DXF and DWG files

DXF and DWG files

The drawing interchange format (DXF) file type, developed by AutoCAD, has been in use for many years and is accepted by almost all computer-aided drafting (CAD) systems.  It is in ASCII format, and can be viewed on text editors.

The DWG format is a more compact binary format used in AutoCAD, and adopted by other CAD programs such as BricsCAD. DWG files can be converted into DXF files for entry into DRAINS, with older file versions being preferred.

In AutoCAD these formats change with different versions, and considerable new material is added with each annual change of version. For this reason, DRAINS only accepts DXF files when importing backgrounds and pit and pipe locations. This simplifies transfers and makes it possible to transfer arcs as well as lines and poly-lines from the background layer.

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    • Exporting DXF files

      You can create a DXF file containing a plan of pipes and pits from the File menu. In the DXF files produced by DRAINS, pipes are represented by lines and nodes are represented by circles. These can be on different layers if you wish. One text value ...

    • Exporting MapInfo files

      It is first necessary to establish a system that is capable of being run, such as the demo example shown below: Selecting the MapInfo files option from the File -> Export menu presents the following message: If you continue, you will then need to ...

    • Importing MapInfo files

      This process enables you to import data into DRAINS from one to six sets of MapInfo files, plus an optional background from a DXF file. The procedure is pretty much the reverse of the exporting process for MapInfo files. MapInfo stores spatial ...

    • Importing ESRI files

      This process enables you to import data into DRAINS from one to six sets of ESRI or ArcView files, plus an optional background from a DXF file. The procedure is pretty much the reverse of the exporting process for ESRI files. ArcView stores spatial ...

    • Importing and Exporting GIS Files

      DRAINS provides transfers of system data and results to between GIS programs and DRAINS, reading from and creating ESRI (ArcView) shapefiles and Mapinfo MIF files, the most commonly-used GIS formats. This facility is not standard in DRAINS, but is ...