Using FrameMaker11, unable to import AutoCAD drawings directly into FrameMaker. File/Import/File shows "DWG (*.dwg)" as a file type option. When I select an AutoCAD drawing to import, the Unknown File Type window opens. I select AutoCAD (DWG) and Convert,

[grosskj]

Using FrameMaker11, unable to import AutoCAD drawings directly into FrameMaker. File/Import/File shows "DWG (*.dwg)" as a file type option. When I select an AutoCAD drawing to import, the Unknown File Type window opens. I select AutoCAD (DWG) and Convert, and tiss message pops up: "The filter encountered an error and could not complete the translation." How do I import an AutoCAD drawing?

[Bob_Niland]

re: How do I import an AutoCAD drawing?

Even when importing a .dwg works, it has issues. I've seen just one import totally pollute the FM Color Catalog with RGB,123,456,789 type values that are a nuisance to get rid of (and can't be removed while the import is still here). I've also seen problems with preview images and rendered image, that appeared to be due to some linked list corruption in the DWG.

Might I suggest, from the CAD app, saving-as or exporting-as PDF or EPS, then importing that.

[grosskj]

Thanks for your answer. We do make PDFs of the drawings and import those into our FM files. I wanted to try to reduce the file size of the manual, and I am experimenting...

Thanks!

[Arnis_Gubins]

For an online manual, to get a smaller file size, you might try creating an image of the drawing (but not a JPG version, as this is a lossy format to be used only for photographs!) instead of using the full vector rendering depending upon the size and detail of the drawing.

Otherwise, as Error mentions, the dwg import process is quite sensitive to the version and features in the drawing file. You don't mention which version of AutoCAD that you are using. If it's newer than FM11, then that alone may be the issue with filter failing.

[Bob_Niland]

Two thing on file size:

1. In the final PDF, use full Acrobat to remove metadata as a post-process step. I've seen PDFs shrink to 30% of initially rendered size from this. The thumbnail images you see in FM with PDF and EPS imports, survive into the rendered PDF document, and they can be huge.
2. One nice thing about importing PDFs is that you can usually see beforehand how many monsterbytes they are going to add to the document. In my last job, our rule was that if the vector version of a drawing was over 250KB, we'd convert it to raster (600 dpi bitmap in our case), using Photoshop, and import it as TIF. Output options were set not sub-sample bitmaps under 900 dpi, and we applied a lossless repeat-count compression (ZIP, RLE, etc).

[Brian7]

There are a lot of AutoCAD drawings used in the documents that I create.  The way that my company does it is to copy the file out of AutoCAD and paste it into an anchored frame.

1. Open .DWG in AutoCAD.
2. Make the drawing show in a window.
3. Reduce the size of the window so that it is close to the size you need in Framemaker and that there is minimal space around your drawing.  If the frame of your window is too close to the drawing, some of the lines will display thickened.
4. Zoom the drawing to extents.
5. Select all.
6. Copy.
7. Past into Anchored frame.

You may need to clean up the drawing to reduce the size of the file once placed.  It's another way to look at.