How to import DWG files into Fusion 360

How to import DWG files into Fusion 360

Issue:

You would like to import and open both 2D and 3D DWG format files in Fusion 360.

Causes:

Importing DWG files can cause some confusion, as the files must undergo the cloud translation process and can either contain 2D or 3D information.

Solution:

Both 2D and 3D DWG files are uploaded the Fusion 360 through the Data Panel. This pushes them through the Cloud Translation Process and will allow them to be opened and edited in Fusion 360.

To upload a DWG file (either 2D or 3D) into Fusion 360;


1. Hit the Upload button in the Fusion 360 Data Panel.

2. Browse Window's explorer for the DWG file/s that you would like upload into Fusion 360 and bring them into the Upload dialogue box. With two ways to do this one by either dragging them over or 2 hitting the "Open" button in the file explorer window.

* The files will then be shown in in the Upload dialogue box. Hit the "Upload" button to upload them to your Fusion 360 Data Panel.



3. The DWG designs are now uploaded to Fusion 360 and will be shown in your Data Panel. You can open the designs by double clicking them or right clicking them and selecting "Open."

*After uploading the DWG files, you may notice some differences in the files opened in Fusion 360. DWG files containing any 3D geometry will open as a collection of bodies and solid features - no sketches will be included in the imported 3D DWG design:

*2D DWG files, however, only include two-dimensional geometry. These files will open in Fusion 360 with no solid geometry but a collection of two dimensional sketches which can be edited in Fusion 360:

Weekly Revit Tip - Need elements locked in Revit!?

Work-sharing : Work-set Locking

There will most likely be a time when your working on a project that not only needs work-sets setup but it also have a number of designers within that one project file. We all know, the more CAD designers within a project file the higher the chances of a project standard becoming vulnerable and certain information that you would like to prevent from being edited is exposed for change. An example for instances, the building grids have been established in a project and for no reason will the location change or for anyone  to edit them. Unfortunately, Revit does not come with "layer lock" or any sort of “lock” tool, but as long as Work-sharing is enabled work-sets can be utilize as "locks". 

To do this, from the Application menu, choose Options and then change the user name to “Admin” or something similar. Make sure the items you want to “lock” are on a workset dedicated to this purpose. In the example above, if you want to lock the building grids, you can simply check out the Shared Levels and Grids workset. Otherwise, you can create a custom workset, place elements on it and then “lock” it. To lock a workset, simply open the “Worksets” dialog, select the workset you want to lock and click the Editable button. The name Admin will appear in the Owner column (see below Figure 20).

Figure 20—To “lock” a workset, create an Admin user and leave it checked out

Click OK to dismiss the dialog and then close the project file. When you synchronize, do not relinquish User-created Worksets. This means that the user “Admin” will continue to own the workset even after quitting Revit. No one else will be able to modify the Shared Levels and Grids (or other workset locked this way) until Admin returns to the file and relinquishes.

Important: This tip goes against what is normally considered best practice when working with work-sharing Revit files. Typically,it's not good practice to have anyone close out of the project file without relinquishing. But in this case we make an exception since our goal is the locking of a particular work-sets. Make sure to use this technique with care and caution. 

Adaptive Points/Components/Families Creation

Adaptive points are points in 3D space that are created by modifying reference points. The geometry drawn by snapping to these flexible points results in an adaptive component. Adaptive components can be used in pattern panel families, adaptive component families, conceptual massing environment, and projects. were introduced in the 2011 release of Revit. They are an adaption of the pattern based curtain panel. Adaptive families, unlike a standard parametric family, which can be resized by flexing and changing values are able to adapt to different situations and scenarios in a building, controlled by the points you setup. They are often used for panels and curtain panels which are similar in appearance and function but different sizes.

*Adaptive families are able to ‘adapt’ to their surrounding by settings points as markers or connectors.( e.g. A square panel will have 4 adaptive points which you will add on each of the 4 corners of the structural framing.)

Just how complex Revit works, there are a number of different complexities to adaptive families, they can be used for simple geometry for instance piping or beams all the way up to advanced modeling techniques, such as rotating panels requiring an excellent work station to be able to handle the detail and repetition on a large scale and utilizing Dynamo plug-in.

In this post I will try and get a full understanding of what a Adaptive Point is, how Adaptive Components relate nto each other and how they act once loaded into Revit's project file then once I've broke down the understandings of its workings we jump to Dynamo!!!

Before jumping in to creating an adaptive family, it is worth taking some time out to plan how your family is going to function. With normal generic families, we lay out reference planes to constrain our geometry, with adaptive panels I like to use reference planes in a grid format and repeat the same grid in the Revit project when adding the family. *This consistency will reduce the chances of errors etc when you are loading your family.

When starting a adaptive family try and consider the following:

• Add your ‘Point Elements’ in the same order that you want to insert your geometry into your project.
• Don't forget to set out grids if you are working on more than one level.
• Adaptive points have their own X and Y reference planes attached, when working with solid forms, use these planes to constrain the points to the geometry.
• Be sure to use ‘Reference Lines’ rather than ‘Model Lines’ when referencing your point to the form.
• Flexibility is KEY so go ahead and test your points are acting and reacting the way you expect, in the same way you’d flex a standard Revit family.

Step One: Adaptive Points/Components/Families Creation

Start a new family with an adaptive template.
  > Open > Family  > Browse/Selected the “Adaptive Generic Model Family” template on you machine. This opens a new blank template with and X and Y reference plane.
Add/Place Reference Planes and Point Elements(See Image below for reference)*Keep a consistency with the spacing between planes, this is important when bringing the family into your project.

Use the view cube to lay out your points, you may notice that your points aren’t snapping to the reference planes unless you are in a ‘top’, ‘left’ or ‘right’ view. As mentioned above, make sure to enter your points in the same sequence you will add them into your project. Once you are happy with the location of your points, highlight them all and click the ‘Make Adaptive’ icon on the ‘Adaptive Component’ tab. In this instance, I am going to create a random form, just to illustrate how adaptive points work.

Use the ‘Set’ tool in the work plane tab, and go through each adaptive point one by one and select the horizontral face as shown on point 5 above. Once we are working on the correct plane, we can begin to create the starting point for our geometry. When creating these circles as shown above make sure to use ‘Reference Lines’ rather than model lines. Solid forms and masses can be constrained and controlled by reference lines but not model lines. We now want to add some parameters to our reference circles. To do this, simply highlight the reference circle, and click the ‘Make this temporary dimension permanent’ icon as shown below.

Once we have made all of our reference lines into permanent dimensions, we are able to add a parameter to control the size of the circles. Simply add a type parameter in the way you would with a normal family. Select the dimension, click on the ‘Add label’ dropdown in the actions bar and a parameter name related to the object. I will use ‘Bottom Width’ for point 5 and ‘Top Width’ for points 1-4 as they will all be the same size. You will now see these parameters appear in the ‘Family Types’ dialogue where you will be able to control the dimensions and add formulas etc. Set your reference lines to the correct sizes and we are almost ready to start adding some geometry. It is a good idea to test your new parameters and move your adaptive points around to check that everything is behaving correctly.

We now want to add some solid geometry to our adaptive points. There are of course a number of different ways to do this depending on the desired result. Here I will be selecting point 1-5, 2-5, 3-5, 4-5. Select reference line 1 and while holding down control, tab through your elements until you are selecting reference line with adaptive point 5 in. Select both of these and then hit ‘Create Form’ in the ‘Form’ tab on the ribbon. Repeat this step until you have 4 ‘spokes’ coming out of the wider base. If you have followed the same instructions that I have given, your adaptive family will look like the image below. 

Again you should now move around your adaptive points and test your parameters to check that they are performing the way they should be. Once you have completed this you are ready to save your family and add it in to a revit project. Test it out by connecting it to a Mass. It is a simple procedure and only requires you to add the points in the same way that you have added them in your family. I sometimes find it easier to recreate the grids in a mass environment in the Revit project. You can also switch nodes on to your grid lines to make the placing of points simpler.


If you have any problems or questions, leave me a comment and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.