importing dwg files

keppel

i have a large file that is an Autocad LT file that i would like to import into Onshape to create 3D parts for. i have imported the file but it appears that i can do nothing with it. is there something i am doing wrong or is this not doable yet? 

nav

Hi @keppel at the moment is not possible to import DWG files and use them, here is a forum post with the discussion, OS is working on this feature apparently :

https://forum.onshape.com/discussion/432/dwg-dxf-import-as-sketch

keppel

ok, onshape can now import dwg files but when i try and open them up i get a error message that say geometry is beyond systems limits. what does this mean, and what is being done to fix it? 

brucebartlett

@keppel might be worth sharing with support. It's the slider at the bottom of the share dialogue.

The only other thing I can think is to break your file down into smaller chunks and see if these import.

brian_drake

@keppel this usually happens when the units the dwg file was created in are smaller than the units you are currently working in, and the conversion creates geometry that is too large to work with. Selecting a smaller unit (like millimeters) from the units dropdown in the import dxf/dwg dialog usually resolves the problem when you are inserting a large file. It is possible that even with the appropriate units selected geometry beyond the system limit can be created, and in this case the only current solution is to do as @brucebartlett suggested and try to break the dwg files into geometrically smaller entities.

keppel

thanks to you both i will try both solutions.