Well, if you select Export > DWG, you can go to the second Tab, DWG Properties. The first thing is Layers and Properties. Select the box on the side and you can define the translation of all revit elements to dwg layers. It's a lot of work to set up, but after this you can save this file as a txt-file and keep reusing it.

Thanks,
Yep I know where to find the options for it, I was looking at starting out setting this dialogue up to translate elements and detail items into the right layers so that there is no re-work to be done once it hits our CAD system.

As it stands out of the box, this simply is impossible.

I've got mastering revit structure 2010 (the book), and I have searched pretty extensively across other forums and blogs, but I can not find anything even remotely resembling a tutorial on the topic, or anything past ultra basic info about it, which to be honest I already understand it's purpose and location, I want to understand how to make that work for me, and how changing something will affect the CAD version.
At the moment I'm down to trial and error, and with a list of possible layers to create out of objects there must be hundreds in that list, so it's going to take me a while....

At this point, I'm of the opinion its in the too hard basket, I feel like I'm just fumbling around in the dark.

If you can, start with 2012, they have made some fundamental changes to the options available for controlling DWG exports, with 2011 and prior, the control you have is very limited, and in most cases inconsistent

If you are dealing with 2011 or prior, I can only suggest first start with the layer export translation file in a fresh template file, and go through each category mapping to the layers and colors you require. Once you import DWGs into a project the layers for these get added to the layer export file, making a massively long list of categories

Following that, play around with the DWG export properties dialog and export some samples to test the results, but there isnt too many options here.

Then you are stuck, you dont have any more options within Revit, the next step is post process in AutoCAD if you have strict requirements of DWG content standards. If you have a lot of drawings, some simple AutoCAD scripts can be useful

Depending on the standards I would say get ready to setup lots of sub-catagories, they are the key to getting elements into the Correct Layers.

Text is honestly one of my big issues with exports.

We had to setup a couple of very specific templates a while ago for clients.

WA public jobs still has alot to do with setting this stuff up to allow documents through, it takes some real determination to get this right and then applying all the time.

Hi,
Some issue we have had when exporting to dwg is if you have members in a group. For example if you have laid your purlins out on the roof using an Array which create a group for the members. When exporting this layout to dwg the purlins are all in individual (seperat) blocks and also in the wrong layer ie not in the layer specified in the Export Layer dialog.

Cheers,

J

Thanks for all the input guys, it appears that this is just as complicated as I suspected it was going to be.

I'm wondering if its worth me even trying (and probably failing alot) or if we should just get an external entity specialising in setting companies up for revit interoperability, and just have them do the set-up and get it right for us. It is critical that these layers meet standards set out by these external clients. If they do not, the drawings simply get rejected. Forget the fact that the design intent is clear, and the drawings could be used for building, no no, the thing to reject a drawing on is "layers" and "text styles" makes me shake my head in disbelief at times the levels of beuracracy....anyways thats probably an entirely different post in itself...

I can understand the need for company standards, but unless they are prepared to supply their consultants with revit setup files to meet their standards which are in all honesty not industry standards anyways, then they should just allow your contractors to supply drawings that simply meet the appropriate national standards....I dont get it, but then again thats why Im not in government or heirachical beauracracy I guess. *sigh*

Thanks anyways, obviously my frustration at trying to work this out is shining through. External revit setup contractors here I come.

mdradvies, Pls, how can I save this file as a txt-file? I did'nt find how to do this... tks a lot!

Sorry, looks like this feature was removed... See: Revit OpEd: Saving or Sharing Export DWG Layer Standards
Only thing you can do is create your own by editing the txt-files Steve supplies here and then load this into your project.

Tks. I'll do this. I only wanted to export what I had configured to check this and save... I'll try to use this ones suplied. Do you know how can I find one beside ABNT version (Brazil)? Tks