opening AutoCAD drawings with Illustrator

[milko259349307s4y]

Hello community,


for the production of manuals and datasheets I often have to open drawings made with Autocad with Illustrator.


These are the most common problems I encounter:


1. DWG file so complex that it can't be opened with illustrator in acceptable times (I have an Apple M1 Max with 32 gigs of ram). In these cases I ask that a PDF file be provided to me (even if I lose the possibility to work on the original layers of the dwg file).

2. Sometimes it happens that the PDF file that is exported to me instead of the DWG file, after being opened with Illustrator, shows objects with no fill (ok) and stroke color black and 0 point thickness. If I try to draw in Illustrator an object with black color and 0 point thickness I can't!

3. the Autocad drawing contains a series of layers but the objects of the drawing are not positioned on the correct layers or the same object (for example a pallet) is broken on several layers. In this case, after opening the DWG file with Illustrator, I copy the objects of interest to a new Illustrator document and evaluate whether it is necessary to group the drawing objects on separate layers.

4. the DWG file contains many objects which in the final layout will be part of different figures. in this case, after opening the file with Illustrator, I select the individual objects that will make up the various figures of the final layout and create the Illustrator documents that are needed.

5. the objects of the DWG drawing also have very different dimensions compared to the encumbrance envisaged by the layout. in this case, after opening the file with Illustrator, I select the object that will be paginated, move it to a new Illustrator document, resize it and set the correct line thickness.
    
   What type of work do you do on Autocad drawings?

   How do you solve the problems you encounter with Autocad drawings?
   Do you have any best practices to suggest?

   Are there any manuals that illustrate how to work Autocad exploded drawings to produce eye-catching infographics?
    
   Thank you.

[Mylenium]

Long and short: You're tackling the problem from the wrong end. You need to educate your construction department about the requirements and they need to export the files correctly. Yes, they will complain endlessly about the extra work, but CAD and illustration/ tech doc are simply two different worlds. That said, of course you can always explore non-Adobe routes. Corel Designer handles a ton of CAD formats natively and much more correctly...

Mylenium

[milko259349307s4y]

thx Mylenium, I agree with what you wrote.
I have corel but would rather continue using illustrator.