Export to DWG or DXF

Export one or more views and sheets to DWG or DXF format.

  1. Click ExportCAD Formats (DWG) or (DXF).
  2. In the DWG (or DXF) Export dialog, for Select Export Setup, select the desired setup.

    To modify the selected setup or to create a new one, click (Modify Export Setup). See Modify DWG/DXF Export Setup.

  3. Select the views and sheets to export.
    If you want to export… Then…
    a single view or sheet for Export, select <current view/sheet only>.
    multiple views and sheets for Export, select <In session view/sheet set>, and then select the views and sheets to export.
  4. If you are ready to export, click Next.

    To save the current export settings and close the dialog without exporting, click Save Set & Close.

  5. In the Export CAD Formats dialog, do the following:
    1. Navigate to the target folder for the exported files.
    2. For Files of type, select an AutoCAD version for the exported DWG/DXF file.
    3. For Naming, select an option for the automatically generated file name.
    4. If you want any Revit LT or DWG links in the project to be exported to a single file rather than to several files that reference each other, clear the checkbox for Export views on sheets and links as external references.
  6. Click OK.

Revit LT exports the selected views and sheets and places the files in the target folder.

To cancel the operation, click Cancel on the status bar. If you are exporting multiple views and sheets, all of the related export operations are canceled.

Exporting background images

If you export to DWG a sheet that uses a background image, you may need to edit the Plot Options in the exported DWG file to be able to display the image correctly in AutoCAD.

To do this, launch the AutoCAD Page Setup Manager and clear Plot Paper Space Last.

Exporting colors

When you export a 3D view to a DWG or DXF file, colors are treated as follows:

  • Edge colors: Because they are not rendered in AutoCAD, edge colors are ignored on export. This behavior results in correct shaded/realistic views. (Edge overrides are longer assigned to the entire model.)
  • Phase colors: Color overrides on solid fills are supported on export, but color overrides on patterns are not supported.

Exporting lines

When you export a 2D view to a DWG file, lines are treated as follows:

  • If 2 lines overlap in the drawing, the thicker of the lines is retained. The thinner line is shortened or removed.
  • If a thick line is shorter than a thin line and its start point and endpoint fall within the thin line, no action occurs.
  • If 2 collinear lines with the same visual parameters overlap, they are merged into one. See About Exporting Models with Lines that Coincide.
  • When walls become lines in the DWG file, no short collinear lines are produced.