Working with DWG Files

ProStructures enables you to directly open and work with DWG files. This topic describes how to open DWG files, create new DWG files, and how to work with seed files.

Opening DWG Files

In ProStructures, you can work directly in a DWG file. Once you choose a DWG file to open, ProStructures automatically enables the DWG workmode. ProStructures also automatically detects the release version of the DWG file (for example, 2004). When you make changes to the DWG file, they are saved in the same release version.

Note: Password-protected DWG files can be opened in ProStructures. When you attempt to open a password-protected file, a dialog prompts you to enter the password.

Creating DWG Files

In ProStructures, you can create a new DWG file from a DWG seed file. A DWG seed file is simply a DWG file that contains default settings and attributes.

Working with Seed Files

When you create a new DGN or DWG file, a seed file is required. The contents of the seed file are copied into the new DGN or DWG file. Generally, seed files contain only settings and attributes. Some companies also incorporate graphic data such as logos and drawing sheets into a seed file.

When a DGN file is saved to DWG, a DWG seed file may also be used to define required settings that are not present in the file being saved. If the DGN file contains a setting that corresponds to a DWG setting, the DGN file’s setting is used and it overrides the DWG seed file’s setting. However, if a setting is DWG-specific, the setting from the DWG seed file is used. Refer the following scenarios:

Using DGN Seed Files Containing DWG Standards
If you plan to work with DGN files that will be converted to DWG format, it is helpful to set up a special DGN seed file that contains the standard level (layer), text style, dimension style, line style (linetype), and units settings required for the DWG deliverable.

The easiest way to do this is to start with a DWG file containing the settings, then create a DGN seed file from it.
Using DWG Seed Files
A seed DWG can be used to establish project standards. Every time that you create a DWG file, you can use the seed DWG file that contains the project's standard level (DWG layer) configuration, text and dimension style, working units (DWG units), and line style (DWG linetype) settings.

The default seed.dwg file delivered with ProStructures contains one design model and two sheet models named Layout1 and Layout2. The default seed file also contains view groups for each model.