[solved] Trouble saving blocks in imported dwg

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Slackmeyer
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[solved] Trouble saving blocks in imported dwg

Post by Slackmeyer » Wed Jan 25, 2023 5:34 pm

An architect sent me a DWG that I want to modify, add some other ideas to. Presumably he made the original on Autocad LT or something similar. I can open the file and it looks fine, I can add the things that I want, but when I save and reopen the file, the blocks are a jumble of lines, and the block list no longer includes everything. The items that are there look like they are displaying several blocks at once (i.e. a block "Refrigerator" displays multiple door positions and arcs for door swing. Is there some way to lock the blocks to the ones that display when I open the downloaded file before it's been saved by QCAD?
QCAD Pro 3.26 on Windows 11 (Just installed on this computer, so I'm still in the process of getting the application preferences right for me).

Thanks, Zak

(attached file deleted since it's not my work product)
Last edited by Slackmeyer on Thu Jan 26, 2023 6:14 am, edited 1 time in total.

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bambuko
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Re: Trouble saving blocks in imported dwg

Post by bambuko » Wed Jan 25, 2023 8:44 pm

before and after:
before.jpeg
before.jpeg (11.06 KiB) Viewed 1662 times
after.jpeg
after.jpeg (11.77 KiB) Viewed 1662 times
QCad Pro
Linux MX-21.3 "Wildflower"

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Husky
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Re: Trouble saving blocks in imported dwg

Post by Husky » Wed Jan 25, 2023 9:28 pm

Hi Zak - welcome to the QCAD forum,

this drawing has links to xdata (Extended Data a AutoLISP function from ACAD etc.). QCAD doesn't support XData.

The cleanest way to fix that is to remove those xdata with an ACAD product. Do you have that option? If not there is a "dirty" fix available with QCAD but you will loose one or two things on that way. However - I assume 98% of the drawing will still be ok ...
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Win10/64, QcadPro, QcadCam version: Current.
If a thread is considered as "solved" please change the title of the first post to "[solved] Title..."

Slackmeyer
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Re: Trouble saving blocks in imported dwg

Post by Slackmeyer » Wed Jan 25, 2023 9:40 pm

Thanks bambuko for posting the screenshots, and thank you Husky.

I could probably get the architect to remove the XData, but I'd prefer to know how to deal with it- I'm a general contractor who does some design on smaller projects, so wanting to modify someone else's drawings is a recurring thing.

Thanks,
Zak

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Husky
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Re: Trouble saving blocks in imported dwg

Post by Husky » Wed Jan 25, 2023 11:17 pm

Slackmeyer wrote:
Wed Jan 25, 2023 9:40 pm
... but I'd prefer to know how to deal with it
Ok ... dirty fix. Buckle up ... :wink:

Launch QCAD,
Open a "New" drawing,
Set the unit below Drawing Preferences to "inch",
launch additional the drawing in question,
Fix the block names below Menu / Misc / Block / "Fix Block Names" (that isn't really the cause of the described issue!)
Insert every not in the drawing used block like "Refrigerator". Look just for a free area in Model_Space and dump them there. Note: Every not in Model_Space used block will be lost in the new drawing.
Then - select all, copy to clipboard with reference 0,0. A warning will pop up that the "Transaction failed ...". Ignore and confirm the message with ok.
switch to the new drawing,
paste the clipboard content to 0,0. Make sure that the paste options "Scale" is 1 and "To current Layer" isn't ticked!
delete the dumped blocks,
Save the drawing under a new file name.

Most likely a few layer, color, line type association have changed. Still better than to draw everything new ...

Test the new drawing whether the original problem still exists. I hope not ... e_confused
Work smart, not hard: QCad Pro
Win10/64, QcadPro, QcadCam version: Current.
If a thread is considered as "solved" please change the title of the first post to "[solved] Title..."

Slackmeyer
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Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2023 5:23 pm

Re: Trouble saving blocks in imported dwg

Post by Slackmeyer » Thu Jan 26, 2023 6:15 am

Husky wrote:
Wed Jan 25, 2023 11:17 pm
Slackmeyer wrote:
Wed Jan 25, 2023 9:40 pm
... but I'd prefer to know how to deal with it
Ok ... dirty fix. Buckle up ... :wink:

Launch QCAD,
Open a "New" drawing,
Set the unit below Drawing Preferences to "inch",
launch additional the drawing in question,
Fix the block names below Menu / Misc / Block / "Fix Block Names" (that isn't really the cause of the described issue!)
Insert every not in the drawing used block like "Refrigerator". Look just for a free area in Model_Space and dump them there. Note: Every not in Model_Space used block will be lost in the new drawing.
Then - select all, copy to clipboard with reference 0,0. A warning will pop up that the "Transaction failed ...". Ignore and confirm the message with ok.
switch to the new drawing,
paste the clipboard content to 0,0. Make sure that the paste options "Scale" is 1 and "To current Layer" isn't ticked!
delete the dumped blocks,
Save the drawing under a new file name.

Most likely a few layer, color, line type association have changed. Still better than to draw everything new ...

Test the new drawing whether the original problem still exists. I hope not ... e_confused
I don't understand why that works but it did work for me- thanks so much!

Zak

CVH
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Re: [solved] Trouble saving blocks in imported dwg

Post by CVH » Thu Jan 26, 2023 9:06 am

Slackmeyer wrote:
Thu Jan 26, 2023 6:15 am
I don't understand why that works but it did work for me- thanks so much!
Zak,
things that QCAD can't handle are part of the failed transaction and the rest reaches the Clipboard ...
... what internally is kinda an off-screen drawing document.
Pasting is copy from the Clipboard document and pasting to your drawing document.

Regards,
CVH

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