Rhino <-> AutoCAD conversation

[Tobias]

Hello everyone!

There is one thing I don't understand:
Let's say I draw a simple box in Rhino (from the "solids" menu). When I save this as a dwg I have to convert surfaces as polygon meshes.
So my question is what is the difference in how Rhino and AutoCAD handles "solids"?
Has it something to do with the fact that Rhino uses B-rep to define what is a solid?
How is a solid defined in ACAD?

Drawing in 3d space is just so great in Rhino that I seriously thinking of buying it but my clients want dwg's and if its 3d they want solids to play around with. So I ask myself if there maybe is a conversation tool witch could convert Rhino solids to ACAD solids.

greetz
Tobias

[CGN]

Rhino Solids are not based on an Acis engine, but the two of them are based or related to nurbs....but are different, rhino has integrated in his software and acis engine that allows only to export as an acis, that's all, the dwg format form rhino is not to include solids on it, becouse is not programed to do that. did you found the dwg import for rhino this one allows to read a dwg file that contains solids on it?

version 4 maybe will do that.

for now your best option still is to buy a sofwtare that can translate acis, step, and iges, it is crazy that in this days there is not a practical solution for this, but for some reason this has not been adressed by mcneel (rhino3d).

So either get a MCAD software, ashllar vellum, concepts3d, this guys are based on an ACIS engine, or get okino translator.

and anyway at the end you will found yourself rebulding here and there, colors will be changed etc..

you will not be able to handle rhino solids in autocad at 100% (editing) no matter what you try, autocad has to do something with is acis engine too, and i'm quite sure that is not going to happen.

[Tobias]

Hi CGN... thanx for keep answering my kind of still the same questions. Looks like the answers are still the same too.

Almost all apps have impressive lists of formats for import/export but in the end its just a matter of luck if you get your work done.

If both apps, Rhino and AutoCAD would make it true what they promising with the word ACIS my problem wouldn't be there.
Actually I'm not using AutoCAD but BricsCAD. ACIS transfer from ACAD to BCAD is fine but BCAD can't handle the Rhino "ACIS" as well.
Anyway, looks like I have to live with the problem and I guess... somehow I will.

[JEM]

Not sure if this helps, but if you export a Rhino drawing to AutoCAD, make sure you don't have the "Project to plane" box checked. Then you can 3D veiw your work in AutoCAD or similar format.