Making Illustrator Files Look Good in ACAD

[bill]

I need to export Illustrator files to Auto CAD. I'm not an ACAD user (I have to export the files for ACAD users) but as far as I can see, ACAD 2000 wants to see just lines. Filled objects (that I've used to cover line-work so that text can be overlaid - for example) show up as boxes - even if they're invisible in Illustrator because they're colored like the background and have no stroke.

Is there a way that I can convert a Illustrator drawing (made with filled shapes and filled shapes covering line-work) into lines only? In other words - where-ever lines are covered by filled objects, the lines would just stop - and start again on the other side of the filled object.

Any suggestions would save me a lot of redrawing.

By the way - Adobe's interface is sssso superior to CAD interfaces in general. If only Adobe did 3D CAD...

[Krowazoa]

as far as I can tell you can export using "File>Export>...SaveAsType>AutoCAD Drawing (*.DWG). But I'm using Illustrator CS, and have Esko-Graphics free plugin, I'm not sure if it gave me the ability to export as a DWG or not. Adobe has a list of plugins you may want to checkout. http://www.adobe.com/products/plugins/illustrator/main.html

[scottie]

AutoCAD doesn't like AI text and AI doesn't like AutoCAD text. If you must export text then use Helvetica, Left justified, size in inches. You can use the scissors tool to mark and remove the lines under your text. AutoCAD uses 16 places of accuracy and AI uses 3 to 4 and rounds off. Avoid hatch patterns and fonted lines. Autocad will turn them into individual line segments. Basicly just send AutoCAD basic line art and to the text and fills in AutoCad. Remember that AutoCAD is PC based and runs on Windozzzzzzzz. I used to have a MAC version of AutoCAD in the 80's that ran on a PC, but it was very slow and locked up all the time.