Microsoft KB Archive/76747

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AutoCAD DXF Graphics Import Support in WinWord 2.0

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Q76747

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c, 2.0c-CD

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SUMMARY
The Word for Windows version 2.0 AutoCAD DXF graphics import filter, DXFIMP.FLT, supports two-dimensional AutoCAD exchange format (DXF) exports through version 10 of AutoCAD.

DXF exports from AutoCAD version 11 will import successfully in most cases, but AutoCAD 11 does add one specific new feature that is not supported by the Word for Windows DXF filter.

MORE INFORMATION
In AutoCAD version 11, a new feature exists that enables placement of special borders around a drawing. When such an image is imported into Word for Windows, the location and size of these border elements will potentially be misinterpreted, resulting in the borders overlapping other parts of the graphic. When using a border around a drawing in AutoCAD version 11, export the graphic as an ADI plotter file instead of DXF.

In addition, the DXF filter does not support three-dimensional graphics. Once again, the workaround for this limitation is to export the image from AutoCAD as an ADI binary plotter file. For more information on exporting ADI binary plotter files from AutoCAD, query on the following words:

"and AutoCAD and ADI and Binary"

Installation
The Word for Windows AutoCAD DXF graphics filter should be placed in:

"\MSAPPS\GRPHFLT" If the filters are kept elsewhere (for example, C:\POWERPNT or C:\WINWORD), delete the older filters and add entries to the WIN.INI file describing each new filter in a section called [MS Graphics Import Filters].

For example, WIN.INI may include an entry similar to the following:

  [MS Graphics Import Filters] AutoCAD Format 2-D(.DXF)=C:\WINDOWS\MSAPPS\GRPHFLT\DXFIMP.FLT,PLT Note: Full paths to the filter executable files must be included.

Associated Files
The following associated support files must be installed in the same directory as the DXFIMP.FLT filter or the filter will not operate:

DXFIMP.FLT

IMDXF.DLL

CGI_GDI.DLL

Features
The DXF filter has an interactive dialog box with several user- selectable options. This dialog box will not appear when inserting graphics via the Insert Picture command (the last settings specified are used without prompting). However, the dialog box will appear when importing pictures through the Microsoft Draw Import Picture command.

Note: The interactive dialog box will only appear when launching Microsoft Draw 1.x from within Word 2.x. It is not available when launching Draw from a later version of Word, including Word 6.x and 7.0.

Options are defined below.

Color Translation
  Normal         This is the most useful and most commonly used setting. Colors are portrayed as expected, as they appeared in the source application.

Gray scale    Converts colors to shades of gray.

Inverse gray  Converts colors to shades of gray of opposite intensity.

Check Boxes
  Retain         Draws a filled rectangle of the background color background    behind the image. Otherwise, the image background will be transparent.

Emulate line  Draws patterned lines using separate filled polygons styles        for best image fidelity. Note: When any of the above color mode options or check boxes are changed, these changes are written to the CGI_GDI.INI file in the Windows directory. These are the settings that will be used the next time you import a DXF graphic via Microsoft Draw, or via the Insert Picture command. In addition, because the CGI_GDI.INI is also used by the DRW and WPG import filters, a change to the settings for one filter will affect the other filters.

The following AutoCAD DXF graphics entities are supported:

AutoCAD      LayerR                                Maps Entities  (Ltype,Color)  Line Type  Color  Style   To... - -  -  -   -

Line            x            x        x            Polyline Point           x            x        x            Polymarker Circle          x            x        x            Circle Arc             x            x        x            Arc/Ellipse Trace           x            x        x            Polygon Solid           x            x        x            Polygon Text            x                     x      x     Text Shape Block                                              N/A Endblk                                             N/A Attdef          x                     x      x     Text Attrib          x                     x      x     Text Polyline        x            x        x            Polyline Vertex          x            x        x            Polyline Seqend 3dline 3dface Insert          x            x        x            * Dimension       x            x        x            *

The following is a list of features that the filter does not support. Many of these limitations are due to limitations of Windows graphics device interface (GDI) metafiles:
 * Insert, Dimension: Consists of multiple entities


 * Three-dimensional images as stated above
 * Extrusions: Related to 3-D, are not supported
 * Control codes and special characters embedded in text shapes are not supported. Mapping of special characters would require special fonts that cannot be assumed to be available.

Support for AutoCAD is the sole responsibility of Autodesk, Inc. For more information or AutoCAD support, contact Autodesk at:

2320 Marinship Way

Sausalito, CA 94965

(415) 332-2344 Reference(s):

Word for Windows 2.0 GRAPHICS.DOC file

Additional query words: grphflt dxfimp

Keywords : kbconversion

Issue type :

Technology : kbWordSearch kbWordWSearch