Cleaning Up Imported Drawing Files
CAD users sometimes have to comb various garbage out of imported files to get rid of problems. September 27, 2009
Question
I'm working with ACAD2009. When trying to offset faces using SOLIDEDIT, I'm getting this message on the command line, "Modeling Operation Error: No solution for a vertex."
I had this problem before but only on a certain few objects and I was ignoring it by using "extrude faces" instead. But now, this is on entire file, with every single object. I started file with architects dwg file. Does anybody have any ideas?
Forum Responses
(CAD Forum)
From contributor A:
Try copying and pasting the objects you are working on into a new drawing. Sometimes you are starting with a corrupted drawing and it does weird things.
From the original questioner:
I did that but it did not fix the problem.
From contributor B:
I had that problem and it was a corrupted drawing template and also I had it come when trying to stretch particular complex solids.
In the same drawing with the error, if you draw a simple rectangle and extrude it to a solid, then try to move a face, do you still get the error? If so, try to open a new drawing and draw a new rectangle, then make it a solid and see if you get the error from there.
When trying it in a new drawing DO NOT use your usual template; use the ACAD.dwt from the template list. The problem I had before was a corrupt template.
From the original questioner:
I always use my templates and they work just fine. This time I decided to start drawing from Architects dwg. I tried different ways to fix this. It looks like the problem is related to location of the objects to the 0,0 point. The closer objects are to 0,0, the fewer errors I get. This drawing is all in metric and accordingly everything is 25.4 times farther and larger. I moved those objects closer to 0,0 and it seem to work fine. But it has not completely resolved the issue.
From contributor B:
I have found when working with other people’s dwgs, you may have problems because you don’t know what they have brought into the drawing and from where. If I want to use something from an architects drawing, I copy it into a new drawing then put it on my layers, then purge to make sure I get rid of all their layers. I check for hidden objects like blocks, shapes and so on, then I copy it to the drawing I will do the final work in. This cuts out about 95% of the garbage in others drawings. Also I had a client who had an issue with my software working. He had a elevation of some uppers and lowers and wanted to make raised panels and the program would not draw the raised panels. The elevation also contained a block of a wolf range and some crown molding he had downloaded. What it came down to was the crown molding. When we put the crown on its own layer and turned it off, the program worked. So something came in with the crown that affected the drawing. Perhaps a ghost in the machine? Remember just because you don’t see something doesn’t mean it is not there. Over the years I have gotten good at monster hunting and have found that it is smarter to start from scratch and cleanse any imported objects before bringing them in contact with your final drawing. I’ll bet anything you have a hidden monster in the drawing that you need to identify. And, by the way, copping from one to another drawing will not always solve the problem.
From the original questioner:
To contributor B: You are right. Usually I do not use anything from anybody's drawing file. I prefer to start from scratch and do not import anything from architecturals. But sometimes we think we can save some time and ending up wasting it. Anyway, I appreciate any constructive response in respect to the issue I have described in my original posting.
From contributor C:
What software is the architect using? I am not 100% sure what your problem is, but most likely the architect used a different software other than plain ACAD. Then he exported the drawing to a DWG format for sharing purposes. The problem with that is, depending on what kind of software he originally used, the translation to DWG comes with shortcomings similar to the one you are having. The best approach to this is starting from your template from scratch. You can also xref the original file to your template to give you a head start.
From the original questioner:
To contributor C: You are right about Xrefing architecturals and then just detaching xref, so nothing is left in the drawing. It is too late now. I found a way around it. I'm moving objects I want to edit closer to 0,0, and then it works just fine. Then I am putting them back where they belong. I'm still curious about what is causing this. I do not know what software the architect used, but it definitely was something else and not AutoCAD.
