for import: entities which exist on layers that you have chosen not to import (in the previous step of the DWG/DXF Import Wizard) will not import. It is recommended that you only select this option if you are very familiar with the contents of the file you are importing AND when you are performing a “multi-pass” import (i.e. importing the same file multiple times, with different options and/or with only handful layers at a time).
• Import Everything (All Layers): This option should only be used when the previous options fail to yield the desired import result, and should (ideally) only be chosen when a single Block, or only a handful of Blocks, are selected for import; while it will lead to a complete import (with the exception of DWG entities that cannot be imported at this time), the resulting model (DWG Library Item) may look altogether different than what you see when you open the file in AutoCAD or DWG TrueView. In addition, the model may end up being very complex, which can lead to performance issues. Use this option with caution, and, ideally, only when performing a “multi-pass” import.
• Extract Block text as Text Labels when converting to a Library Item: Since WYSIWYG’s Library Items cannot contain text, Text or MText objects contained within Blocks being imported would have to be discarded; select this option (recommended) in order to extract text from such Blocks and add it to the resulting .wyg file as a Text Label object.
• Empty Library Item Options: Use the radio buttons in this section to control what will happen with Blocks which only contain entities that cannot be imported, if you choose to convert them to DWG Library Items; these options will not affect DWG Blocks that you have chosen to Explode.
• Allow Blocks to convert to empty Library Items: This option will allow such blocks to convert into empty/”zero-length” DWG Library Items. You will not be able to select them, and inserting them will result in a non-selectable item. Not recommended.
• Use placeholder geometry for empty library items: This option (recommended) will replace entities contained in such Blocks with a 1m “Spike” DWG Library Item.
• Rename library items with placeholder geometry: Enable this checkbox to add a “PH” prefix to all such DWG Library Items.
• Remove empty library items: When this option is selected, all such Blocks will be ignored: no empty Library Items will be created, but at the same time, there will be no indication whatsoever that something was supposed to be there. Only select this option if you are sure that you do not require that information.

1. Click OK to apply the set options and close the Advanced Block Options dialog box.

15. Click Finish.

Result: The Import Summary window appears.

16. Click OK.

The CAD importing guide

For more detailed information about importing DWG/DXF files, please read through the CAD Importing Guide, at http://cast-soft.com/wysiwyg/cad-importing-guide/.

Merging a dwg/dxf document

To merge a dwg/dxf document

This procedure inserts the imported DWG/DXF file into an existing WYSIWYG document in the location of your choice.

At a certain point, the merging procedure is the same as the opening procedure until the end where you choose where to place the object you are merging.

1. From the File menu, choose Merge.

Result: The Merge dialog box appears.

2. In the Merge dialog box, beside the File name box, select DWG or DXF Files (*.dwg or .dxf) from the drop-down list.
3. Locate the location of the DWG file on your computer. Select the file and click Open.

Result: The Merge dialog box appears asking for a Base point.

4. Select the radio next to the desired Base point.
5. Click OK.
6. Follow the procedure Steps 3 to 15 of the To open a dwg/dxf document section. At this point, the steps are the same as with opening until the end when you choose where to place the object you are merging.

Result: The Merge Summary window appears.

7. Click OK.
8. If you chose Select Basepoint with mouse in Step 4, click to place the object in the drawing.

The CAD importing guide

For more detailed information about importing DWG/DXF files, please read through the CAD Importing Guide, at http://cast-soft.com/wysiwyg/cad-importing-guide/.

Importing scenario

You do not need to import everything in your file at once. You can import items one by one or separately to ensure accuracy. The following scenario may help you when importing DWG/DXF files into WYSIWYG:

1. After choosing to open a DWG/DXF file, switch to the Layers tab in the Select DWG Settings dialog box. In this tab, you can clear the layers that you do not want imported in the first round. For example, you may only want to import the venue and all the layers related to it. In the case of a 2D CAD drawing, it is easier to extrude lines into walls and do everything else needed to complete the virtual venue. It will also be quicker as WYSIWYG will have a lot less objects with which to work.
2. Once you have completed working on the venue, you may want to merge in the hang structures if they exist in the CAD file. Using the Merge command from the File menu, you can open the same CAD file once again, and choose the appropriate layer(s) from the Layers tab. When WYSIWYG asks you to pick the insertion point, make sure you select Use 0,0,0 as Basepoint. This will ensure that everything in the new layer is placed accurately in the WYSIWYG plot.
3. Continue in the same manner with fixtures and the other objects. Note that if in the CAD file the fixtures exist on different layers, you may want to bring these in separately/one by one as well.

Exporting DWG/DXF

If you need to send your WYSIWYG drawings to someone using another drafting program, you can export your file to the DWG or DXF file type. DWG and DXF formats are used to transfer documents to AutoCAD or other compatible drafting applications.

Entities that can be exported

• 2D DWG/DXF: When you export WYSIWYG objects to a 2D DWG/DXF file, all objects, including fixture attributes, are converted to lines.
• 3D DWG/DXF: The objects that can be exported to a 3D DWG/DXF file and the resulting DWG/DXF entities are shown in the following table. Fixture attributes cannot be exported to 3D DWG/DXF.

Note: You cannot export truss.

Limitation

The slope near the end of two lines may be slightly off.

To export to dwg/dxf in 2D

Note: When you export WYSIWYG objects to a 2D DWG/DXF file, all objects, including fixture attributes, are converted to lines.

1. From the File menu, choose 2D DWG/DXF Export.

Result: The Export browser window appears.

2. In the Export window, navigate to the location where you want to save the exported file. Ensure that the destination appears in the Save in drop-down list.

3. In the File name box, type the name of the exported file.
4. From the Save as type drop-down list, choose the exported file type. There are a number of choices available for file type, based on AutoCAD versions.
5. Click Save.

Result: The Select DXF/DWG Settings For Export dialog box appears.

6. On the Scale tab, click the option button for the units to be used in the DWG/DXF drawing.

1. To specify a custom unit of measurement, select the Custom option button.
2. In the DXF Unit To boxes, specify the mapping of the units of measurement to use in the exported file.

7. Click OK.

Note: The current type of the drawing will be used as the point of view in the exported 2D drawing.

To export to dwg/dxf in 3D

Note: When you export WYSIWYG objects to a 3D DWG/DXF file, the resulting DWG/DXG entities vary. For details, see the table on Exporting dwg/dxf files.

1. From the File menu, choose DWG/DXF Export.

Result: The Export browser window appears.

2. In the Export window, navigate to the location where you want to save the exported file. Ensure that the destination appears in the Save in drop-down list.
3. In the File name box, type the name of the exported file.
4. From the Save as type drop-down list, choose the exported file type. There are a number of choices available for file type, based on AutoCAD versions.
5. Click Save.

Result: The Select DXF/DWG Settings For Export dialog box appears.

Note: You cannot export a 3D drawing from WYSIWYG Report.

6. On the Scale tab, click the option button for the units to be used in the DWG/DXF drawing.

1. To specify a custom unit of measurement, select the Custom option button, and then specify the mapping of the units of measurement to use in the exported file, in the DXF Unit To boxes.

7. Click the Layer tab.

8. Select the layers that you want to include in the DWG/DXF drawing by highlighting them and ensuring that the Export checkbox is checked.

1. Click Select All to select all the layers that are listed.
2. Click Select None to deselect all layers.

9. Click OK.