Use this dialog to use a DXF or DWG model file as a background for modeling your structure. Backgrounds are especially useful if you want to define a 3D structure model based on a set of 2D projections from an architect for example.
Access
- Click
File
ImportDXF and DWG Backgrounds.
Layers tab
- Show layers
- Filters the list of layers available in the DXF or DWG file.
- Import Table
- Displays the list of available layers.
Use the Import column to select the layers that you want to import.Note: Use the checkboxes at the top of the dialog to quickly select or deselect all layers.
Insert tab
Use the options on this tab to define the insertion parameters.
- Units
- Select which units are used in the DXF or DWG file.
Note: Select User-defined from the Units list if you want to specify another unit than the ones available.
- Insertion parameters
- The Insertion parameters refer to global directions expressed by perpendicular planes:
- Plane (XY, XZ, YZ) - Select in which plane you want to insert the background.
- Reference point: Enter coordinates to specify a characteristic point in the loaded background. This point is then used to determine the insertion point in the drawing area.
- Insertion point: Enter coordinates to specify the position of the reference point of the background in the drawing area.
- Position on X, Y, or Z axis (depending on a selected plane): a coordinate on the axis that is perpendicular to the selected plane. This coordinate defines a position of the background in the 3D projection and is the basis for defining an automatic visibility range of the background in projections.
- Scale and rotation
- Use the options in this group to scale or rotate the background.
You can also load a mirrored background. This option is convenient for example when you are loading the background of the elevation of a building.
- Visibility in the projection
- Use the options in this group to specify the visibility range.
- User-defined: Specify the values of the visibility range in the From and To boxes.
- Automatic: Limits the visibility range by story levels and structure axes. The position coordinate on the axis that is perpendicular to the background plane specifies the characteristic planes between which the background is visible in the projection.
- Unlimited: The visibility is not limited, it is independent from the specified coordinate.