So you’re exploring importing AutoCAD Architecture to SketchUp? This is your expert guide. By the end of it, you’ll know what AutoCAD is and how it interacts with SketcUp, the benefits of importing the architecture to SketchUp, how to do it, and the best practices to make it super simple. Read on to learn all about how to import AutoCAD architecture to SketchUp, close the gap in your knowledge, and become fluent.
Overview of AutoCAD Architecture and SketchUp
First, let’s explore AutoCAD Architecture and SketchUp. AutoCAD Architecture is software designed for architects and engineers. It’s what you use to make detailed 2D and 3D models of buildings and other built and natural structures. SketchUp is popular 3D modelling software that’s also popular in the architecture and construction sectors.
AutoCAD Architecture comes from the people at Autodesk and goes back quite a long way, released for the first time in 1982 and was revolutionary at the time. SketchUp is younger, developed by Trimble and released for the first time in the year 2000.
So what’s the difference? AutoCAD Architecture and SketchUp have different capabilities and features. They’re both popular with architects, but AutoCAD Architecture offers advanced capabilities and more features. It can output accurate construction documents and make complicated engineering calculations.
SketchUp, on the other hand, is extremely easy to learn and use thanks to the intuitive interface, which means it’s a popular choice for fast design iterations and rapid visualisation. Together, they give architects everything they need to imagine and design quickly, efficiently, and beautifully.
Benefits of Importing AutoCAD Architecture to SketchUp
Next in our guide to how to import AutoCAD architecture to SketchUp, the benefits. Sketchup lets architects and designers work super-fast and fluidly, designing intuitively and efficiently. When you import your AutoCAD Architecture files into SketchUp, it’s really simple to work with the resulting 3D models to amend your designs in no time. This saves you time and hassle, makes the design process more enjoyable, and creates outstanding output to inspire clients and other stakeholders.
The idea is that you enjoy a fast, seamless workflow between AutoCAD Architecture and SketchUp. Using both tools together in tandem means more streamlining, less manual input and less data duplication. As well as saving time and effort this means there’s less risk of
design errors, ultimately saving you even more time.
There’s more. When collaboration is on the cards with your team, clients and others, importing AutoCAD Architecture files into SketchUp enables fast. Easy sharing, where everyone can see the design and interact with it in real-time, all in inspiring, realistic 3D.
This means your imagination flows smoothly, the quality of your work is excellent, it’s easy to collaborate to get the job done faster, and the approvals process is efficient and smooth.
How to Import AutoCAD Architecture to SketchUp
Next, a short step-by-step guide to importing AutoCAD Architecture to SketchUp.
- Check and prepare the CAD file
- Open the SketchUp model you want to import your .dwg or .dxf file to
- Choose File > Import to see the dialogue box
- Go to the saved CAD file
- Choose AutoCAD Files *.dwg or *.dxf
- Choose the file you want to import
- Click Options to see the Import AutoCAD DWG/DXF Options dialogue box
- If you need to, choose your preferences in the Geometry
- Choose the Preserve Drawing Origin checkbox to put your imported geometry in the origin defined by your .dwg or .dxf file. If you want to place the imported geometry near the SketchUp origin, leave the box unchecked
- Make sure to import the geometry at the right scale by choosing the same unit used in your CAD file from the Units drop-down list
- Click OK in the Import AutoCAD DWG/DXF Options box
- Go back to the Import box, click the Import button and SketchUp Pro will import your CAD file
Best Practices for Working with AutoCAD Architecture Files in SketchUp
It’s good to have some tips for organising, managing and optimising files and performance in SketchUp, something that’s essential for every design project. Because large file sizes can slow down SketchUp’s performance, you’ll want to optimise the file size. You can do this by using proxy models and also by cutting down on the number of polygons in your model.
There are some essential best practices for making sure your AutoCAD Architecture and SketchUp files are compatible, so you get a seamless workflow. Here’s how to do it.
Make sure you only import strictly necessary geometry. While SketchUp models can be just as accurate as CAD models, they won’t give you the same line-intensive drawings. So clean up or remove any content from the CAD file that you won’t need post-import to SketchUp. Maybe simplify the CAD file to just walls, or the walls, doors and windows if you need to model them in SketchUp.
It’s also helpful to separate levels of detail in different CAD files. If it’s packed with the necessary geometry, can you break one file down into smaller ones? Maybe one with the site plan information, one with the floor plan, and the third containing specific details?
You might find there are missing elements or things are at the wrong scale. If you pick a small unit like mm but your model was originally intended to display in feet, you’ll end up with tiny faces that’ll be lost on import. Your faces need to be at least .001 square inches. If you don’t know the units that were used in the original file, pick a large unit like feet or metres then resize the model post-import.
When you use the ‘export for SketchUp’ feature to import a LayOut file you’ll need to use the Merge Coplanar Faces option to make certain the imported faces are clean.
If your floor plan or other vector graphics is an Adobe Illustrator file, export the .eps file to .dwg or .dxf format in Illustrator first, then import the vector graphics. When you Adobe Illustrator to first reduce the number of anchor points to define your curves, it improves the performance of the file in SketchUp. Take care when extruding faces from curves with a lot of line segments, simply because it can dramatically increase the size of the SketchUp file.
So what are the best practices for working with AutoCAD Architecture files in SketchUp? : Finally, the guide will provide best practices for working with AutoCAD Architecture files in SketchUp, such as using groups and components to organise the model and maintaining a consistent layer structure.
There are preferences to choose from in the Geometry area. Merge Coplanar Faces asks SketchUp to remove triangulated lines from planes automatically. Orient Faces Consistently analyses the faces’ direction so they face the same way. Preserve Drawing Origin places imported geometry at the origin defined in your .dwg or .dxf file. You can also drag and drop files into the SketchUp drawing area, via the import box that pops up automatically.
Now you know how to import AutoCAD architecture to SketchUp. As you can see it’s easy to create brilliant architectural drawings in SketchUp, even for beginners. And at Elmtec we have all the insight, knowledge, guidance and information to make it a pleasure. Would you like to test-drive the software for yourself? We have plenty of handy tutorials for you to dive into, and here are the differences between the Pro and free versions of SketchUp to help you decide where to begin the journey. It’s going to be awesome!
