HELP DXFARC



DXFARC <in_dxf_file> <out_cover> {text_width} {attrib_width}

 

converts an AutoCAD Drawing Exchange File (DXF) into an ARC/INFO coverage.

 

arguments

 

<in_dxf_file> - the name of the DXF file to be converted.  This file

must be in AutoCAD's DXF ASCII or binary format.

 

<out_cover> - the name of the coverage to be created from the DXF drawing file.

The <out_cover> may contain arcs, point features and annotation.  Two INFO data

files named <out_cover>.ACODE and <out_cover>.XCODE will also be created for

DXF attributes for arcs and points, respectively.  Annotation will be stored in

a subclass named DXF.

 

{text_width} - width of the DXF-TEXT item (0 to 255).  The default width will

be 40 if no {text_width} is given.

 

{attrib_width} - width of the DXF-ATTRIB item (0 to 255).  The default will be

16 if no {attrib_width} is given.

 

notes

 

DXF ASCII format is the standard interchange format used by most CAD

systems.  DXFARC will also read AutoCAD DXF binary format.  This is an optional

format for AutoCAD Releases 10 and 11 and is structured exactly the same as the

standard ASCII format, only the data is in binary form.

 

The binary format is in double precision and executes much faster than the

ASCII format.  The file format does not have to be specified.  It is determined

automatically from a field identifier in the DXF file.

 

The coordinate precision of the output coverage is always double precision.

 

To convert entities defined in BLOCK sections as features in the <out_cover>,

use the BLOCK subcommand.  This subcommand option will do the equivalent of

exploding BLOCK sections in the drawing file using AutoCAD.

 

Inserts will not be converted to point features when the BLOCK subcommand is

used.  The BLOCK subcommand will insert the actual drawing features at the

point of insertion.

 

You may determine the names of the layers and the maximum width of DXF text and

attributes by first reviewing the output from DXFINFO.

 

Arcs generated by DXFARC that are longer than 500 points will automatically be

split with the same User-ID.

 

DXF entity types Circle and Arc are defined as curves through a set of points.

Not all of the vertices are stored in the DXF file.  Only the feature

definition is stored.  The distance between arc vertices in the output coverage

for these entities is determined by each angle degree.  One vertex is placed at

each arc degree around the circle or curve.  For example, a circle will have

361 vertices:  one for each degree around the circle and one last vertex (which

equals the first vertex) to close the circle.

 

Blocks converted using the BLOCK subcommand will generate circles having 73

vertices:  one vertex for every five degrees and one last vertex (which equals

the first vertex) to close the circle.

 

 

DXFARC can handle up to 999 layers.  Layer names can be longer than 16

characters, but must be unique within the first 16 characters because the DXF-

LAYER item created by DXFARC for the output coverage is only 16 characters

wide.

 

DXFARC can handle up to 999 unique blocks.  The BLOCK subcommand can convert

any block which contains up to 8 levels of nested blocks.  Block names can be

longer than 16 characters; however, they must be unique within the first 16

characters.

 

Only one elevation value for an entity is converted (i.e., DXF Group code 38 or

the initial z value for group code 30).  Additional individual z values are

ignored by DXFARC.

 

INFO data files named <out_cover>.ACODE holding line attribute codes and

<out_cover>.XCODE holding point attribute codes will be created for the

<out_cover>.

 

The ACODE file will contain the following items:

 

 COL    ITEM NAME         WDTH    OPUT    TYP   N.DEC

   1   Cover-ID             4       5     B       -

   5   DXF-LAYER           16      16     C       -

  21   DXF-COLOR            2       2     I       -

  23   DXF-THICKNESS        4      12     F       3

  27   DXF-TYPE            10      10     C       -

  37   DXF-ELEVATION        4      12     F       3

  41   DXF-CURVE            1       1     I       -

 

Cover-ID - each feature's unique identifier.  It is assigned sequentially in

the order of appearance of the line entities in the DXF file.

 

DXF-LAYER - the layer to which the entity belongs.  Although layer names can be

longer than 16 characters, they must be unique within the first 16 characters

because the DXF-LAYER item definition is only 16 characters wide.  The default

is 0.

 

DXF-COLOR - the color (DXF Group code 62) of the entity.  If there is no

specific color for an entity, it is assigned the default line color found in

the DXF layer table in the header of the DXF file.  If there is no layer table

and no Group code 62 for the entity, DXF-COLOR will be 0.  A negative color

value means the layer was turned off.

 

DXF-THICKNESS - the thickness of the entity (DXF Group code 39).  The default

is 0.

 

DXF-TYPE - the line type (CONTINUOUS, DASHED, etc.).  for DXF Group code 6.  If

there is no specific line type for the entity, it is assigned the default line

type found in the DXF layer table in the header of the DXF file.  If there is

no layer table, DXF-TYPE will be blank.

 

DXF-ELEVATION - one elevation value for the entire entity. This value is taken

from either group code 38 or the initial z valued from group code 30.  Group

code 38 exists only in AutoCAD DXF files prior to Release 11.  Elevation is a

single value for the entire entity.  Additional Z values representing (X,Y,Z)

coordinates for multiple points along a single entity are not converted.

 

DXF-CURVE - indicates whether this line is a curve (Circle or Arc) or a regular

line (TRACE, POLYLINE, 3DFACE or LINE).  Set to 1 for a curve and 0 for a non-

curve, it is mainly used with ARCDXF to regenerate curves.

 

If a layer is converted by DXFARC with the POINTS option, the XCODE file will

contain these items:

 

 COL    ITEM NAME         WDTH    OPUT   TYP   N.DEC

   1    Cover-ID            4       5     B       -

   5    DXF-LAYER          16      16     C       -

  21    DXF-COLOR           2       2     I       -

  23    DXF-THICKNESS       4      12     F       3

  27    DXF-TYPE           10      10     C       -

  37    DXF-ELEVATION       4      12     F       3

  41    DXF-ANGLE           4      12     F       3

  45    DXF-SIZE            4      12     F       3

 

Except for the items listed below, the items in the XCODE file are the same as

those in the ACODE file.

 

DXF-ANGLE - rotation angle in degrees (DXF Group code 50).

 

DXF-TYPE - the line type for the point feature.

 

If a layer is converted by DXFARC with the TEXTPOINT option, the XCODE file

will contain these items:

 

 COL    ITEM NAME         WDTH    OPUT   TYP   N.DEC

   1   Cover-ID             4       5    B        -

   5   DXF-LAYER           16      16    C        -

  21   DXF-COLOR            2       2    I        -

  23   DXF-THICKNESS        4      12    F        3

  27   DXF-TYPE            10      10    C        -

  37   DXF-ELEVATION        4      12    F        3

  41   DXF-ANGLE            4      12    F        3

  45   DXF-SIZE             4      12    F        3

  49   DXF-TEXT            xx      xx    C        -

 

Except for the additional items listed below, the items in this XCODE file are

the same as those above.

 

DXF-ANGLE - the angle of the text.

 

DXF-SIZE - the size of the text.

 

DXF-TEXT - the text value for the DXF-ATTRIB.  The width of this field is

specified by the {text_width} argument.  The default item width is 40 if no

{text_width} is specified.  If the entity is a Point, Shape or Insert, this

field will be blank.

 

If a layer is converted using the ATPOINT option, these additional items will

be added to the XCODE file:

 

ITEM NAME           WDTH       OPUT     TYP    N.DEC

DXF-ATTRIB            xx         xx      C        -

DXF-IID                4          5      B        -

 

DXF-ATTRIB - holds the BLOCK name for INSERT points or the shape name for SHAPE

entities.  DXF-TEXT will store the item value for ATTRIBUTE entities and DXF-

ATTRIB will store the item name for that item value.  DXF-ATTRIB will be blank

for text and point entities.  The {attrib_width} specifies the item width of

DXF-ATTRIB.  The default item width will be 16 if no {attrib_width} is

specified.

 

DXF-IID - used to link ATTRIBUTES to the corresponding INSERT entity.  Each

INSERT entity can have multiple ATTRIBUTE entities. INSERT entities are

converted to point features with a unique User-ID.  This User-ID is stored in

DXF-IID item of all the ATTRIBUTES entities associated with that INSERT.

 

DXFARC produces a coverage containing TIC and BND files.  The values contained

in these files represent the minimum and maximum coordinate values of the

coverage feature extent.

 

Use BUILD LINE, BUILD POINT, or CLEAN to create line coverage topology, point

coverage topology, or polygon coverage topology, respectively.

 

ACODE files can be very large.  Because they share the name of the coverage,

this file will be copied when executing commands such as CLEAN and PROJECT.

It's a good idea to delete the previous version of the coverage (after making a

backup copy if desired) in order to save disk space.  You can also change the

name of the ACODE file so it will not be copied each time.  For example, you

can use the INFO command RENAME to change cover.ACODE to TEMP.ACODE before

projecting the coverage.  Then change the name back to the final name of the

coverage.  If you plan to JOINITEM or RELATE this file, remember to change the

name of the User-ID item to reflect the new coverage name using the ALTER

command in INFO.

 

dialog

 

DXFARC will prompt you for the information necessary to perform the DXF

to ARC/INFO conversion.  You will be prompted for the layer names and entities

of each DXF layer to be processed.  The format of the interactive dialog used

by DXFARC is as follows:

 

Enter DXF layer names and options (type END or $REST when done):

=======================================================

Enter the 1st layer and options:

Enter the 2nd layer and options:

   .

   .

   .

Enter the Nth layer and options: END

 

Here is the usage for each response:

 

<layer_name | END | $REST> {option_1 . . . option_n}

 

layer_name - the name of the layer to be converted.  Enter each layer name only

once.  You may enter up to 999 layers.  Any number of options may be entered

for each layer.  The default option is ALL if no {option} is given.

 

END - used to end layer input.  The last statement entered unless $REST is

specified.

 

$REST - a special layer name which can be used to specify options for all

remaining (unspecified) layers.  If you specify $REST, it must be the last

layer specified (i.e., END is not needed after $REST).  Unspecified layers will

not be converted unless $REST is given.

 

{option_1 . . . option_n} - these options allow you to convert only part of the

specified layer, for example, just the Blocks from the LOTS layer.  All the

available options are listed in the table on the following page.  One or more

options may be used at a time.  The default is ALL.

 

After entering END or $REST, you will be prompted:

 

Do you wish to use the above layers and options (Y/N)?

 

If you answer yes, DXFARC will begin the data conversion.  If you enter N, the

DXFARC conversion will return you to the Arc: prompt.

 

If you are not sure which options to use for a particular layer, use ALL to

convert the layer.  If you want to include annotation and symbology (Blocks) to

'reproduce' the AutoCAD drawing, use both the ALL and BLOCKS options.

 

If both BLOCKS and INSERT are specified, the point of insertion for the blocks

will not be converted as point features.

 

