How to Insert AutoCAD Into SmartDraw
By Theon Weber
Updated February 10, 2017
AutoCAD and SmartDraw, two common computer-assisted design programs, share a limited compatibility with each other. The best way to get AutoCAD drawings or objects into SmartDraw is to save them in the more portable DXF format, which is designed to be read by other CAD programs. SmartDraw is not guaranteed to read every AutoCAD-created DXF file, but making sure to save your drawing in the proper version of the file format will help your chances.
Open your drawing in AutoCAD. Click "File," then "Save As."
Click on a DXF format from the drop-down box. SmartDraw only supports DXF formats up to the AutoCAD 14 version, so be sure not to select a version higher than that. Now, if you want to import your entire drawing into SmartDraw, skip to step 4. If you only want to import specific objects, you'll need to make a few changes to AutoCAD's save options, so continue to step 3.
Click "Tools," then "Options." In the Save As Options box, select the DXF format you're using and then click "Select Objects." Enter a value for the conversion's accuracy — the number denotes to how many decimal places the object data will be copied. For maximum quality, enter "16." Click "OK."
Enter a filename for your DXF file and click "Save." If you're only saving specific objects, you will now be prompted to select those objects with the mouse; when you're done, press "Enter."
Close AutoCAD, open SmartDraw and use the "File," "Open" command to open the saved DXF file.
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Writer Bio
Theon Weber has been a professional writer and critic since 2006, writing for the Village Voice, the Portland Mercury, and the late Blender Magazine. He was a staff writer at the Web-based Stylus Magazine from 2005 to its closure in 2007.