Export - AutoCAD .dxf/.dwg File

Form:  Save AutoCAD .DXF File As, DXF File Export Option, DXF Export

A DXF file is a file with a .dxf extension containing graphic data saved in the AutoCAD Drawing Exchange Format. This type file of file can be read by many graphics programs and is commonly used to exchange data between graphics programs. The DXF export feature can export geometry data to all versions of AutoCAD up to AutoCAD 2020, and to most other programs capable of reading DXF files.

To generate a DXF file depicting your SAP2000 model, do the following:

• If you only want to show only a limited number of objects, select these objects. You can skip this step if you want to export the entire model.

• Select the File menu > Export > AutoCAD .dxf File command.

The Save AutoCAD. DXF File As form is displayed.

• Navigate to the folder of your choice, type the name of a new file or select an existing file to overwrite, and click the Save button. A form asking you whether or not to retrieve layer names from an existing DXF file is displayed.

• Select Yes to specify a DXF file from which to retrieve layer names, or No.

If you select Yes, the Select Template DXF File form is displayed and you can navigate to the folder of your choice and select a file.

The .DXF Export form is displayed. It features five drop-down lists that let you select the layers on which to create the various types of exported objects, and a text box in which you can type layer names to add to the drop-down lists. The NONE option in each of the drop-down lists is not a layer name; instead you can select it to leave out the corresponding type of object from the DXF file. Also, a given layer name can be used for only one object type and SAP2000 will issue a warning message if you attempt to assign the same layer name to more than one object type.

• Once you are satisfied with your layer assignments, click the OK button. The DXF file is written out.

The SAP2000 object types are written out as the following types of DXF objects: 

The exported geometry is a 3D representation of the model unless the active window in SAP2000 is a 2D view. In that case, a 2D view is exported, with all text displayed in the SAP2000 active window also exported.