If all they need is the centre line of the pipe - and you happen to be using splines for the construction, then try converting them to Polylines before export to .DXF or .DWG. My CAM program accepts 3D DXF's, but only displays them in 3D if made up of Polylines and other regular curves.

Martin.

Hi Brian


I can export pipes as dxf and dwg and open in Autocad? Sounds as if they are using some other software? If you are on a pc try using autodesk's trueview program to review dxf and dwg ouput you create before you send files.

For 3d parts maybe you could try step files to send instead of dwg/dxf


Regards

Jason

am not sure how even recent versions of AC can deal with solids/faces embedded as Acis entities, therefore do mesh all solids and NURBS based surfaces inside VC before exporting. Will also give you the full control of mesh resolution/quality: "Edit > Change Object Type..."

AC is DXF/DWG, therefore export as DXF/DWG v2000/2002 (= AC1015) preferred. DXF/DWG is unit less, tell them the unit you have used during export. For simplifying them to evaluate the dimensions of your model, you might include a 1"x1"x1" big cube in the origin of the model as well as some text declaring this.

you may also want try [URL="http://www.virtualbox.org/"]VirtualBox[/URL] OS edition (IntelMac only) of Sun for running Windoze/DWG TrueView.

hth,
Norbert

Brian, if it helps you check out VirtualBox, you should know that in my case, I am using a Gateway P-6031 laptop (2GB max system RAM) with an integrated (cheap) shared-memory graphics chips (256 MB max) and around 1.44 GHz CPU).

I run Mandriva Linux as my main OS (surfing/e-mailing/images viewing, etc.), but i run VirtualBox (Sun XVm?) to "containerize/quarrantine" Vista. I have in VirtualBox some drawings (full of solids, surfaces, curves (lines), and hundreds and hundreds of layers) that consume 894MB on occasion, yet more often than not, VC Pro 6 hums right along.

I have exported and imported .dwg/.dxf files, but prefer .dxf. I've personally enjoyed VC's general graphics settings for their relative simplicity/nbr of options and ease on my eyes. While i deeply wish there were multi-keystroke shortcuts and a more PC-like floating/distribution/anchoring of tool palettes, overall, i enjoy VC/VCP. It turns heads in Borders and on the train, and sometimes at work (an AutoCAD-intensive company - when it comes to sharing with or delivering drawings to other companies), and I make sure to tell them what I can about VC/VCP (features/cost/) and whirl around some of my drawings.

It might be interesting if you can put on DVD or send a URL to that shop and give them some of your sharable real-world files and ask them to play with VCP. Nothing like hands on experience corrupting stalwarts or clueless people that vanilla ACAD is NOT the way in ALL cases. But, the unfortunate side is that autodesk likes scaring people with that flag on file opening that goes something like: "This file was last saved with at trusted autocad product..." or the negative/reverse when the file was not saved with ACAD. It's irritating because it can scare people into thinking they have no decent or responsible choice and it creates stigma and some inertia against having a mixed set of tools. Sure, their app can open and import many products' formats, but the export side can be difficult depending on what's being exported.

Anyway, VirtualPC is kinda long in the tooth, isn't it? Sun XVm (VirtualBox) is free, stable (maybe 98% of the time for me), and fairly easy to set up (there might be the add-ons thing to deal with to get graphics past native, but then i haven't updated my VBox since maybe March, and at least two versions came out since then....), and supports xp, w2k, Vista, and i even got w7 running in it, too.