Bake and Export multiples layers with geometry to dwg/dxf for GH directly

Hi Guys,

I am trying to bake multiple geometries organized in different layers with GH (works fine) and in the same flow export this as dwg or dxf to be used in autocad. For this last part I cannot seem to find a working solutution. Doing this by hand is not a option, as I need to export up to 500+ dwg files, so any kind of automation is usefull.

So in essence I need to export 2 layers, with each layer containing a couple of crv's to DWG. The dwg should include this layers structure when opened

In the forum I found two components that should have this kind of functionality, but neither seem to work or is still supported.

I am currently testing with the TTtoolbox plugin and its CADexporter, however this does not support the export of multiple layers. Only 1 layer can be exported.
The Finches components could possibly be useful for export batch processing, but the component is not longer for download as the makers (http://www.nicholas.demonchaux.com/) website is offline. I am currently on Rhino 5, with GH 0.9.0075, so if comeone can share a gha file of this, that would be much appriciated.

Are there alternatives that are being used by the community that i am aware of? As this seem to me has been of use to more people

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by djordje on March 1, 2017 at 12:21am

Are you exporting all geometry under particular layers, or do you still need to for example: export only curves from layers "Layer 02", "Layer 03", "Layer 04", and disregard the points and surfaces?

Or are you exporting all geometry which belongs to "Layer 02", "Layer 03", "Layer 04" layers?

Permalink Reply by massimo78 on March 1, 2017 at 12:38am

i m exporting only curves, but in individual layers. this is all of the geometry in these layers. for lasercutting and parameter assignment i need to keep the geometry assigned to these layers.

Permalink Reply by djordje on March 1, 2017 at 1:51am

Try the RhinoPython script attached below.

Attachments:

exportGeometryByLayer.py, 1 KB
exportGeometryByLayer.3dm, 35 KB

Permalink Reply by massimo78 on March 1, 2017 at 4:01am

great, thats just what it should do.
works like a charm, really quick.

thanks a lot djordje,
made my day!

have to try around a bit to get a file name input via grasshopper again, but hopefully i can do it myself...

Permalink Reply by djordje on March 1, 2017 at 5:00am

This would be the grasshopper component version of the previous python script.
Glad it helped.

Attachments:

exportGeometryByLayer.gh, 8 KB
exportGeometryByLayer.3dm, 35 KB

Permalink Reply by massimo78 on March 1, 2017 at 6:16am

i didnt dare to ask....

thanks!

Permalink Reply by Nico van Loggerenberg on April 19, 2016 at 8:15am

Hi guys, seems like a great tool, but I am currently struggling to get it to read curves which are inside groups - is there a workaround for this?

Permalink Reply by djordje on April 20, 2016 at 11:46am

Hi Nico,

The component should work with curves from curves too.
Can you attach both the .gh and .3dm files please, and point out the exact group you have in mind?

Permalink Reply by Nico van Loggerenberg on April 21, 2016 at 5:56am

I've attached it - I can get it to export to DWG by layer, but not by group - it also ungroups all the curves.

Attachments:

2016.04.21 Lasercut Maquette for Forum.3dm, 661 KB
export_by_geometryType_and_layer - NICO.gh, 13 KB

Permalink Reply by djordje on April 21, 2016 at 8:28am

Hi Nico,

I made a lapsus above. It should have been:
"The component should work with curves from groups too."

Currently the component does not have a groupName input. I might add it in the future.
Still the groupName input will only identify the objects which belong to a certain group and combine this with layerNames and geometryTypes inputs. So for example: a curve would have to belong to certain layer, but also to certain group in order for it to be exported. This input will not export Rhino groups as well. This is due to limitations of Rhino 5 .dwg/.dxf exporters which is what this component is based on.

So in your case I see one way to overcome this limitation: Instead of groups, put your curves into separate layers. For example: First curves of the layer "2" which lay in the same XY plane will be 5_1, then the ones in the second row 5_2 and so on. When you import the .dwg to AutoCAD, select all curves inside a single element and group them. I understand this may be a cumbersome work to do, but I assume it can be automated in AutoCAD with the use of their macros, but I can't help you with that.

Permalink Reply by Nico van Loggerenberg on April 21, 2016 at 8:39am

Not a problem, I assumed that it was probably better to work in layers rather than groups as well - now to figure out a way to automate the process of assigning the curves to layers!

Permalink Reply by Rémy Maurcot on June 29, 2016 at 3:54am

Hi Djordje,

Your component is fine but I wonder if it is possible to add a possibility. I would like to export in separate files based on the name of the rhino object.
I tried combining human and TT Toolbox (CAD export) but I can not manage unlock feature layers per file.

After researching I came here, but I happen toujour spa sà my purposes. Is it possible for you to help me?

Thanks for all.