Working with DWG files

xavhorse

Hi there, first time posting and only started using CC3+ recently.

I'd like to be able to take existing maps that I drew in Adobe Illustrator (it's just a little more precise/familiar when it comes to tracing existing maps with my current level of skill) and import them into CC3+ to work them up. I've got as far as successfully importing the DWG file into CC3+ but for the life of me, I can't edit any of the properties to turn the entity into a landmass; it just remains as a white outline (see attachment).

Is it at all possible to convert an inserted DWG file into a filled landmass?

Many thanks,

Giles

mike robel

You will have to trace on a new or existing sheet to get a copy you can manipulate. Almost all my maps are based on existing topographical maps I convert for war games. The drawing you import is a static file only, although you draw on it, you can't edit it.

Hope this helps you out.

Edit: I just read DWG as an acronym for drawing, not as a file name. I import BMP or JPG or PNG files which are static. Please Ignore my advice and follow the next posts advice.

Monsen

Is the outline one continuous entity, or is it made up from multiple smaller ones?

If it is one big entity, you should be able to turn it into a landmass. You might need to close it first with path to poly (right click Explode ), and then use change properties and give it a fill and set the line width to 0 at the same time.

If there are multiple individual lines, they need to be combined first.

(Feel free to post the .fcw after the import, it is easier to give advice when I can see the file.)

xavhorse

It was one complete entity, I've since double checked the imported DWG file. Turns out there was one tiny break in the path that I hadn't closed in one of the islands. I've now sorted that out, and exported the revised version of the AI file as a fresh DWG and tried again. I had to do a fair bit of fiddling around before I found something that worked, but I think I've managed it by using Explode>Line To Path, so that each island was a separate entity followed by Change Properties>Fill Style. Just not entirely sure why that worked in that particular way when the other methods didn't!

Monsen

Line to path converts a lot of "problematic" lines into paths, such as simple lines and arcs, both of which cannot be in a polygon. Maybe AI put some of those in the file.

I notice your landmass do have some duplicate node. I would recommend running the SIMPLIFY command on it with a 0.1 simplification distance. Should clean up the shape without having a visible change.

xavhorse

Cheers, I'll do that. Thanks for the advice!