(DWG) files may be imported from

2012 into SAP2000 using the procedure which follows:

1. Create and save a DWG model within AutoCAD. The example model we will use for this demonstration is shown in Figure 1:
   
   
   
   
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   Figure 1 - DWG model for import into SAP2000

   
   
   
2. Coordinate DWG layer types such that they import as the SAP2000 objects which are listed as follows:
   
   

   	DWG entity	SAP2000 object	Color
   1	Point	Joint	Cyan
   2	Line	Frame	Yellow
   3	Point	Link (one-point)	Cyan
   4	Line	Link (two-point)	Green
   5	3D Face	Shell	Red
   6	N/A	Solid	N/A

   
   
   
3. Within SAP2000, select File > Import > AutoCAD .dxf File, as shown in Figure 2:
   
   
   
   
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   Figure 2 - Select the DXF Import feature

   
   
   

   NOTE: AutoCAD must be installed on the desktop to import and export between SAP2000 and DWG. This is because DWG files are in binary format, which must be read and written using the functions available through the AutoCAD API.

   
   
4. Select DWG Files (*.DWG) from the scroll-down menu, then locate and double-click the DWG file for import into SAP2000 (Figure 3).
   
   
   
   
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   Figure 3 - Select DWG file for import

   
   
   
5. Select the Global Up Direction and the Units, then select OK, as shown in Figure 4:
   
   
   
   
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   Figure 4 - Import specifications

   
   
   
6. Assign each type of SAP2000 object to a DWG layer (Figure 5). Each layer which occurs in the DWG file is listed in the scroll-down menu.
   
   
   
   
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   Figure 5 - Layer specifications

   
   
   
7. Select OK, then the DWG file will import as a SAP2000 model, as shown in Figure 6:
   
   
   
   
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   Figure 6 - DWG file as SAP2000 model

See Also

• Import DXF into SAP2000 article

• Export SAP2000 to DWG article

Sample DWG files for import

The images which follow present the geometric configuration of DWG models which may be imported into SAP2000. For your reference, these DWG files are attached below. In these models, the Extrude command converted AutoCAD 3DFace entities into solid objects. Objects were successfully imported into SAP2000 after performing the Rotate3D operation on all solid entities.

RoundSolids.dwg

RoundSolids2.dwg

Attachments

• RoundSolids.dwg

• RoundSolid2.dwg