Chapter 30: How to import a DWG drawing not created with MasterChef
Launch MasterChef from the icon on your desktop.
Note: If you are using a demo version, once loaded the program, a message will notify the remaining days of the evaluation period. If you are in
possession of the licence of the software, make sure you have inserted and installed the USB hardware key that came with the licence to use
the software.
From the main screen of the PDM module of MasterChef you double-click on the plan using the menu on
the left side or the the central grid part containing the list of projects already created.
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Before creating the new MasterChef drawing where you will import the DWG plan not created with MSC, it is
necessary to open the original file and recover some necessary information: the scale and the unit of measurement.
Open the DWG file that you want to import and, using the DISTANCE command of your CAD engine, measure the
width of a window or a door to verify if the drawing has been created in meters, centimeters, millimeters, inches..
In this case the drawing to import has been created in meters because the calculated distance is 0.7500.
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Now run the command UNITS of your CAD engine, writing in the command line _DDUNITS , in order to set the correct
unit of measurement of the drawing.
In fact the unit of measurement is often not defined, set to Unitless, or the one which has been defined is not the
correct one.
Based on the verification you did using the DISTANCE command, choose “meters” as insertion scale in the center of
the window.
If the drawing you are going to import has been created in centimeters or millimeters (i.e. 75 cm or 750 mm) set the
correct unit.
Confirm your modifications clicking on OK, then close and save the original drawing and also the CAD engine. Go
back to you project in the PDM module of MasterChef.
Note: In this way we didn’t modify anything in the original drawing, we have only changed the information about the DWG unit of measurement. The
drawing still has its original characteristics, it will be not necessary to change its scale in order to use the MasterChef commands, because it
will be inserted as block inside a new MasterChef drawing.
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Select the project where you want to add
shown here below click on the button
the new DWG (as explained in the previous chapters) and in the tool bar
and select “Add a new DWG to an existing plan”.
MasterChef will automatically open the CAD environment to start your project.
In the window that opens insert the drawing data (name, title, etc)
In the end click on the green button and the CAD engine will open automatically.
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In the CAD tolbar choose INSERT > BLOCK.
Clicking on the BROWSE button load the DWG file you want to import. At the bottom right you can see all
the information about the unit of the drawing that will be inserted as a block. On the basis of this unit of
measurement the CAD will calculateautomatically the scale factor to convert the imported block according
to the unit of measurement of the current drawing.
In this case the original drawing has been
created in meters while the MasterChef
project is in millimeters.
Then the scale factor proposed to convert
meters to millimeters will be 1000.
Make sure you have checked the options
“Insertion point: Specify On-screen” and
“Explode” on the left.
Click on the OK button to confirm.
Click anywhere inside your MasterChef
drawing in order to insert the imported
block.
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At the end click on PLAN VIEW button in the MasterChef toolpalette to display the whole drawing.
To verify if the import has been done correctly measure the width of the same window or door you had measured
before in the original drawing.
Now the size is expressed in millimeters (in this case 750 mm).
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Click on the PLAN VIEW button in the MasterChef toolpalette to display the whole drawing.
All the layers used in the original drawing have been imported and added in the layers list of MasterChef. In this
specific case the drafter of the original project has correctly categorized each object by type (walls, doors,
windows, pillars, stairs) using customized layers.
Often in the imported drawing all the objects are on the same layer. As the most important thing is to get the wall
plan, we suggest you to change the layer for all the other items (frames, fixtures, etc.).
Note: Make sure also that the wall entities are lines. In fact the MasterChef command for the creatin of 3D walls can work only with line entities
placed on layer 400-Walls-2D. Otherwise you can use the EXPLODE commmand of the CAD engine to convert all the entities to lines.
From the “Architectural” toolpalette of MasterChef run the command CONVERT LAYERS.
This command permits you to move all the entites from a generic layer to a layer of MasterChef.
In our case we use this command to move all walls from the original layer WALLS to the layer for 2D walls
of MasterChef: 400-Walls-2D.
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From the list of the generic layers on the left select the layer corresponding to 2D walls (in our case WALLS).
From the list of MasterChef layers on the right select the layer 400-Walls-2D and click on the button LINK.
The click on OK to confirm.
As you can see all the 2D walls have changed their color because their entities have been placed on the layer 400Walls-2D.
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Before extruding the 2D walls to create the 3D you have to insert the fixtures, because the already existing ones in
the original drawing are only simple CAD 2D items.
Click on the button “FIXTURES” in the “Architectural” MasterChef toolpalette.
In the window that opens, first of all you have to chooes the fixture type that you want to insert from the list on the
right:





Window
Door
Hole
Niche
Goods-lift
Select WINDOW.
Click on the preview image of the window to open the library and choose the first type.
Cofirm clicking on OK to close the library.
Make sure you have checked the following options:




Height: 1.200 mm
Height from ground: 1.000 mm
Set Width on the Screen
Set Thickness on the Screen
At the end click on OK
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Using the ZOOM command enlarge the space where you want to insert
the window in order to define better the workspace.
Then click on one of the internal corner of the opening to set the
insertion point of the window.
Now you have to specify the window width.
From the insertion point move to the opposite internal corner and click on
it.
Finally you have to specify the window thickness that corresponds to the
wall thickness.
From the insertion point move to the upper corner and click on it.
Repeat this command in the same way to insert the other doors and windows.
When you have finished inserting the MasterChef fixture, you can deactivate or freeze the original layers.
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From the “Architectural” toolpalette of MasterChef run the command EXTRUDE WALLS 2D.
The software will ask you if you want to extrude all 2D walls or to select only some entities to create 3D.
Press ENTER on your keyboard to extrude all 2D walls.
Set the roof height:
 Roof Height: 3.000 mm
Press again ENTER to confirm.
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Use the ISOMETRIC VIEWS MasterChef command to change the point of view and display your drawing in 3D.
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