QCAD.org Forum

OSX v10.14.6
QCAD Pro v3.23.0.0

I am a new user of QCAD Pro and am having some difficulty opening some DWG files which I thought were fairly simple drawings. The file appears to open OK and the layer list is presented but there is no drawing shown. This only happens in the case of a few files - most DWG files open OK. I'm attaching a problem file and would appreciate any assistance on this. Thanks!

Your drawings details seems to sit inside blocks.
Qcad uses blocks as groups.
In the Model space there aren't any block refs so nothing shows.
In Layoutspace I see an A3 landscape with drawing entities.
And these are all part of the different layers.
This confuses me too.

Hi FergusB - welcome to the QCAD forum,

FergusB wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 12, 2019 1:28 am

This only happens in the case of a few files - most DWG files open OK. I'm attaching a problem file and would appreciate any assistance on this. Thanks!

QCAD expects dxf/dwg drawings based on the standard - this example drawing has nothing to do with a "standard" drawing. I can't say what messed this drawing up (an other CAD program, a dwg converter etc.) but it is difficult for QCAD to handle it.

1. the drawing should be on Model_Space but it is on Paper_Space
2. Blocks are not really blocks, it looks like a "puzzle" of entities ...
3. I have no proof but I've the feeling 3D played also a role ...

Howsoever - it is partly fixable. Open the edit mode for the paper_space, select everything and cut it into the clipboard. Make the Model_Space active and insert the content of the clipboard into the model_space. Save the drawing after every successful step - this drawing could crash QCAD. Next, try just in case, to flatten the drawing to 2D: Menu/Misc/Modify/Flatten Drawing to 2d. Then purge all unused layers and blocks: Menu/Modify/Purge unused layers and blocks.

The result should be something like this:

Addition note: Avoid file names with special characters like # (#394 Radio Battery Distribution.dwg). A few Operation systems have still problems with that

Many thanks for the help. As these are fairly simple drawings, I can work with your fix. As they are 15 years old, it is quite possible that they may have been corrupted by another application over the years. Thanks again.