2.2.2. Importing plan view from a DWG/DXF file<br>

### 2.2.2. Importing plan view from a DWG/DXF file

The plan view is imported to the current sheet. If a new sheet has to be created, select “Worksheets” in the “File” menu and click on the “New” button, select sheet type (“Plan view” in this case) and click “OK” and then “Close”. The new sheet becomes the current sheet.

To import a plan view from a DWG/DXF file select “Import plan of building from DWG/DXF file” in the “File” menu and select the required file (file preview helps you do that). When importing for the first time you will be prompted to specify the font file used in the building design (extension .shx). You can indicate the location of the file on the disk, if that file has been supplied with base drawing files, or select “Cancel”. To move to subsequent stages of the import operation click the “Next” button, if necessary you can use the “Back” button:

- specify unit of measure for drawing

- select layers with the walls to be imported; minimum and maximum wall thickness must also be specified (default values are suggested)

- select layers with windows and doors to be imported; window width range must also be specified and window and door drawing types must be selected for the storey. If in doubt you can select all window and door types available in the library, which will make the interpretation process longer

- if necessary, select the layers to be loaded as a drawing, without interpreting its contents as a set of building components.

! Selecting unit of measure in the drawing appropriate for the size of the actual object is important in relation to the graphical editor, which always displays and reads dimensions in metres. It is therefore important that the imported drawing be rescaled properly when importing.

Layers are selected in lists with check boxes . Marking the component in the list only displays the preview of the given layer. To enable import of the component the box must be checked. Preview of the imported file is available all the time in a window beside.

There are additional display options available for the main preview window of the imported drawing in a pop-up menu displayed upon pressing the right mouse button.

Loading one or more layers as a drawing has in practice the following purpose:

- when the layer carries useful information or includes additional components, such as stairs not interpreted, location of furnishings, etc.

- when we do not want the loaded base drawing to be interpreted (if, for instance, the structure of the layers in the file is not recognised or if it is not interpreted properly) and we only need a graphical background to draw the system on or we will create a plan view of the storey using objects available in the program.

Upon completing the interpretation the preview window and the list of source project layers disappear and the imported drawing appears in the graphical editor window. The objects are automatically loaded onto the “Construction” layer, irrespective of which layer has been worked with. Initially these objects are locked (protected against modification). However, after unlocking, the new components can be moved, deleted or inserted in the manual editing mode as necessary.

All components that were included in the layers selected for importing as drawing appear in the “Base drawing” layer. These components retain the layer structure of the DWG/DXF file. You can change the display of the entire base drawing and of individual layers in the data table. You can indicate the layers that will have the AUTO mode applied (all layers are marked by default). This means that corners of the components drawn or inserted are snapped to the grid points of the selected layers.

Important information on the vertical structure of the building (elevation and height of individual storeys, thickness of floors, etc.) are saved in tabular form, which means that they cannot be edited graphically and imported from DWG/DXF files. The screen for editing also enables assigning rooms to apartments, which is important for calculating ventilation air flow and seasonal heat demand in Instal-heat&energy. Its appearance is very similar to that of the screen in Instal-heat&energy, as the building structure is interpreted by both applications in the same way.