Problem with dwg file

[jaxtone]

Any one that knows how to open a dwg file in Lightwave modeler?

Thats the only reference file I have for a new projects connected to an airport! Seems like Autocad is an option but it feels quite idiotic to invest in another 3D software just to view a standard format thats been in the business almost since 3D started.

Is Lightwave still a big sucker when it comes to import and export of many standard formats? I have put some input to Newtek earlier about this dysfunction but they doesnt seem to listen at all!

[colkai]

Well, the tone of your message is not terribly polite, but suffice to say, take a look at any other package out there and tell me if the yall load every type of file, including DWG and I'll think you'll find the answer to be no.

Now, I was after a way to bring Autocad files into LW myself, so I did a small search on google. I found an answer (free) in only a few minutes.

So go here,
http://www.a9tech.com/
...they have a free CAD program and free DWG/DXF converter and I can categorically say, the output loads into LW just fine from these.

I appreciate your frustration, but 'big sucker' and 'dysfunction' is a bit OTT when a quick search would have given you an answer you could be working with.

[jaxtone]

Hi Colkai!

After more than 20 years in the 3D-business, industrial as well as abstract projects I must say that even the most advanced international Lightwave users I have spoken with admit that Lightwaves import/export functions are quite narrow if you compare to the most common 3D programs on the market.

Newtek doesnt seem to listen to users that does not only create fantasy creatures or spaceships. There´s a reality beyond the fantasy in space ships and fantasy creatures and after a while you understand that the industrial standards and deadlines is more about put some food on the table for your kids than just having fun.

There´s no reason you shall take this personally. I may have a language that sometimes express my frustration that Newtek after more than 100 very polite emails about this matter still haven´t answered one of them.

But thanks anyway!

[colkai]

Fair enough,
But, to me, the very first thing I do is search for a way to get around a problem. Yes, by all means put in a feature request, (the best place to lodge requests rahter than direct E-Mails, which may, or may not, reach their intended target). After all, I'd be more than happy for LW to pull in DWG directly myself, but I don't let the lack of action from a software supplier hold me back if I can find ways and means.

I am just surprised, given your passion about the subject, that alternative means are not explored, which was suggested by your reference of having to buy Autocad. Of course, if this is a mis-interpretation, my sincere apologies.

Now, it may be, that being a mere hobbyist on naff all budget, (or simply the fact that I'm an impatient old f@rt), I just go the route I do automatically and assume everyone else does something similar.

Even so, if you don't already have an alternative, you really should look at A9CAD, it does handle the process of DWG to DXF quite nicely and the ability to hide layers and edit the DWG so you only output what you want to the DXF is quite nice. (Though I always merge points and unify once in LW, does cut down the load a bit).
Also, it seems to handle scale pretty well too and you can't argue with the price!
(Note, I'm talking about the 'free' one, not the 'pro' here, like I say, I'm a tight-wad ).

[jaxtone]

Hey! The question was generally if anyone knew how to open a dwg file in Lightwave. I have been falling deep anytime my industrial customers crave a communication between my 3D tool Lightwave and their systems.

DWG is by me placed in the lower cathegory of CAD CAM levels but as told before I have been forced to used many of the 3D software competitors to Lightwave to transform the 3D models. Most of the others have many more options and thats a pity and pretty much shut down arguments like "take a look at any other package out there and tell me if the yall load every type of file, including DWG and I'll think you'll find the answer to be no".

I dont want this to end up in a pointless discussion since the job is already delivered but I know about loads of converters out there and its not by lazyness I didnt mention them. The reason was that my question once again landed on Newteks "badwill" in this matter!

Here are som links to excellent softwares that mostly ruin your production budgets!

Actify, Inc. - http://www.actify.com/
Products permit viewing, measuring, markup and distribution of multiple 2D/3D CAD file formats and related design documents without requiring access to the creating CAD applications.

STEP Tools, Inc. - http://www.steptools.com/
Developers of translation and data exchange software used in the STEP translators of many CAD/CAM software vendors, with an online translation service.

PDES, Inc. - http://pdesinc.aticorp.org/
An international industry and government consortium supporting the development and implementation of the STEP STandard for the Exchange of Product model data.

Square One bv - http://www.pdf2cad.com
pdf2cad converts Acrobat PDF engineering drawings to DXF for import into AutoCAD (DWG), Microstation (DGN) and other CAD, CAM and CNC systems.

Tailor Made Software, Ltd. - http://www.tailormade.com/
Software to convert AutoCAD, Microstation, and HPGL/2 files to several raster and vector formats for publishing, available for Windows and Linux as well as server based.

Proficiency, Inc. - http://www.proficiency.com/
The Collaboration Gateway is an engineering supply chain collaboration solution for extended design teams, providing interoperability among disparate CAD systems.

Datakit - http://www.datakit.com/
Data Exchange Tool Kit for conversion between native and neutral CAD/CAM formats, as well as libraries offering the same functionality.

Vistagy, Inc. - http://www.vistagy.com/
Develops and markets EnCapta, a CAD-integrated software to capture, manage, and share the non-geometric information for a digital product definition.

Eurostep Group - http://www.eurostep.com/
Delivers solutions that enable clients to streamline the sharing and exchange of product data, within and across enterprises, through open standards where possible.

AnyDWG Software, Inc. - http://anydwg.com
Software products for converting DWG files to DXF, DWF, PDF, JPG, TIF, BMP and several image file formats.

EPM Technology - http://www.epmtech.jotne.com/
Express Data Manager exchanges and shares technical data about a product using STEP and other ISO standards.

Parallax69 Software International - http://www.parallax69software.com/
Provides the data conversion software Eroiica for a variety of raster and vector file formats.

Right Hemisphere - http://www.righthemisphere.com/products/dexp/index.htm
Deep Exploration is a conversion tool for translating and rendering many 2D and 3D formats for online publication.

Cadverter.com - http://www.cadverter.com/
A CAD/CAM data translation service operating over the internet, supporting many common file formats.

CADzation - http://www.cadzation.com
AcroPlot Pro converts multiple file formats (DOC, XLS, DWG, TIFF, BMP, PLT, CALS, etc.) to PDF and DWF, in single file and batch modes.

International TechneGroup, Inc. - http://www.transcendata.com
Products and services relating to the exchange, reuse, and sharing of CAD, CAM, CAE and PLM-related data.

Larson Software Technology, Inc. - http://www.cgmlarson.com/
Converters from the CGM Computer Graphics Metafile format to several other common formats and back, on Windows and unix systems.

AutoDWG Software - http://www.autodwg.com
Utilities to convert Autocad DWG files to alternate formats, such as JPG, TIF, BMP, PDF, and DXF.

TransMagic, Inc. - http://www.transmagic.com/
Translators to convert 3D models between AutoCAD, SolidWorks, CATIA, Unigraphics, Pro Engineer, IGES, STEP and ACIS.

Bay Technology - http://www.linkcad.com/
LinkCAD is for converting and viewing CAD formats, supporting GDS-II, DXF, CIF, Gerber RS-274X, PostScript, AutoCAD and other formats.

Floating Point Solutions - http://www.fpsols.com/
Programs and extensions for several CAD systems to import, export, and convert geometry data to a number of technical file formats.

John Walker Graphics Pty. Ltd. - http://www.jwgraphics.com.au/
Autoset Cad Publisher software processes DXF files into pre-rendered raster and vector formats for DTP, printing, and web publishing.

CADCAM-E, Inc. - http://www.cadcam-e.com/
Developers of data interoperability software, supporting many data formats used in mechanical CAD applications.

Cadlink - http://www.cadlink.fr/
Cadlink provides CAD data translators and viewers for a variety of proprietary as well as open file formats.

Aide CAD Systems, Inc. - http://www.aidecad.com
Aide PDF to DXF Converter converts Adobe PDF to AutoCAD DXF/DWG files for editing within CAD applications.

Translation Technologies, Inc. - http://www.translationtech.com/
Online service for CAD and CAM file conversion, with native to native file translation.

RadialSoft Corp - http://www.radialsoft.com
CATIA V4 and V5 translators for SolidWorks and SolidEdge.

TTF Group - http://www.ttf-group.com/US/indexus.htm
TTF develops CAD drivers for multi-format data import to CAD/CAM/CAE applications, stand-alone CAD format translators, and utilities for rendering multiple CAD files to a single image.

SunDreams Software - http://www.sundreamssoftware.com
Converts DXF files for storage in SQL Server database, to permit design data linking and report generation

Bien AB Consultancy and Software - http://www.bien.se/
bien/dxf2db is an integration adaptor for CAD/PDM or CAD/ERP environments. It extracts text from CAD files and loads it into any ODBC enabled database.

DrawingRoom.net - http://www.drawingroom.net/
Provides a free service to share and collaborate with drawings and image documents over the web. Actual data files are not transferred, only displayable representations.

DIAPSYS - http://www.diapsys.com
Diapsys develops and sells a suite of CAD file translators (IGES, Parasolid, ACIS, STEP, STL, VRML, etc.)

Active Sensing, Inc. - http://www.PDXplorer.com
PDXplorer software reads and edits Product Data eXchange ("PDX") files as defined by IPC-2571.

DGI Office Tech Systems - http://www.dgnlink.com
CAD converter software (CATS and DGNLink) and translation services for data exchange between AutoCAD (DWG, DXF) and MicroStation (DGN) CAD systems.

CAD Centric Systems - http://www.cadcentric.com/
Software and solutions for CAD/CAM data interoperability, including CAD data viewers, markup tools, and translators [requires Javascript for navigation].

Marine e-Business Standards Association - http://www.emsa.org/
EMSA is a nonprofit organisation which promotes data exchange standards within the marine industries. EMSA submits members' requirements to standards such as ISO STEP, and publishes its own industry standards.

Graphic System - http://www.drawex.com
DrawEx is a CAD symbol and drawing exchange where users can buy and sell CAD files, as well as request or bid on development proposals.

CAD 2 CAM, Inc. - http://www.cad2cam.com/
Translate between many different CAD/CAM formats as an online service.

InfoCad LLC - http://www.expert-infocad.com/
CADminer extracts information from AutoCAD®, ARRISCAD and MicroStation® drawings

Innovative Dynamics Corp - http://www.idcusa.com/
IDC Missing Link integrates data between AutoCAD or Mechanical Desktop and any ODBC-compliant MRP or ERP database.

IGES2STEP - http://www.iges2step.narod.ru/
iges2step is a freeware application for viewing IGES V5.3 and STEP AP203/AP214/AP209 files under Windows XP/2000/NT.

IT Base Normica - http://www.normica.net/
Software tools to view, edit, and batch process plot data from CAD systems.

3DInsights, Inc. - http://www.3dinsights.com/
Provide the 3DI-Convert translation tool for most CAD/CAM and exchange formats.

Bronzware Inc. - http://www.bronzware.com/
The GerbMagic vector converter from Gerber RS-274x to PostScript and PDF format. Also a software RIP for Gerber to several bitmap formats.

[colkai]

I dont want this to end up in a pointless discussion since the job is already delivered but I know about loads of converters out there and its not by lazyness I didnt mention them. The reason was that my question once again landed on Newteks "badwill" in this matter!

I did not mean to suggest it was lazyness on your part, I just wondered if you knew is all, so apologies if it came across that way.
As I said, I'm more than happy for LW to be able to handle DWG files directly, I could see, in theory, that each layer of the DWG would become an object layer, that would be very handy.

The fact that you were already aware LW could not handle DWG just lead me to think that you were looking for a non-cost alternative over Autocad and were asking how folks got DWG to LW so again, sorry if I misread that.

[jaxtone]

All the best Colkai!

I understand that you only tried to be helpful!

Thanks!

[JohnsonChance]

If you want to convert pdf to dwg or dxf, please try them:
http://www.autodwg.com/pdf-to-dwg-converter/
http://www.pdf-to-dwg-converter.com