Visio 2010/AutoCAD - D-Tools Forum

timw · 01-20-2011, 05:14 PM

Anybody see major issues with Visio 2010 and Autocad Compatibility? Microsoft said it was supposed to be way better, but it just seems like an ass whoopin' to me....Or am I an idiot doing something wrong (patch/update, etc.) maybe because I tried using CAD '07... I dunno.

fryeguy · 01-20-2011, 11:03 PM

Not sure exactly what you mean Tim. What are you trying to accomplish? Do you want to use CAD files in Visio 2010 or are you asking if you should use Visio 2010 and AutoCAD wit D-Tools?
I do not own a copy of Visio 2010 yet but I have done a small amount of testing with AutoCAD 2010 and D-Tools SI 5.5 SP1. Planning on upgrading to SP3 over the next few days and performing a pretty large scale test session over the next few weeks.

David_Haddad · 01-21-2011, 02:26 AM

Tim, my experience is that Visio 2010 compatibility with AutoCAD is essentially the same as Visio 2007 - it totally sucks

. Frankly I don't think the word "compatibility" should even come into play when discussing Visio and AutoCAD.

David_Haddad · 01-21-2011, 12:31 PM

BTW, you need to confirm this, but I believe that even Visio 2010 still only supports importing Autocad drawings version 2004 and earlier. So if you intend to import any drawings in Autopcad format, you have to have them saved to version 2004 or earlier.

fryeguy · 01-21-2011, 05:17 PM

I would caution users not to expect much in the way of improved AutoCAD/Visio compatibility. The way the two programs handle drawing information is completely different. I have worked with many different CAD applications that claim AutoCAD compatibility. I have also tested several different applications for converting between .DWG files and other native CAD application formats. It is rare that the results are as expected or even acceptable.
If you only need to share Model Space data from AutoCAD to another app you are in good shape. This is done very well typically. Once you attempt to share AutoCAD drawings with Paper Space layouts to other applications things start to fall apart quickly.
I use AutoCAD 2010 to create and/or prep CAD files for use in Visio 2007 using the AutoCAD 2000 DWG format. I recommend setting this as your default option in AutoCAD unless you make use of AutoCAD for a large portion of work outside of Visio. In the cas ewhere you actually use AutoCAD for a large portion of other work I would create two different profiles. One profile is setup for Visio CAD drawings and you can create a shortcut that loads this profile or switch to this profile from within AutoCAD. The other profile should be configured for the other use (detailing, 3D, etc).

**Dave Kirn** · 01-23-2011, 12:32 AM

As others have stated we do not recommend alot of mixing with AutoCAD and Visio. Obviously we need to bring CAD files into Visio if we are doing floor plan drawings inside of Visio (we use the AutoCAD 2000 DWG format as well), but if you need to have final drawings in CAD format, then create them in AutoCAD not Visio. As much as I like the more visual style of drawings from Visio, if the drawings need to be sent to an Architect or other trade and a PDF is not acceptable, we create those drawings in AutoCAD

fryeguy · 01-23-2011, 01:01 AM

That sounds like a good plan Dave. I would add one thought: I can create any visual style you find in Visio using AutoCAD. The power and flexibility of AutoCAD is far superior to Visio.
On a related note, if you typically create Visio drawings that include DWG floor plans and you need to share these with partners, it is possible to get a good translation by following these few steps.

1. Add a line in Visio that marks a reference point on the DWG floor plan that you can easily snap to in AutoCAD.
2. If you have an AutoCAD template with your title block, create a drawing and insert the floor plan.
3. In Visio, lock all layers except those containing the Visio objects you need in AutoCAD. Press Ctrl+A to select all objects and Ctrl+C to copy.
4. In AutoCAD, paste the items into the drawing as a block. Using the reference point move the block of objects to the reference point you used earlier on the plan. Then scale the block to match. Typically the factor is 48 for 1/4" = 1'-0" or 96 for 1/8"...

timw · 01-23-2011, 05:05 PM

The problems that I've run into happen when trying to insert a cad file into Visio '10. I found myself spending more time tweeking CAD file formats (dwg/dxf/14/etc...) tying to get them to show up. Whereas, with Visio '07 it just works (I actually tested multiple files on side by side machines and 07' always worked). '07 also seems more robust regarding stability. I really like '10, as it offers features not available in '07 but I dont want to risk exhaustive efforts in the minutia of '10. Hence, am I an idiot or no?

Oh and thanks for the replies.

fryeguy · 01-24-2011, 01:11 AM

always good to wait and see how a product like Visio gets ironed out. I'm guessing that Visio is not anywhere near the top of the development list at Microsoft. Either dive into beta testing for Visio and provide as much feedback as possible to aid service pack releases or wait before implementing.
I usually hold out on updates of D-Tools because the last couple of updates have left me out in the cold for few days while tech support figured out why the update broke...
And that includes the latest update which broke during installation of the server update. I'm expecting to get this resolved on Monday but it is a good example of how new software rarely sees enough testing prior to public release. New and/or updated software should always have a big warning: "INSTALL AT YOUR OWN RISK".

timw · 01-24-2011, 01:14 AM

Our Server Update had issue as well, luckily we have a sql guru on staff that fixed it in a jiffy.