- Make sure the DXF is not opened somewhere (like in CAD-software). Otherwise the DXF-import will not work.
- Go to File > Import > Import from DXF. The following dialogue appears:
- The DXF must be of the ASCII-format.
- The DXF may only contain lines or polylines (no blocks, hatches, annotations, …).
The lines are the bar axis of the structural components. - Remove details and unnecessary elements/ layers.
They will make the model heavy, can cause trouble in the mesh generation and result in peaks. - Use layers in the DXF: each layer will become a Design Type allowing you to quickly built up the model.
- Browse to the location of the DXF and hit ‘Open’. The following dialogue appears:
The most important parameters are:- Indicate the layers you would like to import.
- Indicate the units.
- If the model is drawn in CAD: pick the convention xyz -> x(-z)y.
Top view drawing plane AutoCAD = XY – plane
Top view drawing plane Diamonds = XZ – plane
- Hit ‘OK’ to do the import.
- If you don’t see the import, it’s probably because the import is outside the bounds of your screen.
- Press F12 or click on the button
to show the imported lines as large as possible on the screen. - Double click a point to see its position in relation to the origin.
- If the model is more than 50m away from the origin, use the translation function
to move it near the origin. - Let’s say the structure is 1km away from the origin. Those 1km in additional coordinates won’t contribute to better results or better rendering. On the contrary. So why keep them? It’s best to have your structure near the origin.
- Double click a line and verify its length.
If the length is a factor X too big or small, you can use the scale function
to correct it. If the import was made in the wrong plane, either you redo the import in the correct plane or you use the rotation function 
to correct it.
