Importing AutoCAD files to Revit

You can import AutoCAD files into Autodesk Revit and then manipulate it from there as a Revit file or you can xref the file. See this tutorial on how to xref CAD files and the Revit Help blog.

NB: Importing a CAD file will not automatically convert the drawing to 3D.

To import as a link file:

1. Go to the insert tab.
2. Select "link CAD".

3. Browse for the CAD file that you wish to link. 

4. On the positioning tab leave the default position ”Center to Center”. You can also change that to “Origin to Origin”.
5. On the “Place at” tab select the level you want to import the file. For example, level 1or level 2 if you have many levels or floors in your project.
6. Pick your color preference on the “Colors” tab. You can set the link file to show black and white, invert color or the original color.
7. On the Layers tab leave “All” selected, if you want to import all the layers from the file.
8. Leave the "Import units" as Auto-Detect. 

9. Select "Open".

Now that the file is showing in the drawing as a cross reference file. You can also turn on and off layers from Revit as you wish, the same as in AutoCAD.

To import as part of Revit:

1. Go to the insert tab.
2. Select "Import CAD".
3. Browse for the cad file that you wish to import.
4. On the positioning tab leave the default position ”Center to Center”.
5. On the “Place at” tab select the level you want to import.
6. Pick your color preference on the “Colors” tab.
7. On the Layers tab leave “All” selected, if you want to import all the layers from the file. Otherwise, you can select which layer to import individually. By doing so it will not import any object on unselected layers.
8. Leave the "Import units" as Auto-Detect.
9. Select "Open".

Once the file is imported you can edit the CAD drawing as a Revit file.

NB: We used Revit MEP 2010 for this tutorial. I believe the steps are similar in Revit MEP 2009. You start from File, Import/Link, CAD formats.

How to Rotate the crosshairs, grid and snap angle in AutoCAD

Use this command in AutoCAD If you need to quickly rotate the crosshairs on the screen at a specific angle so you can draw along any object alignment without having to change The UCS settings nor rotating the view:

1. In the command line type SNAPANG. 
2. When prompted enter the new angle rotation for the crosshairs.

Crosshair Before

                                                                    Crosshair After

And that is all.

How to Create an AutoCAD Table from an Excel Table

Working with tables in Microsoft Excel is much easier and convenient than the CAD table features in AutoCAD, and there are many ways to use your table or schedules created in Excel to be imported into AutoCAD:

• As a Microsoft Excel worksheet:
The table will look exactly like the Excel spreadsheet you created and changes can be made in Excel by double clicking on the table. In other words, it is an Excel spreadsheet hosted in AutoCAD.
Procedure:
1. Select all the cells that you want to import from Microsoft Excel.
2. Right click, select Copy or simply use Ctrl+C.
3. Open AutoCAD.
4. From the top menu, select “Edit” then “Paste Special” then “Paste” then “Microsoft Office Excel Worksheet”.

• As an AutoCAD Entity:
The Excel table will be converted to an AutoCAD table.
Procedure:
1. Select all the cells that you want to import from Microsoft Excel.
2. Right click, select Copy or simply use Ctrl+C.
3. Open AutoCAD.
From the top menu, select “Edit” then “Paste Special” then “Paste” then “AutoCAD Entities”.

• As an image or picture:
The Excel table will be converted into an image entity.
Procedure:
1. Select all the cells that you want to import from Microsoft Excel.
2. Right click, select Copy or simply use Ctrl+C.
3. Open AutoCAD.
From the top menu, select “Edit” then “Paste Special” then “Paste” then either “Picture (Metafile)” or “Bitmap” or “Image Entity”.

• As a linked Excel table:
The table will be linked to the Excel sheet so that when you make changes in Excel the table will be automatically updated in AutoCAD. This is very useful if many people share one document and constantly need updating.
Procedure:
1. Select all the cells that you want to import from Microsoft Excel.
2. Right click, select Copy or simply use Ctrl+C.
3. Open AutoCAD.
4. From the top menu, select “Edit” then “Paste Special” then “Paste Link” then “Microsoft Office Excel Worksheet”.

• As a linked AutoCAD Entity:
The Excel table will be converted to an AutoCAD table and linked to the Excel sheet, so changes made in Excel can be updated automatically in AutoCAD.
Procedure:
4. Select all the cells that you want to import from Microsoft Excel.
5. Right click, select Copy or simply use Ctrl+C.
6. Open AutoCAD.
5. From the top menu, select “Edit” then “Paste Special” then “Paste Link” then “AutoCAD Entities”.

Uploading LISP routine in AutoCAD

 Follow these steps to add an automatically loading LISP routine to your ACAD STARTUP.

1. Save the LISP file with lsp extension to your C drive in this directory C:\Documents and  Settings\username\Application Data\Autodesk\..your AutoCAD version here..XX\RXX.0\enu\lisp routines folder.
2. Open AutoCad and type “APPLOAD” in the Command line.
3. When the dialogue box pops up, click on the “contents…” button in the bottom right hand corner (“Startup suite”).
4. In the Startup Suite dialogue box, select the “Add…” button.
5. 5. Browse for your LISP file with .lsp extension that you have saved before.
6. 6. Click Add once you find your lisp file.
7. 7. Close all dialogue boxes and you are done.

The next time you open AutoCAD the lisp routine will automatically load without any command invoke.

How to correct your AutoCAD Viewport Setting

Have you noticed that when you double click inside a viewport in AutoCAD, the view automatically zooms out and then you have to rescale the viewport? It could be really annoying, especially if you do not know the original scale of the viewport. Well, it has something to do with your UCS setting. 

To correct that, you need to change the UCSFOLLOW value to “0”.  To make the change, try this: 

while inside the viewport type UCSFOLLOW in the command line and enter “0” for the value. That corrects only the current viewport, because the UCSFOLLOW setting is saved separately for each viewport. 

Apply the same method for each viewport.

Proxy AEC objects in AutoCAD

 In AutoCAD we often get an error message about proxy AEC objects when we open a drawing.

Proxy objects are objects that were created by an unavailable ObjectARX application such as Revit software. These proxies carry information that is not supported in AutoCAD. However, you do not need the original application to display the object in AutoCAD. You can get rid of the proxy objects by creating a new version of the drawing with all the AEC exploded.

To do that:

1. Type AECTOACAD or –EXPORTTOAUTOCAD in the command line.
2. Hit Enter for filename.
3. Type the new name for the new file.

When you open the new file you have just created, the annoying proxy error pop up will not show anymore.

Xref Manager in AutoCAD

If you are working on a big project and are dealing with a lot of xrefs, you might run into the problem of broken xrefs. The following three reasons might have caused this: one, you did not use relative path; two, you rename the xref folder; third, you move the drawing folder around. The easiest or fastest way to fix the problem is to use the Reference Manager. To use the Reference Manager follow these steps below:

1. Go to your Windows Start button and go to the following: Programs, Autodesk, AutoCAD, Reference Manager.

2. On the top left menu, click on “Add drawings”.

3. When the Add Drawings browser pops up, browse for your files location.

Add Drawings

       4. Once you have selected your files an “Add Xref” window inquiry will pop up asking you to choose between Add all xrefs automatically or Add only the first-level xrefs. Select “Add all xrefs automatically”.

5. On the right side in the Reference Manager window, select the Type column label on top to arrange all your files by type so that all your xrefs are grouped together.

6. You can do (Shift and Select) on your keyboard to select all the xref files at once.

7. On the top menu select “Edit selected Paths”.

8.    When the “Edit selected Paths” menu pops up, select the little browse button on the right and browse for your new xref path and click Ok.

Edit Selected Paths

9.    To finish, select “Apply Changes” on the top menu.

10.    An Updating Drawing Format window will pop up. Click on “Yes to all”.

                                        

Updating Drawing Format