Other types of file format Part 2 (AutoCAD 2011)

Easter images

A variety of raster files can be placed into AutoCAD 2011 drawings from the Select Image File dialog brought to screen with a click on Raster Image Reference… from the Insert drop-down menu. In this example the selected raster file is a bitmap (extension *.bmp) of a rendered 3D model drawing.

Selecting Raster Image Reference. from the Insert drop-down menu

Fig. 10.8 Selecting Raster Image Reference. from the Insert drop-down menu

Example – placing a raster file in a drawing (Fig. 10.11)

1. Click Raster Image Reference. from the Insert drop-down menu (Fig. 10.8). The Select Reference File dialog appears (Fig. 10.9). Click the file name of the image to be inserted, Fig05 (a bitmap *.bmp). A preview of the bitmap appears.

2. Click the Open button of the dialog. The Attach Image dialog appears (Fig. 10.10) showing a preview of the bitmap image.

3. Click the OK button, the command line shows:

The Select Reference File dialog


Fig. 10.9 The Select Reference File dialog

 The Attach Image dialog

Fig. 10.10 The Attach Image dialog

tmp15-372

And the raster image appears at the picked point (Fig. 10.11).

Example - placing a raster file in a drawing

Fig. 10.11 Example – placing a raster file in a drawing

Notes

As will be seen from the Insert drop-down menu and the dialogs which can be opened from the menu, a variety of different types of images can be inserted into an AutoCAD drawing. Some examples are:

External References (Xrefs) - If a drawing is inserted into another drawing as an external reference, any changes made in the original xref drawing are automatically reflected in the drawing into which the xref has been inserted. See later in this topic.

Field – A click on the name brings up the Field dialog. Practise inserting various categories of field names from the dialog.

Layout – A wizard appears allowing new layouts to be created and saved for new templates if required.

3D Studio – allows the insertion of images constructed in the Autodesk software 3D Studio from files with the format *.3ds.

External references (Xrefs)

If a drawing is inserted into another drawing as an external reference, any changes made in the original Xref drawing subsequent to its being inserted are automatically reflected in the drawing into which the Xref has been inserted.

Example – External References (Fig. 10.19)

1. Construct the three-view orthographic drawing Fig. 10.12. Dimensions for this drawing will be found in Fig. 15.52. Save the drawing to a suitable file name.

The spindle drawing saved as Fig13.dwg

Fig. 10.13 The spindle drawing saved as Fig13.dwg

Example - External References - original drawing

Fig. 10.12 Example – External References – original drawing

2. As a separate drawing construct Fig. 10.13. Save it as a wblock with the name of Fig13.dwg and with a base insertion point at the crossing of its centre line with the left-hand end of its spindle.

3. Click External References in the View/Palettes panel (Fig. 10.14). The External Reference palette appears (Fig. 10.15).

The External Reference tool in the View/Palettes panel

Fig. 10.14 The External Reference tool in the View/Palettes panel

4. Click its Attach button and select Attach DWG… from the popup list which appears when a left-click is held on the button. Select the drawing of a spindle (Fig13.dwg) from the Select Reference file dialog which appears followed by a click on the dialog’s Open button. This brings up the Attach External Reference dialog (Fig. 10.16) showing Fig13 in its Name field. Click the dialog’s OK button.

5. The spindle drawing appears on screen ready to be dragged into position. Place it in position as indicated in Fig. 10.17.

The spindle in place in the original drawing

Fig. 10.17 The spindle in place in the original drawing

The revised spindle.dwg drawing

Fig. 10.18 The revised spindle.dwg drawing

The Attach External Reference dialog

Fig. 10.16 The Attach External Reference dialog

6. Save the drawing with its xref to its original file name.

7. Open Fig15.dwg and make changes as shown in Fig. 10.18.

8. Now reopen the original drawing. The external reference within the drawing has changed in accordance with the alterations to the spindle drawing. Fig. 10.19 shows the changes in the front view of the original drawing.

The External References palette

Fig. 10.15 The External References palette

Example - Xrefs

Fig. 10.19 Example – Xrefs

Note

In this example to ensure accuracy of drawing the external reference will need to be exploded and parts of the spindle changed to hidden detail lines.

Dgnimport and Dgnexport

Drawings constructed in MicroStation V8 format (*.dgn) can be imported into AutoCAD 2011 format using the command dgnimport at the command line. AutoCAD drawings in AutoCAD 2004 format can be exported into MicroStation *.dgn format using the command dgnexport.

Example of importing a *.dgn drawing into AutoCAD

1. Fig. 10.20 is an example of an orthographic drawing constructed in MicroStation V8.

2. In AutoCAD 2011 at the command line enter dgnimport. The dialog Fig. 10.21 appears on screen from which the required drawing file name can be selected. When the Open button of the dialog is clicked a warning window appears informing the operator of steps to take in order to load the drawing. When completed the drawing loads Fig. 10.22).

In a similar manner AutoCAD drawing files can be exported to MicroStation using the command dgnexport entered at the command line.

Example - a drawing in MicroStation V8

Fig. 10.20 Example – a drawing in MicroStation V8

The Import DGN File dialog

Fig. 10.21 The Import DGN File dialog

The *.dgn file imported into AutoCAD 2011

Fig. 10.22 The *.dgn file imported into AutoCAD 2011

Multiple Design environment

1. Open several drawings in AutoCAD, in this example four separate drawings have been opened.

2. In the View/Windows panel click Tile Horizontally (Fig. 10.23). The four drawings rearrange as shown in Fig. 10.24.

Selecting Tile Horizontally from the View/Windows panel

Fig. 10.23 Selecting Tile Horizontally from the View/Windows panel

Four drawings in the Multiple Design Environment

Fig. 10.24 Four drawings in the Multiple Design Environment

REVISION NOTES

1. The Edit tools Copy Clip, Copy with Base Point and Copy Link to enable objects from AutoCAD 2011 to be copied for Pasting onto other applications.

2. Objects can be copied from other applications to be pasted into the AutoCAD 2011 window.

3. Drawings saved in AutoCAD as DXF (*.dxf) files can be opened in other Computer Aided Design (CAD) applications.

4. Similarly drawings saved in other CAD applications as *.dxf files can be opened in AutoCAD 2011.

5. Raster files of the format types *.bmp, *.jpg, *pcx, *.tga, *.tif among other raster type file objects can be inserted into AutoCAD 2011 drawings.

6. Drawings saved to the Encapsulated Postscript (*.eps) file format can be inserted into documents of other applications.

7. Changes made in a drawing saved as an *.eps file will be reflected in the drawing inserted as an *.eps file in another application.

8. When a drawing is inserted into another drawing as an external reference, changes made to the inserted drawing will be updated in the drawing into which it has been inserted.

9. A number of drawings can be opened at the same time in the AutoCAD 2011 window.

10. Drawings constructed in MicroStation V8 can be imported into AutoCAD 2011 using the command dgnimport.

11. Drawings constructed in AutoCAD 2011 can be saved as MicroStation *.dgn drawings to be opened in MicroStation V8.

Next post:

Previous post: