- Sun Aug 06, 2006 6:41 pm
#175938
Hello,
I like the new DXF importing options:
The first time you import a file, a new window with options appear.
There you could assign materials to the new objects.
There is also one of the options that says: NONE which lets you assign a material which is inside the scene.
Anyway in this scene there were no materials at all, so I used the ... button, but it seems that it is not working yet, because although I have assigned materials from there, they never appeared in the material list, so I had to assign manually again.
Then, the second time you import the same file, another window appears.
This gives the opportunity to replace all objects, but keeping the projectors and materials assigned.
I did it, and can see that the new objects have the right materials assigned as shown in the objects list, but although everything seems ok, the replaced objects looks like they have no material assigned in the 3d window. As soon as I try to render, another window tells me that the objects have no materials assigned, so I canceled and reasigned the same materials one by one again, and this time it worked ok!
Conclusion, I am happy that these new options are being developped, for us that work in Autocad, and have to import to studio.
There are lots of improvements to do in this field, but I will wait until the current options works properly to ask some new ones.
I can see that NL is planning something more complex than it is right now, and will wait to see the whole thing.
Anyway, there are some desirable options as the following:
1) I would like that each file being imported could be converted into a single group, with the same name as the file name, with objects inside, which names would be the layers names.
Now each object is converted into a group with a sigle object inside which is not clear enough since each group has the layer name, and the object inside has the same name.
2) It would be great if Studio could memorize if the objects imported, were moved rotated etc in the Maxwell Scene, so that the next time they are reimported they could be replaced in the right position.
3) Now if there is a block in the DXF file, and the block is inserted in layer 0 but the objects inside are made in layer 1 and 2, Maxwell have problems: It converts the two objects into a single object, inside a group that has the layer 0 name. the object name will be the same as the block name in the DXF file.
The desirable behaviour would be: The whole thing should be converted into a group, which name should be the DXF file name. Inside that group there should be another group, which name should be the Block name, with the two objects inside, each of them with each layer name. In case of other objects in the scene, which were not inside the block, they should be converted into objects which names should be their layers names, and should be located into the main group which has the original DXF file name.
Hello u all
This is mainly for NL to improve the DXF importing options.
Here I will write the structure of DXF files and how should be converted into MXS, at least for us that use Autocad.
DXF File Structure:
File name: House_01.dxf
Inside there could be several blocks, that could be inserted one or several times in the same dxf file. The main goal of having a block inside a DXF file, is to be able to be redefined. For instance if we have a block named Window_03 it could be extracted from the main DXF file as an independent DXF file, which name will be Window_03.dxf. In this way it could be modified and reinserted into the main DXF file, replacing it, in all the locations in the same DXF file. In other words: all the windows with the same name will be updated.
Block name: Window_03
This block is generally made of several objects in different layers.
The Layers names could be in this case: Wooden Frame, Glass, and Hardware
Block name: Main Door
This block is generally made of several objects in different layers.
The Layers names could be in this case: Wood_02, and Hardware
MXS File Structure:
File name: House_01.mxs
Inside there could be several groups, that could be inserted one or several times in the same mxs file. The main goal of having a group inside a MXS file, is to be able to be redefined. For instance if we have a group named Window_03 it could be extracted if possible, from the main MXS file as an independent MXS file, which name will be Window_03.mxs. In this way it could be modified and reinserted into the main MXS file, replacing it, in all the locations in the same MXS file. In other words: all the windows with the same name will be updated.
Group Name: Window_03
This group is generally made of several objects originally in different layers.
The Layers names would be the new objects names: Wooden Frame, Glass, and Hardware
Group Name: Main Door
This group is generally made of several objects originally in different layers.
The Layers names will give the objects names as follows: Wood_02, and Hardware
Inserting a MXS file into a mother MXS file:
Lets suppose that we have a file: House_01.mxs
Which has objects, and groups with objects inside, as the described above.
If we import this file into another MXS file, everything should be converted into a group, called House_01, inside this group, there will be other groups as Window_03,
Window_04, Window_05, and Main Door, each of them will contain several objects, as the described above.
Now lets suppose we want to update all Window_03 because the designers changed them all, what we should do is to import a mxs or dxf file to replace all the instances in the scene. In the first case we would import a Window_03.mxs file with objects inside, and Maxwell Studio should ask, if we want to redefine all the instances with the same name, to which we answer yes, and they will be all updated.
The same should happen in case of inserting a DXF file
Note
As blocks or groups could be inserted several times in the same file, as instances, and eacg of them will contain objects with the same name, it is important that at the time of importing these objects will not be weld into a single mesh. All blocks/grops/instances will need to be independent to be able to be redefined in case of update.
I have noted that Maxwell Studio imports DXF files from Autocad, Rotated 90 degrees in the Y axis.
I know that I can correct it in the preferences settings under DXF import options, by asigning a -90 degrees in the Y axis box.
But it would be much better if the files would come in the right orientation by default.
NL if you could fix it, it will help a lot, Autocad Users!
Thanks
E
Another thing that I have noted:
Sometimes when the imported objects, come in a disorganized way, and they were reorganized manually, in new groups, all that organization is lost in case of reimporting the objects, to update the model.
This will not be a problem, in case the way DXF imports into Maxwell Studio, gets improved, since at that time, there would be no need of reorganizing, since they will come in an organized way.
Other thing:
In case the imported object was rotated, moved etc, and it is needed an update, all the rotation movment and any other chage performed in Maxwell Studio will be lost.
It would be great if Maxwell could memorize that , as it is doing with materials and projectors.
Ernesto
I like the new DXF importing options:
The first time you import a file, a new window with options appear.
There you could assign materials to the new objects.
There is also one of the options that says: NONE which lets you assign a material which is inside the scene.
Anyway in this scene there were no materials at all, so I used the ... button, but it seems that it is not working yet, because although I have assigned materials from there, they never appeared in the material list, so I had to assign manually again.
Then, the second time you import the same file, another window appears.
This gives the opportunity to replace all objects, but keeping the projectors and materials assigned.
I did it, and can see that the new objects have the right materials assigned as shown in the objects list, but although everything seems ok, the replaced objects looks like they have no material assigned in the 3d window. As soon as I try to render, another window tells me that the objects have no materials assigned, so I canceled and reasigned the same materials one by one again, and this time it worked ok!
Conclusion, I am happy that these new options are being developped, for us that work in Autocad, and have to import to studio.
There are lots of improvements to do in this field, but I will wait until the current options works properly to ask some new ones.
I can see that NL is planning something more complex than it is right now, and will wait to see the whole thing.
Anyway, there are some desirable options as the following:
1) I would like that each file being imported could be converted into a single group, with the same name as the file name, with objects inside, which names would be the layers names.
Now each object is converted into a group with a sigle object inside which is not clear enough since each group has the layer name, and the object inside has the same name.
2) It would be great if Studio could memorize if the objects imported, were moved rotated etc in the Maxwell Scene, so that the next time they are reimported they could be replaced in the right position.
3) Now if there is a block in the DXF file, and the block is inserted in layer 0 but the objects inside are made in layer 1 and 2, Maxwell have problems: It converts the two objects into a single object, inside a group that has the layer 0 name. the object name will be the same as the block name in the DXF file.
The desirable behaviour would be: The whole thing should be converted into a group, which name should be the DXF file name. Inside that group there should be another group, which name should be the Block name, with the two objects inside, each of them with each layer name. In case of other objects in the scene, which were not inside the block, they should be converted into objects which names should be their layers names, and should be located into the main group which has the original DXF file name.
Hello u all
This is mainly for NL to improve the DXF importing options.
Here I will write the structure of DXF files and how should be converted into MXS, at least for us that use Autocad.
DXF File Structure:
File name: House_01.dxf
Inside there could be several blocks, that could be inserted one or several times in the same dxf file. The main goal of having a block inside a DXF file, is to be able to be redefined. For instance if we have a block named Window_03 it could be extracted from the main DXF file as an independent DXF file, which name will be Window_03.dxf. In this way it could be modified and reinserted into the main DXF file, replacing it, in all the locations in the same DXF file. In other words: all the windows with the same name will be updated.
Block name: Window_03
This block is generally made of several objects in different layers.
The Layers names could be in this case: Wooden Frame, Glass, and Hardware
Block name: Main Door
This block is generally made of several objects in different layers.
The Layers names could be in this case: Wood_02, and Hardware
MXS File Structure:
File name: House_01.mxs
Inside there could be several groups, that could be inserted one or several times in the same mxs file. The main goal of having a group inside a MXS file, is to be able to be redefined. For instance if we have a group named Window_03 it could be extracted if possible, from the main MXS file as an independent MXS file, which name will be Window_03.mxs. In this way it could be modified and reinserted into the main MXS file, replacing it, in all the locations in the same MXS file. In other words: all the windows with the same name will be updated.
Group Name: Window_03
This group is generally made of several objects originally in different layers.
The Layers names would be the new objects names: Wooden Frame, Glass, and Hardware
Group Name: Main Door
This group is generally made of several objects originally in different layers.
The Layers names will give the objects names as follows: Wood_02, and Hardware
Inserting a MXS file into a mother MXS file:
Lets suppose that we have a file: House_01.mxs
Which has objects, and groups with objects inside, as the described above.
If we import this file into another MXS file, everything should be converted into a group, called House_01, inside this group, there will be other groups as Window_03,
Window_04, Window_05, and Main Door, each of them will contain several objects, as the described above.
Now lets suppose we want to update all Window_03 because the designers changed them all, what we should do is to import a mxs or dxf file to replace all the instances in the scene. In the first case we would import a Window_03.mxs file with objects inside, and Maxwell Studio should ask, if we want to redefine all the instances with the same name, to which we answer yes, and they will be all updated.
The same should happen in case of inserting a DXF file
Note
As blocks or groups could be inserted several times in the same file, as instances, and eacg of them will contain objects with the same name, it is important that at the time of importing these objects will not be weld into a single mesh. All blocks/grops/instances will need to be independent to be able to be redefined in case of update.
I have noted that Maxwell Studio imports DXF files from Autocad, Rotated 90 degrees in the Y axis.
I know that I can correct it in the preferences settings under DXF import options, by asigning a -90 degrees in the Y axis box.
But it would be much better if the files would come in the right orientation by default.
NL if you could fix it, it will help a lot, Autocad Users!
Thanks
E
Another thing that I have noted:
Sometimes when the imported objects, come in a disorganized way, and they were reorganized manually, in new groups, all that organization is lost in case of reimporting the objects, to update the model.
This will not be a problem, in case the way DXF imports into Maxwell Studio, gets improved, since at that time, there would be no need of reorganizing, since they will come in an organized way.
Other thing:
In case the imported object was rotated, moved etc, and it is needed an update, all the rotation movment and any other chage performed in Maxwell Studio will be lost.
It would be great if Maxwell could memorize that , as it is doing with materials and projectors.
Ernesto
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- By Jochen Haug