Skip to main content
Version: v4.5

Export consideration for entities

Unsupported entities#

The following entities are not supported:

  • Point
  • Ray
  • XLine: A line of infinite length
  • MLine: Parallel lines
  • Wipe out: A frame to mask underlying objects with the current background color
  • Polyface Mesh

Considerations for supported entities#

Special shapes#

Special shapes such as rectangles, polygons, donuts, helixes, and Rectangular RevCloud are supported.

Figure: Special autoCAD shapes

CalloutDescription
ARectangle
BPolygon
CDonut
DHelix
ERectangular RevCloud

Fundamental Curves#

If you export curves such as lines, arcs, polylines, circles, ellipses, and splines, consider the following transformations:

  • Non-linear curves tessellate to line segments before they are exported.
  • Curve colors are exported.
  • For polylines, if the global width is set to a non-zero value, export it as a polyline with thickness.
  • Line styles are not supported. For example, a dashed line exports with a solid line style.

Figure: Polyline width

CalloutDescription
AGlobal width value
BPolyline with width

DBText and MText#

If you export text data, due to the different ways that AutoCAD and HOOPs define text data, consider the following points:

  • Font type, size, and text position may output differently

  • Fonts from a Windows fonts folder, such as Times New Roman, export as expected, otherwise text exports as a default Arial font.

  • Underlined text is not supported

  • Some special characters used by AutoCAD to express symbols are supported:

    Special characterSymbol
    %%C
    %%P±
    %%D°

Figure: AutoCAD and HOOPs text

CalloutDescription
AAutoCAD text
BHOOPs text
CSpecial character
DUnderlined text in AutoCAD that is not supported.

Region#

Export the region's boundary, which could be polylines, lines, circular arcs, circles, elliptical arcs, ellipses, or splines. Regions with a hole are supported.

Solid (2D)#

Export solid-filled shapes as mesh geometry. In AutoCAD, 2D Solid is a solid-filled triangle or quadrilateral.

Figure: Solid-filled quadrilateral

Hatch#

  • Solid-filled hatches export as mesh geometry
  • Line-filled hatches export as line geometry
  • Hatches with holes are supported

Figure: Hatches

CalloutDescription
ALine-filled hatch
BSolid-filled hatch
CHatch with holes

Dimension#

Exports text, lines, and arrowheads that represent dimensions as expected.

Figure: Dimensions

Leader and MLeader#

Exports Leader arrowheads, lines, and horizontal landings.

Figure: Leader

CalloutDescription
ALeader

Block Reference#

Exports all objects inside a block. In HOOPs, an entire BlockReference is a selectable element.

Figure: Block reference

CalloutDescription
ABlock

XRef drawing#

When XRef is also AutoCAD 2D drawing, export entities in XRef. If the XRef drawing is an image, it will not export.

Room/Space#

A Room or Space is an Architectural model and not a built-in AutoCAD entity. As a result, it requires special definition and modeling.

Figure: Room/space in AutoCAD

Room definition and modeling#

A model designer must add Space or Room data to a polyline before exporting the model. If a Polyline has Room or Space data and a room number in its XData, it is considered a Room or Space object, and you can export it as one.

To model a polyline as a space or room, complete the following:

  1. In the polyline's xData, define an application named ROOM.
  2. In the application data, enter a room number.
  3. Set the global width to 40 so that it is easier to view and select.

Result: In bimpk/objects.json file, the polyline exports as a Room object with a Room_Number property.

Asset definition and modeling#

Figure: Asset in AutoCAD

A model designer must add Asset data to a BlockReference before exporting the model by completing the following steps:

  1. Go to the BlockReference's properties.
  2. Add an additional attribute, ASSET_TYPE, and enter a value.
  3. Add an additional attribute, ASSET_MASK, and enter a value.
  4. Export the asset object.

Result: In the bimpk/object.json file, the asset object exports for this BlockReference with ASSET_TYPE and ASSET_MASK properties.