Optimizing AutoCAD Export: Challenges for Seamless Integration

Hello,

What is the most efficient method for exporting to AutoCAD to seamlessly transfer to native AutoCAD users?

Currently, we spend a significant amount of time fine-tuning the exported DWG files to ensure they are functional in AutoCAD.

The main issues we encounter include:

  1. Changes in text style and orientation.
  2. Modifications in line weight.
  3. Altered dimension styles.
  4. Changes in draw order.
  5. Adjustments to text within blocks.
  6. Variation in font, sometimes replaced with something different.

Is there a solution or workaround to address these challenges?

Thanks

2 Likes

workaround is your manual fine-tuning :smiley: solution is possible only if mcneel adressed this but there are even more pressing issues so i doubt this would be extra priority. it works somewhat and thats it.

Hi @STUDIO_NEBA,

What version and service of Rhino do you use?

Can you provide 3dm files that exhibit the behavior you describe when exporting to dwg?

Thanks,

– Dale

Hi Dale

Thanks for the reply. We are using RHINO 7. I’ve attached the PDF for comparison of exports from both of the Software.

IR-241101-BS-For Comparison CAD.pdf (213.5 KB)
IR-241101-BS-For Comparison Rhino.pdf (183.8 KB)
IR-241101-BS-For Comparison.3dm (3.2 MB)

@mary - can you have a look at this?

Hi @STUDIO_NEBA ,
I have downloaded your files.

I will write your 3DM to a DWG, open in AutoCAD, and hopefully see these issues.
I will reply soon with the YouTrack ids.

Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Mary Ann Fugier

Thanks for this list and the file.
If you are having issues, we recommended that you use the latest Rhino 8 and the latest AutoCAD 2018 export format. AutoCAD 2023 & 2024 support the 2018 DWG format. So when you export from Rhino 8, choose a 2018 format. These were added in Rhino 8 Development. Also for investigating these issue, I used 2018 Natural.

1a. Changes in orientation
Text reads forward when viewed from behind
a. Every time this issue comes up, I regret this was ever added to Rhino. If you always stay in Rhino with your model, then it is fine.
b. However, if you export to AutoCAD DWG/DXF formats this can be trouble because AutoCAD does not have a corresponding setting.


c. You should in check this from every Annotation style that use it. And fix the text so it reads well with this setting off.

d. You can use a test command on a group of text called TestMirrorText. It will mirror the text on the construction plane. However, you may still need to rotate it. In the video a edit one piece of text at a time, but I did not need to.


See wiki page for additional information My Rhino Text is Mirrored in AutoCAD. Why?
See the Rhino Help too.

1b. Changes in Text Style
I do not have your Font. If i use a Font that I have on my computer it works. So I changed your font to Arial, exported to DWG with the setting I described above and it worked. You may need to get me a simple file with very few objects and standard Fonts that will show me the issue. To avoid issues, use Fonts that are built into the OS. If you use Fonts that are not standard, be prepared to see Font messages. We see this when editing a model created on Mac Rhino and editing it on Windows Rhino. Windows and Mac have different fonts built-in so the “Font not found” warning is common when editing a Mac Rhino file on Windows Rhino.

2. Modifications in line weight.
I have looked at this a number of ways (Print weight by object, print width by layer) and both appears to work here.
Print Width by Object:
Rhino

:

Export to AutoCAD:

Print Width by Layer:

Export to AutoCAD:

Note: I changed the grid block to have gridlines use the “by parent setting” for color and print width for testing.

3. Altered dimension styles
Annotation styles can look different if you use settings in Rhino that AutoCAD does not have. See #1a. Or you use Text Fonts that AutoCAD can not find. See #1b
You may need to provide more specifics here and possibly a simple model with minimal geometry 1-2 pieces of text, so that I can see this issue.

4. Changes in draw order.
With the model you provided I found that one label that was buried under a hatch was literally a few meters under the hatch in Rhino. Rhino may be able to “forgive” this. But AutoCAD can not. You need to make sure your text is coplanar to hatches and other geometry. Or above in the z direction.


  1. Adjustments to text within blocks.
    Your grid bubble text was not aligned for me.
    So I aligned them to middle center, and they export correctly from Rhino 8.


    This is the way the updated text appeared on AutoCAD: (sorry about the orange color)

    If this is not the issue, you may need to provide more specifics here and possibly a simple model with minimal geometry 1-2 pieces of text, so that I can see this issue. I will tsst with Rhino 8.

  2. Variation in font, sometimes replaced with something different.
    When I open your file, my Rhino warns me that I do not have the fonts that you are using. I substitute Arial but I also change the Annotation styles to use Arial before I save as DWG.
    image

I will mention this again…
If you are having issues, we recommend that you use the latest Rhino 8 and the latest AutoCAD 2018 export format. AutoCAD 2023 & 2024 supports the 2018 DWG format. There have been updates in Rhino 8 to both the DWG/DXF plug-is, as well as updates to the OpenDesign libraries that we license. These updates do not go back to previous Rhino versions.

If something does not work the way you assumed it would, send a small file and a “step by step” description to help me see the issue here.

Here is the update Rhino 8 version of your file that I modified.
V8 IR-241101-BS-For Comparison.3dm (3.1 MB)

Thanks for your interest in making Rhino work better.
Sincerely,
Mary Ann Fugier

1 Like

Thank you, Mary, for the comprehensive solution. Unfortunately, we cannot transition to Rhino 8 at the moment, but we’ll try to implement these steps in Rhino 7.