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The CAD import feature permits Window metafiles, bitmap files, and pdf files to be opened and displayed before you layout your building. Many CAD programs allow you to export CAD files in the metafile format (they have an .emf or .wmf extension) as a bitmap (.bmp). If a pdf is used, it is first converted to a bitmap by Shearwalls.
The program permits CAD import of separate files for each level of the structure using the step-by-step CAD Import Wizard. The imported drawing is treated as a template over which you draw your structure. Once imported, the next step is to draw a block outline that roughly overlays the drawing. Then proceed to the Walls input to modify the shape of the perimeter and add interior partitions.
Note that when in CAD import view, shear walls appear transparent with diagonal lines, to allow you to see the openings below the walls in your CAD drawing. The CAD drawing can be turned on and off by pressing the CAD button on the Tool Bar.
The CAD Import Wizard cannot currently accommodate changes the CAD files after the structure has been entered in Shearwalls. If you want to import a new CAD drawing with changes made during the design process, it is possible to do so in a roundabout way.
If using a bitmap or .metafile file directly, you have to make sure the new file is scaled exactly the same as the old one, and the structure is positioned in the same location, then rename the new file so that it has the same name as the old one, and copy it into location of the old file.
If using a .pdf file, then create a new Shearwalls project, and replicate the positioning and scaling process that was used on the original file. You then rename and copy the resulting bitmap file so that it replaces the bitmap file in the original project.