DXF into a word document?

[Jfallert]

Microsoft used to have a translator that would allow you to insert a DXF file into a Word document via inserting a picture file...

Unfortunately, the translator Word uses only handles up to version 12 of Autocad.

Any ideas as to how to save an mi file out as an earlier version DXF? or any other ways importing into Word can be done?

Thanks in advance,

Jeff

[John Scheffel]

I thought this had been discussed before. By searching on the string "DXF AND Word" I turned up the following.

http://www.cocreateusers.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=184

http://www.cocreateusers.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2783

http://www.cocreateusers.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2926

If this doesn't help, it would help us all to know whether you are running Annotation under Windows or Unix. Windows has some options for copying into Word that are not availble in Unix.

[Jfallert]

Well... followed the links... looks like everyone was having the same problems, all due to translations into Word (the old 'will only support up to AutoCAD 12' problem).

I'm running Word 2000. Annotation is OSD 11.6... to answer your question, I'd be doing this in both Windows 2000 (or XP) and Unix. If need be, I'd probably be translating it in Windows for the Unix users so... only really have to deal with a Windows situation.

The problem with HPGL is... I can't figure out how to load the file into a Word document (probably something stupid I'm missing) or I'd give that a try. Seemed to work well for the people that used it before.

Anyone that can give me a little help with that?

[John Scheffel]

I don't know if recent versions of Word still have the HPGL import filter. It also might be an option that is not installed with Word as part of the "Typical" install, but can be selected from "Custom" install when you run setup.

If you are running under Windows and have access to Drafting/ME10, you might also want to try the printing to the clipboard and pasting into Word. There have been several threads in this forum discussing this topic, just search on the keyword "clipboard". This is the main method we use to get drawings into Word and other applications. It works pretty well. One advantage is that you get all the color conversion and line weight tranformations that are defined for your plot setup, the result looks similar to the hardcopy you get from a Print/PLOT operation.

If you don't already have Drafting, I think you can run it using an Annotation license. Another option is to use "2D Access" (formerly ME10 Viewer), which can also print MI files to the clipboard. Ask your CoCreate rep how to get 2D Access.

[Jfallert]

Great! Thanks John, I'll give the ME10/Drafting solution a try.

Originally posted by John Scheffel
I don't know if recent versions of Word still have the HPGL import filter. It also might be an option that is not installed with Word as part of the "Typical" install, but can be selected from "Custom" install when you run setup.

If you are running under Windows and have access to Drafting/ME10, you might also want to try the printing to the clipboard and pasting into Word. There have been several threads in this forum discussing this topic, just search on the keyword "clipboard". This is the main method we use to get drawings into Word and other applications. It works pretty well. One advantage is that you get all the color conversion and line weight tranformations that are defined for your plot setup, the result looks similar to the hardcopy you get from a Print/PLOT operation.

If you don't already have Drafting, I think you can run it using an Annotation license. Another option is to use "2D Access" (formerly ME10 Viewer), which can also print MI files to the clipboard. Ask your CoCreate rep how to get 2D Access.

[gmatelich]

You may also want to visit Microsoft for their converter pack.

This link (http://office.microsoft.com/Downloads/default.aspx) will take you to a page where you can select Office, your version, and Converters and Viewers to download some Office plugins. The specs on the Office 2000 converter package says it supports HPGL.

[Jfallert]

I tried the converter pack... it does say you can translate to HPGL, but I couldn't figure out how to do it... it doesn't seem to work the same way as the DXF translation. The converter only supports translation of DXF up to version 12 of AutoCad though, and OSD saves MI files to version 14 now... so the converter is pretty much useless unless it does work with HPGL... again, I couldn't figure out how to do it.

Originally posted by gmatelich
You may also want to visit Microsoft for their converter pack.

This link (http://office.microsoft.com/Downloads/default.aspx) will take you to a page where you can select Office, your version, and Converters and Viewers to download some Office plugins. The specs on the Office 2000 converter package says it supports HPGL.

[Jfallert]

New twist to this problem... The solution of using OSD/Drafting and plotting to the clipboard, then pasting into word works for PC users.

Now I have the same problem with Unix users. No Designer Drafting, no Word. Saving out as DXF causes the same problems when they get to their PC's... the Office converter only works with DXF files up to AutoCAD 12. OSD saves DXF in AutoCAD 14 now.

Still at a loss...:(

[John Scheffel]

For Unix, the only options I'm aware of are:

Plot to HPGL and use an HPGL import filter for Word (gmatelich posted where to find this).

Plot to Encapsulated Postscript (*.eps). I don't remember the details, but I seem to remember setting this up for ME10 v8 under Unix a few years ago. I would have to dig up some archive files to get the details. Not sure if this can be done from Annotation. The Word 2000 installation I have will import EPS.

Convert to DXF using the DXF translator that came with ME10 v9 (writes DXF v10). This requires that you first save the MI file in version 9 format using the STORE_260 command. You can then run this file through the standalone version 9 DXF translator.

If you would like more details on these options let me know.

[gmatelich]

Maybe you could use a utility to convert one dxf to another. Check out Imagenation (http://www.spicer.com/), DWG DXF Convert (http://www.fpsols.com/dwg_dxf_convert.html), or Autovue (http://www.cimmetry.com).

[Steve]

Dumb question, but...how does one print to the clipboard out of ME10?

I used the "copy" out of ME10, copying a view from my ME10 drawing, but when I paste into word, I just get the text from that view, not geometry.

Steve

[Steve]

If by print to clipboard you mean hitting control-printscreen, this unfortunately creates a bitmap image. While somewhat useful (better than nothing) better would be to get a vector image.

I also downloaded the conversion utilities for Office 2000, and had the same problem - it starts the conversion of my .dxf output file (exported out of ME10) but fails.

How does one export a .hpgl file out of ME10? Can hpgl be exported out of Annotation? I'll go check...

Steve

[May Kung]

In Annotation, I'll copy to the Clipboard using the Copy command (making sure to put a window around every bit of the sheet, not just part of it). In MS Word, I use Paste Special - Metafile format and it will paste the image. I have to remember to convert everything into white first so the lines come out black in MS Word.

It was much easier under MS Word 97, which had a direct DXF translator. It seems to have been dropped in MS Word 2000. :(

[Steve]

Hi May!

I like your solution the best so far.

But is there an easy way to change the color of all geometry and text, dimensions, etc. to black?

When I try to go under Geometry -> Selected and draw a box around everything I get:

Action failed
(am_geo_modify/signal/sigsegv)

Any ideas?

Steve

[Steve]

Instead of using a rectangular box, I used the selection tool and chose "All in Drawing".

Steve

[Steve]

Ok, I know how to do it in SD, but how does one change the drawing background color in Annotation?

Steve

[Thom Ivancso]

I know that Microsoft Visio 2000 professional will load a DXF file created from OSDM Annotator 11.60. You can then copy and paste the image from Visio into Word.

One of the other nice things about using Visio is that you can add callouts and shapes to the drawing before doing the copy and paste into Word.

[John Scheffel]

Originally posted by Steve
Dumb question, but...how does one print to the clipboard out of ME10?
Printing to the clipboard has been supported from early versions of ME10, but was only added to the Windows UI in Drafting 11 (not sure if 11.0, but definitely in 11.6). See this thread (http://www.cocreateusers.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=109) for details on how to do it from the Windows UI. All the macros and commands to required were there in older versions of the Windows UI, there just wasn't any way to set it from the Windows UI print menu. In older versions, there are buttons in the Classic UI PLOT menu which allow you to plot to the clipboard. If you are running ME10 v10, I think you can access the classic plot menu by entering Sm_plot on the command line.

The advantage of printing/plotting to the clipboard instead of copying is that you can apply all the plot tranformations you use when printing to paper, including line color changes and line width settings. So the result looks similar to your printed drawings.

[John Scheffel]

Originally posted by Steve
Ok, I know how to do it in SD, but how does one change the drawing background color in Annotation?
I don't know if CoCreate has added a way to do this from the UI, but you can change the Annotation background color to white with the command:
(oli::sd-execute-annotator-command :cmd "CHANGE_VIEWPORT_COLOR WHITE")
Isn't that obvious. :rolleyes:

[May Kung]

I just wrote a macro to convert all the entities (geometry, dimensions, text, etc.) into white, using the Record command. I also added a line for telling Annotation to invert colors when copied to the clipboard. I then made a button to use this macro.

I've tried getting it to only convert one sheet instead of the whole drawing to speed things up, since I usually only need to convert one sheet, but it never worked right.

Word of caution: exploded views take a very long time to convert over.

[John Scheffel]

Originally posted by Steve
How does one export a .hpgl file out of ME10? Can hpgl be exported out of Annotation.
You cannot "export" HPGL, but you can print/plot to HPGL. Under Unix this was the original standard print format for ME10/30 plotting, and has always been an option. Under Windows it was not available until Drafting v11 (not sure about 11.0, but it is in 11.6). There are now buttons in the PLOT menu and Print form to print to HPGL or HPGL/2.

[Steve]

Unfortunately we are still on version 9 of SD.

Steve

[Jfallert]

Actually May, the DXF translator can still be downloaded for Word 2000... the problem is, OSD saves out DXF files in AutoCad version 14 format and the translator only works for DXF versions 12 and lower...

and of course, if it isn't a Microsoft product, they won't bother writing a translator for it anymore.



Originally posted by May Kung
In Annotation, I'll copy to the Clipboard using the Copy command (making sure to put a window around every bit of the sheet, not just part of it). In MS Word, I use Paste Special - Metafile format and it will paste the image. I have to remember to convert everything into white first so the lines come out black in MS Word.

It was much easier under MS Word 97, which had a direct DXF translator. It seems to have been dropped in MS Word 2000. :(

[May Kung]

Ah. I did not know that about downloading an updated translator. That might actually be of some use here, as we occasionally get AutoCAD drawings from folks and wish to put them into MS Word format.

Of course, most of us do not have enough rights to install software on our systems. :( I'll have to try it out on a test station first. If it does what we need, I might be able to persuade IT to add it to the standard image for our CAD boxes.

[Steve]

May:

I just wanted to let you know I tried your macro and it seems to work very well.

The pasting of a Windows Metafile seems to put it in into Word in vector format (you cannot bitmap edit it, at least), which allows you to scale the image inside of Word all you like with little loss of image quality.

Thanks again!

Steve

[May Kung]

You're welcome. :) I'm sure it helps that I'm also running SD 9.01.

[Jfallert]

Steve,

Under Anno Tools, at the bottom you'll see VP Color.... Sorta makes sense in a 'convoluted-not-really-a-setting' kind of way. The menus make me wonder sometimes.

Jeff



Originally posted by Steve
Ok, I know how to do it in SD, but how does one change the drawing background color in Annotation?

Steve

[John Scheffel]

Originally posted by Jfallert
Under Anno Tools, at the bottom you'll see VP Color.
I believe this is an HP internal customization, I don't think it was ever added to standard Annotation.

[Jfallert]

Hmm... okay... that would make sense as to why its so hard to find

Originally posted by John Scheffel
I believe this is an HP internal customization, I don't think it was ever added to standard Annotation. :)

[Steve]

We have just upgraded to 11.60C of OSD. I'm looking for the "hpgl" button under plot and don't see it. Any pointers?

Thanks!

Steve

[gmatelich]

Originally posted by May Kung
It was much easier under MS Word 97, which had a direct DXF translator. It seems to have been dropped in MS Word 2000. :(

Originally posted by gmatelich
This link (http://office.microsoft.com/Downloads/default.aspx) will take you to a page where you can select Office, your version, and Converters and Viewers to download some Office plugins. The specs on the Office 2000 converter package says it supports HPGL.
and DXF

[John Scheffel]

Originally posted by Steve
We have just upgraded to 11.60C of OSD. I'm looking for the "hpgl" button under plot and don't see it. Any pointers?
Assuming that OSD means Drafting, it depends on the UI.

Classic - in the PLOT menu you should see a SEND TO section about 18 rows down just below the START PLOT button. The should contain buttons to set for HPGL output. If you don't see this you might have a plot menu customization that is overwriting them.

Windows - in the Print form, click the Name drop down in the Printer box. You should see entries near the bottom for setting HPGL.

If OSD means Annotation, I don't think it provides any HPGL print options.

[Konstantin]

Why not using a virtual printer technology? You can convert mostly your documents to common image formats, that can be inserted into Word, AutoCAD or other application.

I use Universal Document Converter (http://www.print-driver.com). It keep quality of original document that would be lost in "clipboard ritual dance" and money on buying really expensive application for this small problem.

[Wolfgang]

Originally posted by John Scheffel
I don't know if CoCreate has added a way to do this from the UI,

they did:

in OSD 12.x (may be 11.6x, too?) use
AM viewport : right mouse button -> Viewport color, there's also a '"Invert" toggle available

Same in OSD 13.x, in addition you can specify the higlight color & type over there.

[Wolfgang]

regarding DXF output and version used:

have a look to:

OSD_Modeling_12.x/dxfdwg/readme.htm#4 -> OutputACADVersion
OSD_Modeling_13.x/dxfdwg/readme.htm#426

since the 12 info is a little bit short here's the 13 stuff:
----------------------
This switch is used for MI->DXF/DWG translation. It determines DXF/DWG output format version.

switch value AutoCad version file format
AC1018 2004
AC1015 2000, 2002
AC1014 14
AC1012 13
AC1009 12
Default value is AC1015 (AutoCAD 2000/2002).
----------------------
default " Configuration file" seemed to be
OSD_Modeling_12.x\dxfdwg\DXFDWG.con

which shows the line
OutputACADVersion AC1014

When I call the translator directly, it is working interactive. I hoped to get a version selection here.. but it is not shown.

Hope it's one part in the puzzle ;)


So for those one, who would like to import MI via DXF into M$Word "OutputACADVersion" has to be set to a lower version

[gmatelich]

Rather than messing with dxf as an intermediary, I like the ability in v13 (and possibly in v12) to print to MSWINDOW_EMF_CLIPBOARD then in Word to Paste Special using Picture (Enhanced Metafile)