Using DWG files in Illustrator

Paj · 04-10-2012, 09:19 AM

Hi team,

Im in the process of making a large wall mounted magnetic map for a real estate company.

I've ordered some Autocad vector map data from an external company, and it comes through as a 50MB DWG file. Its taking an AGE to open. Its stuck on a stage called 'Mapping', and has been like this for about 10 minutes, and is maybe 10% of the way there.

I downloaded a sample from their site and it opened fine (although it was much smaller).

This is only 1 of 8 tiles for the entire map, and obviously the current method is unsuitable. Does anyone know of anything I can do to speed up the process? Is there a plugin that makes the conversion faster? The computer Im using is pretty beefy - Quad core Xeon Mac Pro with 8GB RAM - but this is bringing it to its knees.

Maybe I should order raster data from the company, instead of vector?

hank_scorpio · 04-10-2012, 09:21 AM

What version of Illustrator are you using? There are some plugins for DWG for Illustrator http://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/k...lustrator.html

Perhaps they could help?

MikeHun · 04-10-2012, 04:02 PM

50mb is too big anyway for a vector / wireframe import. You are probably dealing with crosshatches and fills that are embedded into the autcad file. Can you not get a PDF version with edit to be done in AI? Some DWG versions of autocad are buggy with file importing into AI.

hank_scorpio · 04-10-2012, 04:07 PM

Illustrator really shouldn't be for editing PDFs. PDFs like to simplify the file for view on screen or output. Any opening to edit it can result in weird clipping masks et al things.

I would not open a PDF in Illustrator to make the edits unless the PDF was made in Illustrator in the first place.

MikeHun · 04-10-2012, 04:09 PM

Sorry Hank not true, Autocad will make a fine PDF that can be edited in AI I do it all the time.

hank_scorpio · 04-10-2012, 04:24 PM

It is true.

I spend a lot of time on the Adobe Forums and the guy who is the Principle Scientist for Adobe, Dov Issacs, has said on many occasions that PDFs should not be edited in Illustrator as Illustrator is not a universal PDF editor.

If you like - pop over to the illustrator forums at Adobe and ask them there if it's ok to open a PDF generated by another non-Adobe program in Illustrator for editing - see what type of response you get - if you don't believe me.

You may be doing ok opening the PDF in Illustrator, and it may be working - but it generally shouldn't be done.

It would be a last resort for me.

MikeHun · 04-10-2012, 04:28 PM

Autocad > PDF > AI any day and every day. Sure some things don't transfer but vast vast majority does.
Opening editing and enhancing, always works for me Hank. Where is the thesis from Dov Issacs? It would be interesting to read it.

hank_scorpio · 04-10-2012, 09:53 PM

Well - good luck with it. I wouldn't recommend that workflow - as Illustrator is not a PDF editor.

hank_scorpio · 04-10-2012, 09:57 PM

Here's one such post

http://forums.adobe.com/message/2326800

Sketcher · 04-15-2012, 09:59 AM

I have to open and edit PDF's made from Auto Cad all the time in Illustrator. Very frustrating. Circles become octagons, corners become unjoined, etc, etc. Forget about text. I spend more time fixing everything than I do working on the part I need to do. Definitely going to try that plug in.