The Converter File ACADHCAD.DAT

The ACADHCAD.DAT converter file stored in the HiCAD SYS directory is needed for the conversion of DXF files into HiCAD drawings. The ACADHCAD.DAT file determines:

 

Example for the beginning of the ACADHCAD.DAT file:

BEMAS 0   # Geometric/create real dimension (0/1)

LAYFI 0   # Assign block figure / layer figure (0/1)

LAYNA 0   # Transfer dxf-layer name as HiCAD-layer name (0/1)

LAYNR 1   # Transfer numeric dxf-layer name as HiCAD-layer number (1/0)

LAYT0 0   # Transfer of texts to frozen LAYERS (1/0)

LPOLY 0   # Display polyline widths (1/0)

FILSR 0  # Fill surfaces (0/-1=Fill/-2=Hatch/Code from SCHRAF.DAT)

FILHA -2 # Fill surfaces with HATCH (0/-1=Fill/-2=Hatch)

TLEER 0 # Transfer empty texts                  (1/0)

BLKBE *D # Block identifier for dimensioning (geometric)

BLKSR *X # Block identifier for hatching

COLBE 3 # HiCAD colour for dimensioning (for geometric dimensions)

COLSR 1 # HiCAD colour for hatching (for geometric hatching)

VIEWP 1 # Evaluate VIEWPORTS (0/1)

SPLIN 2 # SPLINE conversion: 0=Polyline

#                                -1=Curved-splines

#                                 1=Curved-splines - Approximated

#                                 2=B-Splines

UCFNT 1   # Transfer unicode text sequence to character (1/0)

UCNAM 1   # Transfer unicode name sequence to character (1/0)

CPAGE 1   # Evaluate Code Page (1/0/CodePageNo.)

DIMAS 0   # Take scale from DXF-$DIMSCALE

SPAFI 1   # Evaluate SPATIAL_FILTER (1/0)

LTYPE CONTINUOUS   1  -1 # HiCAD line type and colour (Colour<=-1: Ignore)

LTYPE AUSGEZOGEN   1

LTYPE DOT        2

LTYPE DASHED  3

LTYPE DASHDOT  4

UNIFO 1 # Only for Unicode Text: Set TT font (1) automatically

HATCH 10 1 1 1 ' HATCH: (-)layer colour line width type - HATCH: (-)Layer Colour Line width Line type

SYMSR SOIL 3335 0.1 ' SYMSR: DXF-hatch-name Symbolnumber Factor - SYMSR: DXF-Hatching-Name Symbol number factor

SYMSR STEEL 22 ' SYMSR: DXF-hatch-name Hatch-Code - SYMSR: DXF-Hatch-Name Hatch-Code

 

You can also use customer-specific conversion files. These can be saved with the file extensions .DA1, .DA2 or .DA3, i.e.  not .DAT.
In this context please also read the DXF/DWG Settings topic.

BEMAS controls the way in which dimensioning is transferred (0 or 1). Consider using geometric transfer (BEMAS 0). This ensures the precise transfer of the DXF geometric block.

Use COLOR entries to assign DXF layer colours to HiCAD colours.

Up to 256 colour assigning can be specified. Undefined colours are, in HiCAD, assigned default colour 0. If no COLOR entries are present, HiCAD accepts ACAD colours.

In the ACADHCAD.DAT file, the keywords COLBE and COLSR enable you to assign colours for dimensioning and hatching. The default setting is

COLBE 3

COLSR 1.

The COLSR entry only influences "Block“ hatching. "HATCH" hatching can be assigned via the entry No.1; No.2; No.3; No.4:

Dimensions are not influenced.

If you do not make these entries or set -1 for the value, assignment is made via COLOR.

With DXF splines, i.e. B-splines, node vectors can also be transferred. In this case, 2 should be set for the SPLINE value in ACADHCAD to ensure conformity.

B-Splines cannot be created interactively in HiCAD with node points. Node points transferred from DXF can therefore not be changed interactively. If you change the number of spline support points, the program may issue the error message Error in B-Splines: node and support points do not match; node point data may be lost.

If the entry FILESR [HiCAD hatch-code number] can be detected in the ACADHCAD.DAT file, rendered surfaces (SOLID and POLYLINE) contained in a DXF definition are, in HiCAD, filled with component hatching. Hatching is then only executed if a number > 0 has been set, and the value 1 set for $FILEMOD in the DXF file. Subtractions (empty areas) in hatching are handled as construction components, i.e. as auxiliary parts that do not appear in the component list.

LTYPE enables you to determine the assigning of DXF line types to HiCAD line types. Blanks are represented by dots. The entry * assigns the given HiCAD line type to all LINETYPES without explicit definitions.

A line colour can be assigned by the second number (-1=ignore). You can also assign a colour to a specified line type with COLAR. Colour assignments made with COLAR are given precedence over those made with COLOR or LTYPE

LAYNA (0;1) enables you to specify whether DXF layer names should be automatically transferred to HiCAD layer numbers (LAYNA 1). Setting 1 should only be used if layer names are also needed. Setting 0 creates far more compact HiCAD files (recommended setting).

LAYNR 1 enables the direct assigning of numeric layer names to HiCAD layer names (apart from LAYER 0).

LAYT0 can be used to prevent text on frozen layers from being taken over, that would otherwise be passed to layer 0.

For the LAYOU setting in HiCAD you can choose between the following options:

LAYOU 0: Read all layouts at once (incl. model), without query

LAYOU 1: Offering of the layouts and the model for selection, as well as the option "All" (when selecting individual layouts, the model will always be deleted).

("<0": identical with 0; "<1": identical with 1)

When processing lists, all layouts (incl. model) will be read, irrespective of ACADHCAD settings.

 

Use the CPAGE setting to enter the CodePage number to be used. The CPAGEentry will then be evaluated as follows:

In the ACADHCAD.DAT file the significance of the STYLE entry has been enhanced to include fonts and the automatic detection of character fonts from DXF character width: The font can be entered as second id after character font (Default 1). If  0 is entered in the character font column, the font is automatically calculated from the character width and oblique angle. To assist justification, a correction factor for width determination (generally value >= 1) can be entered behind the font column. NB: the smaller the factor, the smaller the size of the character font. If –1 is entered in the character font column, character width is flexible (width factor), and detected for character font 1. In this case the width can be changed.

Example: 'STYLE STANDARD 0 2 0.9' >=Text font=2, automatic determination of character font (width value reduced by 0.9 )

As different results are obtained between linear and proportional fonts, it is recommended to create a sample text to find the best solution for font 1 and 2.

DXF/DWG material hatchings (HATCH) are always transferred as 2-D part hatchings. Via the SYMSR value, e.g. "SYMSR SAND 3309 0.5", you can assign the HiCAD symbol hatching 3309 (from sys\Symtab.SZA) to the DXF hatching "SAND", while multiplying the symbol distances with factor 0.5. ). The DXF hatching name can be taken from the end of the part name of the hatching in HiCAD (here: "_HATCH__SAND“).

The keyword ASCII in the ACADHCAD.DAT can be used to convert special characters, e.g. ASCII 204 132.

All characters having the number 204 in the source DXF format are conversion into character 132. This command is particularly useful for converting special characters used in other operating systems into the current operating system. HiCAD uses the ANSI character set.

A DXF file is conversion into a HiCAD drawing during loading.

An internal auxiliary file, ACADHCAD.PAR, and an error message file are created during conversion. The ACADHCD.PAR contains information about the line type names, layer names and text style names contained in the DXF file.

 

Please note:

Designations (e.g. font names) containing spaces must be placed between quotation marks (") e.g.: STYLE T4 ''Times New Roman'' times.ttf 1.0

2-D Interfaces • Load DXF/DWG File • DXF/DWG Settings