DXF/DWG and DWF Import Options

The DXF/DWG Import Options dialog box and the DWF Import Options dialog box are very similar. This is because when you import from DWF, the drawing objects are first converted to DXF/DWG, and then converted into Vectorworks format. Change the import options to import a DXF/DWG or DWF file with the maximum integrity. The same import options display for import of single files and batches of files.

The first tab, Primary Settings, contains important basic settings. The Graphic Attributes and Objects tabs contain settings for advanced users to customize the import process. The Location tab helps with importing a file and locating it appropriately relative to the internal origin of the Vectorworks drawing.

Options that do not apply to the current file import appear dimmed, and an explanation displays next to the option. For example, if no points are contained in the file to be imported, the Points options are dimmed, and the message “No points were found” displays.

If true line weights are not present in the file, you can map the DXF/DWG line colors to Vectorworks line weights for import (on the Map Colors to Line Weights dialog box).

To make custom imports faster and easier, save the sets of options that you use frequently.

Import Options: Primary Settings Tab

Parameter	Description
Saved Settings Options
Settings	Select <Active Settings> to use the import options currently selected in the dialog box; to use a set of saved import options, select them from the list
Save	Opens a dialog box to name and save the currently selected import options so that they can quickly be selected as a set
Manage	Opens the Saved Settings dialog box to rename or delete sets of saved import options see Managing Saved Import Options
Model Space Units	Version 2000 and later DXF/DWG or DWF files support true units. When importing a file with true units, the Vectorworks program determines and sets the units automatically. If the imported file does not contain true units information, the program tries to guess the units setting; however, it may still require adjusting (see Setting Units Manually).
Units Setting In File	The Vectorworks program tries to determine the imported file’s unit settings, and displays the information to the right of Units Setting in File, along with the unit format (such as Architectural), and the scaling factor that will be assumed (such as 1 DXF/DWG Units = 1”). ● To use the displayed unit settings in the Vectorworks file, select Determine Automatically from the list, and also select Set Vectorworks Units to Match. ● To use another unit type (such as Centimeters), select it from the list, and also select Set Vectorworks Units to Match. ● To use a custom unit type, or to change the default scaling factor, select Custom from the list, and then specify the units in the text boxes. Enter the unitless DXF/DWG or DWF number in the first box, and a number with units in the second box. (For example, 15 DXF/DWG Units = 1” in the Vectorworks drawing.) The units displayed in the second box are the same as the current Vectorworks document settings, but other units can be entered as long as the appropriate units suffix is included, such as 3 cm. Also select Set Vectorworks Units to Match. ● To use the units currently set in the Vectorworks file, select Use Vectorworks Document Units. The Vectorworks program assumes that 1 DXF/DWG or DWF unit = 1 current document unit when importing objects.
Set Vectorworks Units to Match	Changes the Vectorworks document units and units format to match the DXF/DWG or DWF file being imported; the physical sizes of imported objects will not be affected. This option is disabled when Use Vectorworks Document Units is selected from the Units Setting In File list. This option is disabled when the DXF/DWG or DWF file is imported as a referenced file.
2D/3D Conversion
Convert Objects To	Specify whether objects should be imported as 3D, 2D, or a mixture of 2D and 3D. Generally, select the 2D and 3D option, which converts objects that appear to be 2D (planar objects parallel to or in the active layer plane) to Vectorworks 2D objects. The remaining objects are imported as 3D. To import 3D versions of AutoCAD Architecture objects such as walls and doors, select the 3D View setting for Architectural Objects on the DXF/DWG or DWF Import dialog box, and select a 3D conversion option. To import both 2D and 3D versions of the objects, import them twice from the DXF/DWG file: once with 3D View selected, and once with 2D View selected. Because the Vectorworks program does not have 3D text, selecting 2D and 3D can cause text in 3D symbols to be deleted. When the active plane is set to Layer, text in 3D symbols is imported; when the active plane is set to Screen Plane, text in 3D symbols is not imported. In addition, objects parallel to the active layer plane that have a thickness are imported as 3D even though the originator of the file may not have intended for them to be 3D. If problems occur, import all objects as 2D by selecting All 2D. A warning displays if selecting this option will distort any objects, such as 3D symbols with 3D rotation. If the file contains only a 3D model, select the All 3D option. Otherwise, parts of a large object composed of several entities could be converted to 2D. Occasionally, none of the choices is appropriate for all the objects. In this case, select the option that best converts most of the objects.
2D/3D Conversion Res	Specify the resolution that will be used to import both 2D and 3D objects. By default, the 2D and 3D resolutions set in the Vectorworks Preferences are used (see Edit Preferences and 3D Preferences). Higher resolutions can have an adverse effect on drawing performance. This parameter is disabled for DWF import.
Model Space	Once the units have been determined, specify the scale to display the imported file. Choosing the model space scale is important. The scale affects the dash length scaling and the conversion of polylines with widths (world-space line weights) to Vectorworks line weights. If the scale or drawing size are set incorrectly, some polylines may seem to have the wrong line weight and some dashes may be too long or too short.
Fit to Page	The Vectorworks program estimates a scale based on the bounds of all of the objects in model space; the scale fits those objects on the page. Select this option to use the estimated value.
This Scale	To import at a different scale, set the scale manually. Click Scale to open the standard Layer Scale dialog box, and select the desired scale. (All Layers and Scale Text do not apply to DXF/DWG files.) Click OK to return to the Primary Settings tab, and the selected scale displays.
Reference	References the original DXF/DWG or DWF file (master file), so that the imported objects can be updated when the master file changes. See DXF/DWG and DWF References for more information about referencing. This option is unavailable if multiple files are being imported.
Absolute path	Stores the absolute file path of the master file. Select this option when the location of the master file will not change in the future, or if the master file is on another volume.
Path relative to current document	Stores the file path of the master file relative to the target Vectorworks file; this option is available only if the master file is on the same volume as the target file. Select this option if the target file and the master file may be moved to another volume in the future.
Save referenced cache to disk	Saves a copy of the referenced data with the target Vectorworks file. When this option is deselected, a copy of the referenced data is not saved, which means that the target file size is smaller; the referenced data is updated when the target file is opened.
Automatically update out of date reference during file open	Updates the reference each time the target Vectorworks file is opened; when deselected, the reference is updated only when Update is clicked from the References tab of the Organization dialog box.

Sometimes DXF/DWG or DWF drawings are split up into pieces and saved as separate files, such as different areas of a large city map. When multiple files like this are imported into one file, they need to have their coordinates aligned, and their layer scale set the same. The recommended workflow is to import the files with the Center first import, align all subsequent imports option on the Location tab.

The Primary Settings tab covers the basic requirements for importing a DXF/DWG or DWF file. If the results are not satisfactory, explore the options on the Graphic Attributes and Objects tabs.

Setting Units Manually

If objects seem to be the wrong physical size after import, ensure that the units chosen are correct. (Model Space Scale only affects the display, but Units Setting in File affects the actual measured size of the objects.) DXF/DWG or DWF files do not always have the true units set, and sometimes have incorrect units set.

The Vectorworks program guesses the units based on the information available, and indicates what it found in the dynamic text at the top of the tab. If the guess is wrong, set the units manually.

If you do not know the correct units, but you know the true length of one of the objects in the drawing, determine the true units as follows.

Import the file and choose Custom units, setting the edit boxes to something like 1 DXF Units = 1". After import, measure the size of the object with the known length. Close the document and redo the import, but this time set the units to Custom with these values in the edit boxes: (measured length) DXF Units = (true length). For example, if the true length is 1", but the measured length is 2.54", enter 2.54 DXF Units = 1". (Do not include units in the first box, and if in feet and inches mode, just use the total measured length in inches.)

If the Vectorworks program finds an exact match for that ratio, it will change the Custom choice to the correct units. (In the example above, it changes it to Centimeters.) If the measurements and the ratio are not exact (for example, 2.539 instead of 2.54), manually adjust it to a standard ratio. Common ratios have values such as 1, 12, 2.54, and powers of 10. Examples: 1/12, 12/10, 2.54/0.01, etc.

If you do not know any true lengths, but the document contains dimension objects that show lengths, follow the steps just described with the following change: Select Convert Dimensions to Groups (see Import Options: Objects Tab), import, and use the value in the imported dimension object as the true length.

Normally the Vectorworks program leaves the document units setting unchanged after an import. If a DXF/DWG or DWF file is set to meters, but the Vectorworks document is set to feet and inches, then a dimension object that shows 1 meter in the original file will show as 3'3.37" in the imported file. If you want the imported drawing to be the same as the original, select the Set Vectorworks Units to Match option. You can also import with the option to convert dimensions to groups (see Import Options: Objects Tab) if you want the document to stay in the current units, but you want the dimensions to look the same as in the original.