Import data from AutoCAD files.

[ors19516]

Hello

In the Site mager it's mentioned that is possible to import data from AutoCAD files such as the most important points, etc but we must print out the lines in (A text file?) in an appropiate format. Which way is the optimal to solve this issue? Otherwise, how can we design areas accurately?

[Pete Steggles]

Hello

Hi

In the Site mager it's mentioned that is possible to import data from AutoCAD files such as the most important points, etc but we must print out the lines in (A text file?) in an appropiate format. Which way is the optimal to solve this issue? Otherwise, how can we design areas accurately?

I am not quite sure what your question is here. If you are asking what is the format of the text file, it is the format displayed immediately underneath the paragraph that you refer to in the Site Manager help file that mentions importing data generated using AutoCAD. If you are asking about precision, values in the text file are interpreted as distances (in metres) in IEEE double-precision format: this gives you 53 bits of precision in the significand which is enough to represent the distance round the equator to a precision of better than 1 micron. So I don't think there is an issue with accurately reproducing models created using AutoCAD.

Could you give some more details about what specifically is worrying you or what problem you are having?

[ors19516]

Ok, sorry I will be more specific.

I have found some problems trying to design accurately wall areas with the site manager - Area tool. In the chapter 7.4 of the site manager manual called wall files, it is mentioned we can import some points from an AutoCAD design.

My question is: Can I design my area under AutoCAD and then import the points in a text file? How? Otherwise, which is the best solution you would suggest me to carry out this task?

Thank you.

[ors19516]

Again,

I'm trying to create files with the format explained in the site manager help but there are many things missing in the manual:

If It is able to import data from AutoCAD, it should be explained isn't it?
AutoCAD allows you to export data in a few concrete formats such as *.sat , *.3ds , *.bmp and so on. Which is the suiatable one?
Later, in site manager, to load wall files it request *.dat files or building data files *.xbd. I'm doing some tests with the data content on the file.
For instance, I'm applying this kind of format:

-35.25 -35.25
-35.25 25.35

-35.25 -32.25
-2.6 -32.25

which is exactly the same example you are giving us in the site manager manual. It should create a vertical wall, and an horizontal wall connected by the point (-35.25, -35.25). But if I load this text document as *.dat file in the "Load wall" option it only creates the vertical walls. I have done a few tests with different coordinates and is always the same. If I try to load a file with only horizontal walls coordinates, it gives an error "Cannot load file".

Can you help me with this?
Thank you

[Pete Steggles]

Please accept our apologies for not responding sooner: everybody has been so busy we just haven't had any spare time in the past few days.

If It is able to import data from AutoCAD, it should be explained isn't it?
AutoCAD allows you to export data in a few concrete formats such as *.sat , *.3ds , *.bmp and so on. Which is the suitable one?

Just for the avoidance of doubt I assume this is the section of the manual that you are referring to:

For example, this is an extract from some data generated from an AutoCAD design file for an ambulatory care hospital by selecting appropriate layers and printing out the lines in the appropriate format


-35.25 -32.25
-35.25 25.35

-35.25 -32.25
-2.6 -32.25

-35.25 -25.1
-35.25 25.35
...

This tells you how to get data from AutoCAD into a Ubisense building plan: you do it by selecting appropriate layers and printing out the lines in the appropriate format, which is the format shown. This should be easy to do using the AutoCAD API or if you don't have AutoCAD and only have something in their proprietary DWG or DXF formats you can use CAD Import .NET http://www.cadsofttools.com/en/products ... _.net.html to translate the format into our walls file format.

Later, in site manager, to load wall files it request *.dat files or building data files *.xbd. I'm doing some tests with the data content on the file.
For instance, I'm applying this kind of format:

-35.25 -35.25
-35.25 25.35

-35.25 -32.25
-2.6 -32.25

which is exactly the same example you are giving us in the site manager manual. It should create a vertical wall, and an horizontal wall connected by the point (-35.25, -35.25). But if I load this text document as *.dat file in the "Load wall" option it only creates the vertical walls. I have done a few tests with different coordinates and is always the same. If I try to load a file with only horizontal walls coordinates, it gives an error "Cannot load file".

I have just tried exactly this on my 2.1.4 installation by cutting and pasting the data from your posting and I get the expected result as shown below. Maybe you also have a non-text character in your file?

Area showing example walls file: this is what I get from your data

I hope this helps. Try posting the file to here if you can't work out what what is wrong with it.