Best Method For Merging .Dwgs?

Hi All,

I have some structural and site info in a .dwg from a consultant that need
to be merged with our design drawings. My dwgs are in millimetres & use AIA
layering standards. The consultant's are in centimetres and use an alternate
(cryptic) layering system.

My question is: what's the best way to bring this info into my dwgs? Scaling
isn't really a problem, but layer conversion is. So far I've tried blocking
out their objects according to 'structure' or 'site', etc., etc. and
inserting these into my dwg, but it's tedious and prone to error (their
cryptic layers don't help), and it's tricky when cleaning up the inevitable
overlapping linework.

Another method I haven't yet tried because I thought it would be more work
(but now I'm not so sure,) is to Xref their dwg into ours and trace their
info. Again, this is time consuming with the possibility of losing certain
data.

Are there any other methods or tricks to speeding up the process while
reducing the likelihood of error? Until our layering systems are coordinated
in a few weeks this will be a problem.


-Simon

 

Why not just XREF it and leave it as an XREF?

CHECKSTANDARDS could be a solution for the layer problem.

 

Hi Randall,

The reason is that it would be confusing to have the consultants new info
conflicting with our old info in our dwg. For example certain structural
walls are still moving, changing dimension, etc. Fire stairs are changing
wall sizes, mechanical ducts are changing sizes, and in some cases the
symbols change from say a "duct" symbol in their dwg to a "grill" in ours,
though their locations stay the same. In other words, some issues are space
planning related and others are graphic.

This raises the question of what info should be in our files. I don't have
complete control over this but I agree that it would be great IF I could
leave the consultant dwg as an Xref. Unfortunately, alot of the info is
*not* purely structural in this instance so the division of info gets muddy.

However, I'll have a look at CHECKSTANDARDS. I'm not familiar with it but
from a quick glance at the Help file it might help, thanks.

S

 

I've read your reply, and under the layer standards is the layer
translator which sounds like what you're looking for. the main problem
is that you have to set it up.
The other tip instead of "tracing" over their info is to have their
drawing open at the same time it's xrefed in and use the "copy" "paste"
commands on the right click of the mouse

 

I'll investigate Layer Translator, too.
Re: copy/paste + xref that sounds *way* too simple to work !. But I'll
give it a try tonight.

Thanks, CD.

S.

 

Cad Dept,

The Copy/paste with the Xref open as well as attached works great, thanks
That and inserting parts of my dwg into consultant dwgs BEFORE bringing them
into my dwgs (in order to match object props) has really saved some time.
When I get more time, I'll look at the layer translator, etc. in detail.

S.

 

Glad to here about it,I like that matchprop thing. I thinking when you
have a "lot of time" for the layer transator

Kris