Import DXF File to ETABS

Etabs allows a fast and accurate structuring complex models, importing from existing
AutoCAD DXF files, acomtinuacion see the steps to draw a model of a building of
masonry walls, which have the plant in DWG format Auto CAD the same lines we are
interested in the Walls and Gray. For ETABS design.

A. Part One Working with AutoCad, Load the program.

1. Open the Existing File to Auto CAD, Example File-Open and look for the folder
where the file content (Building Apartments calculation). Figure A.






















Figure A

2. Figure B, Sample Plan View drawing. If you do not have the file proceeds to draw
the whole plant in Auto CAD.
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Figure B

3. Create a layer proceed to Draw the axis lines the walls Example L-Wall and other
Leyer for Gray, (we can choose any name for the Leyers) In the Object Properties
toolbar, click on layer , See Figure C in the Layer Properties dialog manager, Click on
New, type the layer name Example, Lmuro, define a color for the Layer (White). Same
thing we do for the Layer Gray, then We press OK.

We have two new Layer, select the Layer drop-down at the bar Lmuro layer.




















Figure C

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4. Continued proceed to draw the lines of the axes of the walls in Lmuro Layer,
using the Line command, in the middle of the wall, or on command offset by a
distance equal to half the wall thickness, in this If we then change the ownership
of the line to the Lmuro Layer. At finar have drawn all the lines for the axes of the
walls see Figure D.














Figure D

5. Select the Layer drop-down bar gray layer and proceed to draw a line for each
shaft wall, ensuring that the line is continued from one end to the other and
drawing all the same length, so that in ETABS Grey visualize all the same. See
Figure E.
















Figure E

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6. To match the reference axes Auto CAD with ETABS, we move the drawing to the
origin of coordinates 0,0,0 at the point where we want to locate the origin. We
selected all the drawing, click on the Move icon, then give a clip at the point of
origin, we write 0,0,0 in the command line and press Enter, the pattern moves to
the point indicated.

7. Continued proceed to Save the drawing in AutoCAD DXF format, click on the Files
menu, select Save As, Table Save Drawing As dialog, click on Files Of Type and
select AutoCAD 2000 DXF. Select the folder where you want to locate the file and
go. (Figure F)




Figure F

We can end AutoCad and proceed to Importing from ETABS. The corresponding DXF
file.













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B. Part Two, Working with ETABS v8, Load the program.

1. Select a unit of measurement in meter (Ton-m), then in the menu bar click on
file, in the dropdown menu select Import. And then select the DXF Floor plan
(Figure G).

The program asks the type of initialization for the new model, using Defaulf.edb




















Figure G


2. We spent the dialogue box DXF File Import in Figure H. We abscess path
where the file DXF, Autocad Bran Calculation Example Building apartments and
click on Open.
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Figure H

3. In the following dialog box (Figure I), select the Leyer who first want to import, in
Beams select Lmuro Leyer in Plan Location select the level where you want to
locate the lines of the walls Example Base. Use the default address Z axis press
OK.


Figure I


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4. ETABS generates lines drawn in AutoCad walls at the level indicated and reference
axes in the specified coordinate. (Figure J)
Then proceed to set the height of the levels and the desired amount.


Figure J


Figure K





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From the Edit menu select Store Data Edit Edit Store following in the dialog box in
Figure K, defines the height of the floor Example 2.8 MT., Plus floor master, Story1
example. Here we can change the name of the floors.
Similarly in select Delete data Edy Store Store, We mark the Story4 and
pressed OK. To clear the level 4. And having only 3 levels.


5. Now we proceed to generate the building's walls for the three levels.
In the left window of the plan view of FIG Mause J to mark all lines of wall, then from
the Edit menu select Extrude lines To Areas. In the dialog box in Figure L, select
Linear. We use the following values

Dx = 0
Dy = 0
Dz = 2.8
Number of Floor = 3

We mark delete Source Objects box to remove wall lines in the model.


Figure L


6. ETABS we generated a model with the areas of the walls Figure M.
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Figure M

7. Then proceed to the gray matter to obtain the different elevations of the walls.


Figure N

On the File menu in Figure N, select Import, and then DXF File Of Gray Architectural seek
dxf file done in Auto Cad and press Open.
.
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Figure O

In the dialog box in Figure O, select the Grid layer and We press OK. Etabs generate
the Grey for the different axes of the walls. (Figure P)


Figure P

The following steps would define sections of walls, slabs etc.., and materials, drawing
slabs, apply loads and other functions of ETABS.
The Figure Q shows the finished work.

As we can see is extremely rapid generation of existing structures using AutoCad files.

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Figure Q



Prepared by: Mr. Federico Red (Inrroca@hotmail.com)

Translated By : Civilax Team (www.civilax.com)

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