AutoCAD layer colours lost on 3dsmax import

[Randolph]

Hi,

I am creating a model of 4 appartment houses for z-printing. The 3d-printer requires wrl data, and should produce the RGB colours defined by the acad layers. To get a wrl file, I have to import the dwg file in 3dsmax.

PROBLEM: When I do so, the colours are replaced by similar colours of what seems to be a 3dsmax colour book (see screenshot - left screen: acad, right screen: 3dsmax). Eg, the pool is grey instead of light blue, same goes for th ewindows) I have to re-enter all RGB data per layer object.

Can anybody help me to keep the original colour data? Thank you in advance.

PS: Don't blame me for the design.

[Cad64]

Are your Autocad layer colors set ByLayer, or did you overwrite them? For example, in the layer manager, is your pool layer color set to light blue, or is it set to grey? Max will import your CAD file based on the colors set in the layer manager, not what you see on screen, unless you tell Max to import the CAD model by Color.

[Randolph]

The colours are defined in the layer manager. I avoid assigning colours per object. I'll try to import per colour now.

[Randolph]

NEGATIVE.

"Import per Color" generates the same result as "Import per Layer". Not too surprisingly, as the object color is defined by the layer. But it could have worked, you never know before trying.

[Cad64]

What color are you using for the pool layer? Maybe Max doesn't understand that color and is substituting a default grey instead? It's easy enough to just change the color once the model is imported though.

[Randolph]

Max provides 2 color palettes: max and acad. For my model in acad, I use RGB colors: 207, 98, 192 and so on. I guess you are right in saying that max substitutes the colors with the closest palette color, resulting in a grey instead of a light blue. The point is: it's a quite tiresome work to "add custom colors" as "170, 20, 95" when you have 20 or more layers (which gladly is nor the case in this case). That's why I'm looking for a way of creating my 3d-printer data more automatically.

[Cad64]

I just tried importing a CAD file using the colors 170,20,95 and 207,98,192 and they show up fine in Max. So I'm not sure why you are having problems. What version of Max are you running?

If you want to send me your CAD file, I can take a look.

[Randolph]

I tried Max 9 and Max 2008, but it's the same. Maybe I should check my variables ...