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Is it possible to create an AutoCAD 3D soild with different coloured surfaces

virtualcitymatt
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I've been having some issues with Creating and reading AutoCAD 3D Solid geometries.

 

Through my investigation I have found that the REALDWG writer/reader supports solids the best (ACAD will just read as multi-surface in most cases), however, when it comes to colours/appearances FME is falling short.

 

While I can create a single solid feature with once color (using the default layer color), I am unable to color the surfaces individually which is pretty well supported by a lot of other formats in FME.

 

In addition DWG files which contain solids which have different color surfaces are just read in with all surfaces coloured as the layer color.

 

 

Has anyone had any luck either creating OR reading solids from AutoCAD witch have different colored surfaces?

 

 

Here's an example which creates a multi-colored solid box:

 

 

@daveatsafe or @andreaatsafe perhaps there are some PR's relating to these issues already?

 

Best answer by jovitaatsafe

Hi folks!

I'm pleased to announce an update regarding (FMEENGINE-61199).

Writing different coloured faces from Brep solids should now work for the AutoCAD writer but the caveat is that the RealDWG writer isn’t able to output solids with different appearances per face like this just yet.

You can find the fix in the latest beta from our downloads page.

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sigtill
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  • September 4, 2019

output_box.dwgAdd GeometryCoercer to fme_composite_surface.

I`ll leave for the end-user to figure out why it works :) (or Dr Geometry @daveatsafe )

 

The real SigTill
virtualcitymatt
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sigtill wrote:

output_box.dwgAdd GeometryCoercer to fme_composite_surface.

I`ll leave for the end-user to figure out why it works :) (or Dr Geometry @daveatsafe )

 

Right - indeed it does, however, in this case the output is not a solid but 6 different mesh geometries which isn't quite what we're wanting here

sigtill
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  • September 4, 2019
virtualcitymatt wrote:

Right - indeed it does, however, in this case the output is not a solid but 6 different mesh geometries which isn't quite what we're wanting here

Do you have an example DWG that is correct? Or can you create this file in AutoCAD and then upload it here? @virtualcitymatt - a box is nice.

The real SigTill
gio
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  • September 4, 2019

@virtualcitymatt

Hi, This is how you can do it.

After styling, use a setter to set the style. Solidbuilder to make it a solid.

Both (dwg as well as the ds) have correct solids with multicolor.

 

29249-boxtocoloredbox_ok.fmwt

sigtill
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gio wrote:

@virtualcitymatt

Hi, This is how you can do it.

After styling, use a setter to set the style. Solidbuilder to make it a solid.

Both (dwg as well as the ds) have correct solids with multicolor.

 

29249-boxtocoloredbox_ok.fmwt

Seems to still be only one color though?

 

The real SigTill
virtualcitymatt
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sigtill wrote:

Seems to still be only one color though?

 

Yeah exactly - I think being able to style solids in this way is fairly new in AutoCAD which is why I assume that it doesn't yet work in FME.

virtualcitymatt
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sigtill wrote:

Do you have an example DWG that is correct? Or can you create this file in AutoCAD and then upload it here? @virtualcitymatt - a box is nice.

No, sadly no test data I can share and I don't have AutoCAD to create any doh!...I was trying to use FME to create a autocad solid with multicolored surfaces to send to Safe to show that their reader didn't read the colors properly but I wasn't able to create one...because of this issue. heh.

gio
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  • September 5, 2019

@sigtill

@virtualcitymatt

 

Check the autocad site or fora.

Ability to color individual facets of a solid is pretty old. (at least since 2106 it is in autocad. I hav no older versions available to check..)

 

Try enter on the command line in Autocad: -TOOLBAR and then enter solid_editing

There is a specific command to color indidual face called.."Color faces" ..who would've guessed!

 

I did one and saved it. Opening in FME shows no coloration. No parameters or anything.

As is visa versa, as @sigtill noticed.

 

So it is indeed the fme writer that does not treat it correctly if at all.

Maybe, if there is sufficient demand for it, safe will?

(as D.T. says "maybe they will, maybe they won't. Who knows.)

 

I htink to do it using fme would be to write a lisp and start it using a bat file through the systemcaller

 

virtualcitymatt
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gio wrote:

@sigtill

@virtualcitymatt

 

Check the autocad site or fora.

Ability to color individual facets of a solid is pretty old. (at least since 2106 it is in autocad. I hav no older versions available to check..)

 

Try enter on the command line in Autocad: -TOOLBAR and then enter solid_editing

There is a specific command to color indidual face called.."Color faces" ..who would've guessed!

 

I did one and saved it. Opening in FME shows no coloration. No parameters or anything.

As is visa versa, as @sigtill noticed.

 

So it is indeed the fme writer that does not treat it correctly if at all.

Maybe, if there is sufficient demand for it, safe will?

(as D.T. says "maybe they will, maybe they won't. Who knows.)

 

I htink to do it using fme would be to write a lisp and start it using a bat file through the systemcaller

 

Thanks for the extra info @gio, Helpful to have it checked! Hopefully safe add this into AutoCAD readers.

 

 

 

gio
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  • September 5, 2019
gio wrote:

@sigtill

@virtualcitymatt

 

Check the autocad site or fora.

Ability to color individual facets of a solid is pretty old. (at least since 2106 it is in autocad. I hav no older versions available to check..)

 

Try enter on the command line in Autocad: -TOOLBAR and then enter solid_editing

There is a specific command to color indidual face called.."Color faces" ..who would've guessed!

 

I did one and saved it. Opening in FME shows no coloration. No parameters or anything.

As is visa versa, as @sigtill noticed.

 

So it is indeed the fme writer that does not treat it correctly if at all.

Maybe, if there is sufficient demand for it, safe will?

(as D.T. says "maybe they will, maybe they won't. Who knows.)

 

I htink to do it using fme would be to write a lisp and start it using a bat file through the systemcaller

 

strangely, i managed to get the dwg to show mulitcolor y-day. But fail to do now..which baffles me a bit.

andreaatsafe
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Just a quick note to say we've filed a problem report for our development team to look into this (internal reference number: FMEENGINE-61199).

We'll update when there is a resolution to this.

Thanks!

- Andrea

virtualcitymatt
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andreaatsafe wrote:

Just a quick note to say we've filed a problem report for our development team to look into this (internal reference number: FMEENGINE-61199).

We'll update when there is a resolution to this.

Thanks!

- Andrea

Awesome! Thanks Andrea!

jovitaatsafe
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  • June 23, 2020

Hi folks!

I'm pleased to announce an update regarding (FMEENGINE-61199).

Writing different coloured faces from Brep solids should now work for the AutoCAD writer but the caveat is that the RealDWG writer isn’t able to output solids with different appearances per face like this just yet.

You can find the fix in the latest beta from our downloads page.

virtualcitymatt
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jovitaatsafe wrote:

Hi folks!

I'm pleased to announce an update regarding (FMEENGINE-61199).

Writing different coloured faces from Brep solids should now work for the AutoCAD writer but the caveat is that the RealDWG writer isn’t able to output solids with different appearances per face like this just yet.

You can find the fix in the latest beta from our downloads page.

Awesome, Thanks for the update I'll need to test it out!

kennyo
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  • June 29, 2020
jovitaatsafe wrote:

Hi folks!

I'm pleased to announce an update regarding (FMEENGINE-61199).

Writing different coloured faces from Brep solids should now work for the AutoCAD writer but the caveat is that the RealDWG writer isn’t able to output solids with different appearances per face like this just yet.

You can find the fix in the latest beta from our downloads page.

Perfect, I will test it shortly.

If you can't fix with FME, you can't fix it or you haven't used FME enough!

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