TAD Docs

With this function you can easily export your model as a DXF file. NOTE: Only objects that are visible will go into the DXF file. Read further for important instructions.

IMPORTANT

Please make sure you save your file before you execute this function. We recently changed the inner working of this function. This new DXF export sometimes creates memory issues and TAD may quit unexpectedly. If TAD crashes too often, please restart your computer and let us know at our Discord community

In short, we are still debugging this function. In some situation, the memory is not released.

Also make sure that none of the object names and classnames has any character other than the normal a-z or A-Z or integers. For example, if you create an object with a name as: “object,1” the DXF file will not load in Nanocad/Autocad/etc. If your exported DXF does not load then please open the file in a text editor such as VS-Code or Notepad++ and check the names of the layers in the DXF file. Layer names are created by combining the classname and the object name with an underscore. Search for the integer 8 (which exists in its own line) – then the layer name would be on the next line. Remove characters such as commas or other non-alphabetical characters from those layer names

The exported DXF file can be based on LINE entities in the DXF or it can be based on the POLYLINE extrusion entities. The latter is created ONLY if the filename happens to end in the characters “3D” . Please use the Zoomall function in Autocad (or its equivalent in other drafting software) to see all the exported items in the model space.

For example if you export a TAD model as “test.dxf” then the DXF file will be created using LINE entities. But if you exported the model as “test3D.dxf” then the exporter will ensure that the DXF file contains POLYLINE entities.

The advantage of exporting it as POLYLINE is that it contains the level and extrusion information also. It mimics TAD model as closely as possible and it gives the maximum 3D information to other consultants who want to see the model data in 3D (or rather, 2.5D) Once exported, you can easily see the model in that program's 3D viewing feature (E.g. Nanocad 5 also has the capability of viewing in 3D) Please note, however, that the end “caps” of the extrusions are NOT given. They all end up as “hollow” tubes/prisms

Note that this function does NOT perform pinning before exporting, so the eventual modelspace in the DXF will look exactly as the one you see inside TAD. If your structural consultant uses such a DXF file (with extruded entities) he/she may get a bit confused if you do not explain how pinning works in TAD.

Using DXF files with polyline extrusions

DXF containing polyline extrusions (i.e. with filenames that end in …3D.dxf) can be imported in most CAD software such as Autocad, Autocad Lite, Nanocad 5 or higher versions, other Intellicad based CAD software etc. Make sure that the units in these CAD software is set to meters. In TAD 1 drawing units is always 1 meter.

Note that the end “caps” of these polyline extrusions are not present in the file so all those CAD software will show these polyline extrusions as hollow (i.e. without any planes capping the 2 ends of the extrusions)

There is one free CAD software that does automatically create (or at least render) the end caps for these polyline extrusions – and that is DoubleCADXT 5.0 You can get that CAD software from https://www.turbocad.com/content/doublecad-xt-v5 (Link was valid as on Jan 30, 2023. If the link has expired, use Google search) You would need to get a free registration using your email address.

Another nice free CAD software is from Nanocad https://nanocad.com/products/nanocad-free/ (Again the link was valid as on Jan 30, 2023… ) Again, an email registration is required to use it.

NOTE: We are NOT associated with any of the companies mentioned earlier on this page.

For exporting the DXF as 3DFACEs with all the pinning correctly done, please use the Export to 3D software function under the file menu