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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
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    2

    Default Import or Paste AutoCad Drawings

    I'm relatively new to Xara.
    I'm attempting to make single product sheets that contain text and drawings. The 2D drawings are created in AutoCad. I would like to import or paste drawings directly from AutoCad. Any ideas?
    Currently I'm printing the AutoCad drawings to a pdf file and then paste the pdf into Xara. The only problem with this method is that the white background stays with the line drawings. I don't want the white space around the pdf to be visable in Xara because I'm pasting the drawings onto a colored background in Xara.

  2. #2

    Default Re: Import or Paste AutoCad Drawings

    Sounds like you've found a usable work-around
    Can't you simply delete the white background?
    You may have to ungroup the drawing first, or check the layers gallery, often imported PDF's have a number of layers. You might be able to delete the layer that contains the white bg.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Montreal
    Posts
    780

    Default Re: Import or Paste AutoCad Drawings

    Hi Cmac,

    There is several solutions to get Autocad and Xara speaking the same tongue.
    Pdf printing in Autocad is fast, but arcs becomes segmented in the process, it all depends on the end quality you want.


    Here's two ways:

    1-Ai path export in Autocad then import in Xara.

    2-Dxf Export with Autocad, open Dxf with "openOffice Draw", create PDF File (Draw will generate a smooth curve file), Import in Xara.

    Hope this will help

    coco

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Brockville, Ontario, Canada.
    Posts
    4,619

    Default Re: Import or Paste AutoCad Drawings

    I think that whether or not you get the white background, may depend on a number of factors.

    I use AutoCad 2000i with a standard black background (but since I don't use white backgrounds, I couldn't tell you how that works), and print to PDF's using PDF995 freeware. I don't get any background in the PDF's and so can easily use coloured backgrounds from Xara. I also don't notice any of the segmenting of arcs that coco seems to get. This may well depend on how good the PDF generator is. However I have noticed on some imports that the text gets segmented - may depend on the fonts used.

    All that said, I am quite happy with the end results and it is a simple import with no intermediate steps.

    Enclosed file is PDF imported directly into Xara with no intermediate steps - Xara background changed to orange - The white "mask" is a background mask used in AutoCad to separate parts of the original drawing for use in Plot Plans (Obviously confidential information has been removed). See if it meets your requirements.

    I noticed you said "paste" to Xara. Try importing the PDF instead of pasting.
    Attached Files Attached Files
    Last edited by ss-kalm; 24 October 2007 at 08:42 PM.
    Keith
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    There are 10 types of people in this world .... Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    2

    Default Re: Import or Paste AutoCad Drawings

    I can import pdf's into Xara and they come in without any white background. However, the pdf's (that are originally created in AutoCad) have shading and in some cases the shading bleeds out over the line drawings when imported into Xara. Given that this does not happen in every case, it may have something to do with the original AutoCad file.
    As a work-around, I've been changing the white background (from pasted pdf's) to match the color of my Xara background. Interestingly, pasted pdf's don't bleed like imported ones.

    Thanks for everyone's suggestions!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Texas
    Posts
    9

    Smile Re: Import or Paste AutoCad Drawings

    Actually, the easiest thing for me would have been to just copy (ctrl+C) from Autocad and paste directly in Xara as a vector image or metafile. By doing that, you can ungroup the drawing, edit, and or scale it however you need it. I've never had to export anything out of autocad and into xara.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Brockville, Ontario, Canada.
    Posts
    4,619

    Default Re: Import or Paste AutoCad Drawings

    What version of AutoCad are you using. Copy and paste has never worked for me from AutoCad to Xara?
    Keith
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    There are 10 types of people in this world .... Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Brockville, Ontario, Canada.
    Posts
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    Default Re: Import or Paste AutoCad Drawings

    Quote Originally Posted by ss-kalm View Post
    What version of AutoCad are you using. Copy and paste has never worked for me from AutoCad to Xara?
    Profound Apologies ........ Nasgue!

    Re-trying copy (Ctrl-C) in AutoCad and pasting into Xara as a Enhanced metafile actually works just fine. You're right - It's much easier than worrying about conversions.
    Keith
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    There are 10 types of people in this world .... Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Montreal
    Posts
    780

    Default Re: Import or Paste AutoCad Drawings

    But metafiles are a very loose interpretation of the original.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Brockville, Ontario, Canada.
    Posts
    4,619

    Default Re: Import or Paste AutoCad Drawings

    Agreed, But if you need an exact version of an AutoCad Drawing, why are you trying to use it in Xara? If it has to be exact then keep it in AutoCad
    Keith
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    There are 10 types of people in this world .... Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

 

 

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