Import/Export from Autocad: Can it be done?

[samuraisam]

Hi guys,

I have access to Autocad and use it for work. I'm very proficient in the program and not-so-much in Hammer. What I'm wondering is: can I export a file format in Autocad to be readable in Hammar (for materials and other HL2-engine-specific things)?

Thanks,
-Sam

 

[Limpet]

99% sure that you cannot. But it'd be really cool if you could.
Maybe someone could make a tool that does that.

 

[samuraisam]

I have Maya one one of the workstations at work, can I use it?

-Sam

 

[Adabiviak]

This feature'd be a big help for making levels. We use Autocad at work to lay out the machine banks and, well, the entire building. If this were possible, much of the work would be done. Texturing and whatever other features you wanted, and there's your building in 3D. I was under the impression that an older modeling (Quake?) engine would let you do this, but I've never actually seen it.

 

[StardogChampion]

If you can use Autocad then you should find Hammer childsplay to use...

 

[Limpet]

I have Maya one one of the workstations at work, can I use it?

-Sam

Right now, I think only the XSI Modtool and I've seen a plugin for 3dsmax, but not anything for maya.

StardogChampion has a point though. Hammer is pretty similar to Autocad and shouldn't be too hard to adjust to.

 

[^PoW^norman b.]

Yeah, AutoCAD is no where near as efficient as hammer for making the entire levels, it takes way to long to make a single block in AutoCAD, and after you make it, you can't resize it as easily as you can in hammer.

If you want to make models, AutoCAD cant be used b/c the curves in AutoCAD do not have faces, they are perfectly round curves. If you tried to render something like that in a game, it would be almost impossible. Even the 3D view in AutoCAD approximates the faces on round objects, If you zoom in really close, you can see them, but after you hit regen or redraw, they dissapear.

I guess a program that could be made that would take the curves and approximate the curves for you, and then export to XSI or 3DsMax so you could texture it.