eQuest not properly translating AutoCAD import

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Hello eQuest-ers,

Has anyone ever ran into an issue (using either eQuest 3.64 or 3.65) with
importing a CAD file and eQuest having trouble translating the lines
properly?

I've attached an image which shows eQuest's version of my CAD file on the
left and my actual CAD file on the right. If you look closely, you'll see
several deviations between eQuest line and CAD lines...eQuest seems to be
mis-shaping my zones (for example, the top line should be a straight line
all the way along, but eQuest has added a different angle to the line on
the top left zone).

Anyone seen this and found a fix for this?

If it matters, my CAD file is DXF 2000 format (but I've also tried other
formats with the same results).

Thanks,
Chris

Chris Hadlock's picture
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Joined: 2012-01-23
Reputation: 0

Hi Chris,
Easy work around is to create polylines for each of the zones you have in cad the use ?list? command to get the x,y,z coord for each polyline/space then manually input these in for each zone/footprint in equest. You can use one of the points as a baseline to subtract the difference from each of the subsequent points (ie. Your upper left most point of the building is say 85,30 in equest and 80,25 in cad. You would need to add 5,5 to all points in equest). Can?t answer your question as to why exactly it isn?t working for you?

Thank you,
Matthew J. Baron, PE

[cid:image004.png at 01D0C93F.111B5170]

Wendel, Centerpointe Corporate Park, 375 Essjay Road, Suite 200, Williamsville, NY 14221 [cid:image003.jpg at 01D0C93F.11189250]
p. 716.688.0766 tf. 877.293.6335 e. mbaron at wendelcompanies.com w. wendelcompanies. com

architecture | engineering | planning | energy efficiency | construction management

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email transmission is confidential and is intended only for the person(s) named above. Its contents may also be protected by privilege, and all rights to privilege are expressly claimed and not waived. Any unlicensed distribution, copying or disclosure of this email is strictly prohibited.

Matthew Baron's picture
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Joined: 2013-07-30
Reputation: 0

I for one have never seen that behavior before. Saving as different CAD
formats would have been my first guess as well.

Have you tried opening the CAD reference file using a different CAD
package? Draftsight is one free option I?ve found works well.

Alternatively perhaps something has gone awry with your installation, and
an uninstall/reinstall of eQUEST might set things straight.

A few more shots in the dark:

- is it possible you need to adjust which CAD layers are
displaying in the eQuest interface?

- Is it possible your CAD reference file is not 2D and needs to be
flattened and/or the view from AutoCAD is not situated ?top down??

~Nick

*NICK CATON, P.E.*
*Owner*

*Caton Energy Consulting*
306 N Ferrel

Olathe, KS 66061

office: 785.410.3317

www.catonenergy.com

*From:* Equest-users [mailto:equest-users-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org] *On
Behalf Of *Matthew J. Baron
*Sent:* Tuesday, July 28, 2015 1:10 PM
*To:* Chris Hadlock; equest-users at lists.onebuilding.org
*Subject:* Re: [Equest-users] eQuest not properly translating AutoCAD import

Hi Chris,

Easy work around is to create polylines for each of the zones you have in
cad the use ?list? command to get the x,y,z coord for each polyline/space
then manually input these in for each zone/footprint in equest. You can use
one of the points as a baseline to subtract the difference from each of the
subsequent points (ie. Your upper left most point of the building is say
85,30 in equest and 80,25 in cad. You would need to add 5,5 to all points
in equest). Can?t answer your question as to why exactly it isn?t working
for you?

Thank you,

Matthew J. Baron, PE

Wendel, Centerpointe Corporate Park, 375 Essjay Road, Suite 200,
Williamsville, NY 14221
*p. *716.688.0766* tf.* 877.293.6335* e. *mbaron at wendelcompanies.com*
w.* wendelcompanies. com

architecture | engineering | planning | energy efficiency |
construction management

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email transmission is confidential and is
intended only for the person(s) named above. Its contents may also be
protected by privilege, and all rights to privilege are expressly claimed
and not waived. Any unlicensed distribution, copying or disclosure of this
email is strictly prohibited.

*From:* Equest-users [mailto:equest-users-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org
] *On Behalf Of *Chris Hadlock
*Sent:* Tuesday, July 28, 2015 11:27 AM
*To:* equest-users at lists.onebuilding.org
*Subject:* [Equest-users] eQuest not properly translating AutoCAD import

Hello eQuest-ers,

Has anyone ever ran into an issue (using either eQuest 3.64 or 3.65) with
importing a CAD file and eQuest having trouble translating the lines
properly?

I've attached an image which shows eQuest's version of my CAD file on the
left and my actual CAD file on the right. If you look closely, you'll see
several deviations between eQuest line and CAD lines...eQuest seems to be
mis-shaping my zones (for example, the top line should be a straight line
all the way along, but eQuest has added a different angle to the line on
the top left zone).

Anyone seen this and found a fix for this?

If it matters, my CAD file is DXF 2000 format (but I've also tried other
formats with the same results).

Thanks,

Chris

Nicholas Caton's picture
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Joined: 2014-12-09
Reputation: 0

Chris,

I can?t say I?ve run into this error before, but I have a very specific process I use in CAD before I bring a .dwg file into eQUEST. Follow these steps, and all will be well when you import the file.

1) Step 1:

a. Command: (ZE) Zoom Extents

b. Command: (E) Erase

c. Command: (All)

d. Deselect all visible items with a crossing window

e. End Command

i. Sometimes the CAD program has ?hidden? elements that can corrupt the file.

2) Step 2:

a. Command: (Purge)

b. Command: (All)

c. End Command

i. This gets rid of any leftover items in the file background that are not being used.

3) Step 3:

a. Command: (Flatten)

b. Command: (All)

c. End Command

i. This gets rid of lines that might be on top of each other.

4) Step 4:

a. Command: (Audit)

b. Command: (Fix)

c. End Command

i. This verifies there are no errors in the file after you have done all the other steps.

Save the file as a .dwg and import it into eQUEST.

Thanks,

[ARCH | NEXUS]
DAVID W. GRIFFIN II
BEMP
ENERGY ANALYST
2505 E Parleys Way
Salt Lake City, UT 84109
Office 801.924.5028
archnexus.com
[Twitter][Facebook][Youtube][LinkedIn]

David Griffin II's picture
Joined: 2015-01-03
Reputation: 0

eQuesters,

Thank you for all the helpful feedback, reading through all the comments
helped solved my problem. Since the CAD files were provided to us, I don't
know what manipulations were done upstream. I do think however there were
some 3D to 2D conversion issues that were causing the problem.

At the end of the day, all I did was copy my zoning layers into a *new*
(2D) CAD file and it imported cleanly into eQuest, solving the problem.

Thanks for all the helpful comments.

Chris

Chris Hadlock's picture
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Joined: 2012-01-23
Reputation: 0