AutoCAD DWG Drawing Limitations in SAP 3D Visual Enterprise 9.0 FP02

AutoCAD Import Limitations The following is a list of AutoCAD features that will not give an expected viewable when using SAP 3D Visual Enterprise Author, Viewer, or Generator. AutoCAD 3D visualization materials not supported Multiple (tiled) AutoCAD Model viewport configurations not supported Visual Styles not supported Section Planes not supported Supplied per-face Normals are discarded Parametric curves, surfaces and solids imported as polylines or polygonal meshes, respectively Surfaces with gradient fills imported as dense polygonal meshes Shading of faces with single color values may change when rotated 2014 SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. 2

AutoCAD 3D Visualization Materials not Supported Issue: AutoCAD supports 3D visualization materials for realistic appearance. SAP Visual Enterprise does not import these materials. Only simple colors associated with layers, objects or faces are supported. Impact: Some AutoCAD models using 3D visualization materials and Realistic shading model will look different in SAP 3D Visual Enterprise. 2014 SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. 3

Some Visual Styles not Supported Issue: AutoCAD supports several Visual Styles for each view. SAP 3D Visual Enterprise supports only the following: 2D and 3D Wireframe Hidden Shaded Shaded with edges Impact: Appearance of model may look different in AutoCAD and SAP 3D Visual Enterprise., unless using one of the styles above. You can also override the default visual style during import using the Geometry import preference import option. 2014 SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. 4

Multiple Model Viewport Configurations not Supported Issue: AutoCAD supports multiple viewport configurations, in a tiled arrangement, for Model views. SAP 3D Visual Enterprise does not import all viewports from such configurations, but the active viewport only. Impact: Initial Model view may look different in AutoCAD and SAP 3D Visual Enterprise., unless using single viewport configuration 2014 SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. 5

Section Planes not Supported Issue: AutoCAD supports Section Planes, but SAP 3D Visual Enterprise does not import them Impact: Models that utilize section planes to create cross-sections or reveal interiors of models will look different in AutoCAD and SAP 3D Visual Enterprise. 2014 SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. 6

Supplied Face Normals discarded Issue: AutoCAD calculates face normals for tessellated quadrilateral polygonal meshes when saving DWG or DXF formats. SAP 3D Visual Enterprise discards these generated normals during import and regenerates them from the mesh geometry. Impact: Possibly none or marginal without any visible side-effect. 2014 SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. 7

Parametric Curves, Surfaces and Solids imported as Polylines or Polygonal meshes, respectively Issue: Typical AutoCAD models may utilize various parametric entities; solids, surfaces and curves. Such entities are imported tessellated and become polylines or (triangular) polygonal meshes. Impact: Size and complexity of overall scene geometry usually increases. Entities imported this way will not be parametrically editable in SAP 3D Visual Enterprise. 2014 SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. 8

Surfaces with Gradient Fills imported as Dense Polygonal Meshes Issue: AutoCAD models may utilize various types of fills for patterning surfaces. Surfaces with gradient fills cannot be imported as is in SAP 3D Visual Enterprise with the current rendering pipeline, and need to be tessellated into rather dense (depending on the steepness of the gradient) polygonal meshes in order to approximate the appearance of the original fill as much as possible. Impact: Size and complexity of overall scene geometry increases, without any changes to scene structure. Fills are not parametrically editable in SAP 3D Visual Enterprise. Since this method is just an approximation of the original it will not produce the exact result. Nevertheless, the match should be good and there should be no visible side-effects. 2014 SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. 9

Shading of Faces with Single Color Values may change when Rotated Issue: Users can specify single color values to be associated with layers, entities and faces in AutoCAD. The color (luminance) of 3D surfaces specified this way is expected to always be the same regardless of the orientation of the surface. In SAP 3D Visual Enterprise, however, the colors are imported correctly but the luminance of the surface will slightly change when the surface is rotated from its initial position. Impact: Minimal. The appearance (perceived color) of such surfaces may change slightly when the surface is rotated from its initial position. The initial luminance should be correct.. It is not possible to avoid this side-effect with the current rendering pipeline. 2014 SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. 10

AutoCAD Export Limitations The following is a list of SAP 3D Visual Enterprise features that will not give an expected viewable when either using AutoCAD or round-tripping. Scene tree structure difference when round-tripped Extra model view when round-tripped Visibility sets not supported Paper layouts are exported incorrectly Text exported as geometry Render materials not supported Raster images not supported Per-vertex colors not supported Transparency not supported Metadata not supported 2014 SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. 11

Scene Structure Difference when Round-tripped Issue: Scene structure will change between subsequent save and load sessions to/from DWG and DXF formats in SAP 3D Visual Enterprise. Impact: This should not have any effect when the exported model is loaded in AutoCAD. It only affects SAP 3D Visual Enterprise when the exported model is reimported there 2014 SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. 12

Extra Model View when Round-tripped Issue: One extra model view called Model is added in each subsequent save and load session to and from DWG and DXF formats in SAP 3D Visual Enterprise. Impact: This should not have any effect when the exported model is loaded in AutoCAD. It only affects SAP 3D Visual Enterprise when the exported model is reimported there. 2014 SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. 13

Visibility Sets not Supported Issue: Visibility Sets from SAP 3D Visual Enterprise to DWG and DXF formats are not exported Impact: Model content will look different in AutoCAD and SAP 3D Visual Enterprise. 2014 SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. 14

Paper Layouts not Supported Issue: Models with paper layouts are exported incorrectly from SAP 3D Visual Enterprise, and without the page in the background Impact: Page layouts will look different in AutoCAD and SAP 3D Visual Enterprise. 2014 SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. 15

Text exported as Geometry Issue: Text entities cannot be exported parametrically from SAP 3D Visual Enterprise to DWG and DXF formats, and are instead exported as simple tessellated geometry Impact: When imported in AutoCAD, text is not editable. Visually, it should look the same. 2014 SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. 16

Render Materials not Supported Issue: SAP 3D Visual Enterprise render materials cannot be exported to DWG and DXF formats. Only simple color materials are exported. Various material properties; for example, textures, are missing from exported models. Impact: When imported in AutoCAD, the appearance of the model may be different from that of SAP 3D Visual Enterprise. 2014 SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. 17

Raster Images not Supported Issue: Raster images (bitmaps) are not exported Impact: When imported in AutoCAD, the appearance of the model may be different from that of SAP 3D Visual Enterprise. 2014 SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. 18

Per-vertex Colors not Supported Issue: Per-vertex colors are not exported. For surfaces with per-vertex colors, the average color of the surface will be computed and exported. Impact: When imported in AutoCAD, the appearance of the model may be different to that of SAP 3D Visual Enterprise. 2014 SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. 19

Transparency not Supported Issue: Object and per-face transparency is not exported. Transparent objects and faces are exported as opaque. Impact: When imported in AutoCAD, the appearance of the model may be different to that of SAP 3D Visual Enterprise. 2014 SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. 20

Metadata not Supported Issue: SAP 3D Visual Enterprise metadata cannot be exported as AutoCAD attributes to DWG and DXF formats. However, it is possible to import AutoCAD attributes as SAP 3D Visual Enterprise metadata. Impact: When imported in AutoCAD, the SAP 3D Visual Enterprise model and instance metadata will not appear as AutoCAD attributes. 2014 SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. 21