Forums >> General Discussion >> Revit Project Management >> Export Revit Sheets to AutoCAD Sheets with External References?

briansmith

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Joined: Mon, Dec 8, 2008
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We are looking for the best known method to export from Revit to AutoCAD DWG files with External References and viewports. 

We created a model in Revit and produced the construction documents directly from the model.  Now the project is complete and we need to hand over the drawings to the customer.  Since the customer does not use Revit, we need to export the drawings to AutoCAD.  The customer expects to receive DWG ‘models’ referenced into the Model Space of a series of DWG Sheet files.  They want the models to be shared between all of the drawings in the series in such a way that updates to one ‘model’ is reflected in all of the AutoCAD sheets that reference that model.  (For example, if a door swing is changed in the ‘model’ DWG, all of the Sheets will show the change.)

We have tried exporting to AutoCAD with Export Views on Sheets and Links as External References.  Unfortunately, when Sheets are exported from Revit, the views on each Sheet are exported into a series of XREF that are not shared between sheets.  We are looking for a better method as this will not meet our customer’s expectations.

Thanks in Advance for your support!

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mwaychoff

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i have been wanting this and several other enhancements to the export dwg utility for nearly two years now. i have attached something of a best practice that i started to write for our A/Es here at the GSA but no one inhouse ever took me seriously. now that i see i may not be the only one pondering this issue perhaps a developer here within the revitcity community would like to strike up a proper conversation and champion this as a worthy cause? 

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mikeinsverige

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Joined: Wed, Jun 15, 2011
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Any more thoughts, comments, or decisions on this?

I worked as a consultant for one architect a few months ago who wanted to spend days trying to get the Revit export to have layers like he was used to in AutoCAD. Doesn't seem worth it to me.

Now I am doing a CAD/BIM manual for a large client well establish in Autocad, and I think they will at first have a tough time accepting that from Revit they cannot get the dwg model files and dwg sheet files like they are used to. I don't believe there is a good way to do it.

Most of the time, for example when exporting to consultants, I do not check the box for "xref views on sheets", so that is just creates a block of the view inside the dwg sheet view. Not as an intelligent of an object, but much cleaner.

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briansmith

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Mike:

Once all of our clients are on the BIM wagon, then this will cease to be a problem.  In the mean time, we're still looking for the best known method.

Cheers,

-Brian

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WWHub

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I think all you have to do is in CAD, repath X-Refs so that they path to the same file. If DWG 1 x-ref's the 1st floor plan, when exported, it creates a 1st floor DWG.  Then if DWG 2 x-ref's the same 1st floor plan, it too creates a DWG.  Now just get rid of one and re-path the other so they both shared the same DWG x-ref.

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mikeinsverige

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Yes I think what you say will work, but actual situations are more complex. At the least, we have to rename the xref file to match file naming standards, and cannot use the default name created by the revit export.

Then take for example a ten story building, with each plan split into 3 parts. That is thirty dwg sheet files, each with several x-refs. Every single xref would have to be re-pathed. Certainly possible, but not very fun or efficient. That's a medium size project.

To me it just seems like autocad and revit will always inherently have different workflows and cannot be compatible. If I am missing something, that would be good...

Then I am also going to have a concern when we hand these dwg files (many) and the revit files (a couple) over to the client - I wonder how their workflow will look like, potentially using only the dwgs for their in-house use, and neglecting the revit model...which could then render it outdated or obsolete information. Not good for the next project.

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