AutoCAD Blocks inserted into Solidworks Drawings 3

[MechDesg]

I have many 2D blocks created in AutoCAD that I use in the creation of assembly drawings. I would like to insert these into a Solidworks 2006 slddrw file. Using the standard Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V to cut and paste from AutoCAD to Solidworks causes Solidworks to crash. I thought of converting the AutoCAD data into a jpeg file, inserting it into the Solidworks slddrw file but see no command in SW to insert images. Does anyone have a work around?

 

[Theophilus]

I don't think you'd want to have an image file like a JPEG in there, would you? Perhaps you can bring a block into a drawing within ACAD, then save the drawing in DWG format. SolidWorks can import that in vector (line) format.

You should then be able to save the imported block as a block or library or whatever sort of feature within SolidWorks. (See Help files for specifics.)

Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

Reason trumps all. And awe trumps reason.

 

[ctopher]

Open SolidWorks, select OPEN/FILE/ACAD dwg. Follow steps and select you want to open into a drawing not a model/part.

Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 06-21-06)

 

[AnnaWood]

Following on Chris' comments you could also do an Insert>DXF/DWG.

Select the face you want the dwg to come in on first, then select the Insert DXF/DWG command.

What I do before I insert a dwg is to prepare the AutoCAD file with a point at an origin (whatever key point is important for placement). I also get rid of all the un-needed fluff, moving what I want to bring in to the same layer, etc. I use the point as a registration point for translating the AutoCAD data around on the sketch with the Sketch Tools after the Insert is complete.

It can be a real time saver when you have a good base of legacy AutoCAD data to draw from.

Regards,


Anna Wood
SW06 SP4.1 x64, WinXP x64
Dell Precision 380, Pentium D940, 4 Gigs RAM, FX3450

http://www.auerprecision.com

 

[AnnaWood]

I just thought of something.....

You may need to explode the blocks before you bring them into SolidWorks.

SolidWorks Sketch Blocks might be a feature that you could use to your advantage.

Regards,

Anna Wood
SW06 SP4.1 x64, WinXP x64
Dell Precision 380, Pentium D940, 4 Gigs RAM, FX3450

http://www.auerprecision.com

 

[MechDesg]

Thank you all for the help. I have managed to insert the acad file into the slddrw file but am still experiencing a serious slowdown of the SW program in that particular SW drawing once I do.

 

[Theophilus]

That's strange. Is the ACAD file being used within SolidWorks as a SolidWorks block? Sounds like you may have zillions of line segments within the ACAD file (something SolidWorks doesn't like in a sketch very well).

I don't use sketch blocks within SolidWorks (yet) since most of the parts I create are one-offs--but someone here can probably let you know whether the sketch block feature in SolidWorks might reduce the bogging down.

Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

Reason trumps all. And awe trumps reason.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Have you tried just dragging and dropping the files from SW's File Explorer or a Windows folder?

​

Helpful SW websites faq559-520​

How to find answers ... faq559-1091​

SW2006-SP5 Basic ... No PDM​

 

[wes616]

MechDesg.... I'm not really sure why this is, but I experience it ALL THE TIME.

One thing I have found that helps is following these steps.

1. cut and paste your acad data into a (blank) slddrw empty view. scale the empty view 1:1 and make sure your sheet scale is also set 1:1.

2. Export the slddrw as either a dwg or dxf. (sometimes one works better than the other depending on the geometry)

3. open with DWG Editor. Save as DWG (check here to see if you are "scaled" properly, because sometimes things get screwy). Now Cut and Paste from DWG editor into Solidworks drawing onto an empty view.

4. If you want a block made from the original ACAD data, you can make it at this point.

it time consuming, but it seems to help the performance here...

Wes C.
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