QCAD does not show all data

[pmbaokhanh]

Hi,
I have this sample DWG file. When opening in Autodesk DWG Trueview, I can see all text and tables. However, when opening in QCAD, I can only see the drawing. Could you advise me why please? I'm using dwg2pdf to do the conversion and I have the same issue. Is it because QCAD does not support all complex objects?

Thanks team.

Windows 11
QCAD Professional Trial
3.32.3.0 (3.32.3)

[CVH]

Hi,

Have a look at Layout 'D-size Plot'.
Besides 2 Viewports there are 29 entities drawn in that Block.

Report back if something else is missing, please specify what.

Regards,
CVH

[pmbaokhanh]

Thanks a lot CVH.

I'm very new to how CAD works and also QCAD
When selected all the blocks, I can see as screenshot. However:
1. T37 and T38 block cannot be displayed together with other blocks. How can they be displayed?
2. Numbering seems strange, I assume it is because of missing font?
3. The page size seems strange?
4. How can I use dwg2pdf to export with multiple blocks similar to what I see in Autodesk DWG Trueview?

Thanks a lot,

Minh Phan

[CVH]

Hi,

As far as I can tell...
A double click on Layout (= Edit Block) shows what is in your screen capture 'Screenshot 2025-07-28 184546.png'.

That doesn't look like 'Screenshot 2025-07-29 012013.png' ... Using QCAD 3.27.6 Win7 32bit Qt 5.13.2

I can replicate the exact look using QCAD 3.32.2 (Trial) Win7 32bit Qt 5.13.2 ... Including not asking to auto scale to paper.

Another thing I remarked is that it takes at least 10 time longer to load in the latest release.

Similar reported behavior but then for an export with the command line tool dwg2pdf.

Regards,
CVH

[pmbaokhanh]

Hi,

I used the dwg2pdf tool with the command line as the thread that you mentioned. It produced the same result as if I use QCAD GUI which is kind of the same as what we see in the GUI. Is there an option we can pass into the dwg2pdf tool that we can display all blocks to make it the same what we see in Autodesk Trueview?

Thanks a lot,

Regards,
Minh Phan

[pmbaokhanh]

Hi,

We made some progress with the version 3.27.6.0 (3.27.6) where I can see that there are 2 spaces. Is there a way using dwg2pdf that I can do export all the spaces in the DWG file to PDF? similar to the file attached.

Thanks a lot,

Regards,

Minh Phan

[CVH]

Hi,

1. T37 and T38 block cannot be displayed together with other blocks. How can they be displayed?

Correction: Block '*T37' and '*T38' ... Andrew called that an 'Anonymous Block'.
I opened the file in 3.27.6 (1.5sec) and fixed the invalid Block names (menu Misc .. Block .. Fix Block Names).
That eliminated the prefixes.
Saved that correction with suffix 'revR21'.

blocks_and_tables_-_imperial_revR21.dwg

(116.31 KiB) Downloaded 105 times

They then show up in 3.32.2 when loaded (>20sec) in the Layout Block.
As already mentioned: Switching to the Layout does not ask to auto fit the drawing to paper.

Unaware which other things have been corrected or 'fixed' in the process.
At least I see 29 reports on 'Unsupported XData type NOT imported: 1005' when loading the original file.

2. Numbering seems strange, I assume it is because of missing font?

Most text based uses 'romans' ... Probably an ACAD font based on a SHX compiled shape file 'romans.shx'.
QCAD does not support that and it is probably rendered in 'RomanS' based on a CXF file.
See 'RomanS.cxf' as a QCAD native font 'replacement' for the SHX type ... Strangely enough it is listed as TTF per exception.

Menu Edit .. Substitute Fonts (FF) list 4 used fonts in the original file.

3. The page size seems strange?

A page Layout typically stores Viewport Scale and XY offset of the lower left corner among other things.
I see that the paper is ISO A4, Block Viewport Scale is 1:1 (= default) but X and Y offset are both empty what probably defaults to (0.0, 0.0).
OR the page layout was not yet configured OR there is missing data OR there is corrupt data.

4. How can I use dwg2pdf to export with multiple blocks similar to what I see in Autodesk DWG Trueview?

A) You can not in QCAD version 3.32.2 (See higher), a bug report was filed by Andrew himself.
B) The command line tool dwg2pdf would typically export the model (Model_Space Block).
It can be configured to export a certain Block, Layout Block or set of with the -block=... switch (Reference).
Also use switch -a or -auto-fit and -auto-orientation ... And perhaps -c or -center and -color-correction.

Depending your paper border that may result in a paper scale of 0.334 like in my case.
The drawing includes the scale as 1/4" = 1', a 3' wide door (1) is drawn as 3/4" wide ...
... The drawing is thus drawn at scale what is not really advisable.

Common practice is to draw everything in real world size depending the chosen drawing unit (inch).
That spares you the trouble of converting real world measurements to drawing measurements, forth and back for each edit.
How that is presented on paper depends on a paper scale in a final stage.

Drawing to scale is an (outdated) practice from the time when we drew directly in ink on a limited page size, using a ruler and compass.

For a door to be 3/4" wide on paper (or virtual paper as PDF) you need at least a page that is 34" wide and 23" high in Landscape.
Or a page larger than ISO A1 ... Type 'Arch D' seems to fit (Figures, the layout is called 'D-size Plot').

similar to what I see in Autodesk DWG Trueview?

"QCAD is never intended to be yet another ACAD clone".
"When comparing applications, please compare licence type and fee(-s)"
QCAD may do things differently and follows the DXF standard for supported concepts.
Other applications may implement standard or not standard 'aka' custom methods.

. . . . . . . .

We made some progress with the version 3.27.6.0 (3.27.6) where I can see that there are 2 spaces.

So you also have access to the (not so ) obsolete 3.27.6 version of QCAD ...
Page 1 displays the model (Model_Space Block).
Page 2 displays the content of the Layout Block 'D-size Plot' ... As intended ... What fails in 3.32.3.

Is this exported by QCAD? Probably not: PDF-Producent is reported as 'Any DWG to PDF Converter'
If that suits you better then I would pay the 83$ fee.

Is there a way using dwg2pdf that I can do export all the spaces in the DWG file to PDF?

I assume yes, with -block=Model,D-size Plot (Perhaps the second needs quotes)
'All spaces' would require some sort of regular expression.
I think that you need to well configure the general page properties and that of the layout(s) first.

Regards,
CVH

[pmbaokhanh]

Hi,

Thank you so much for your comprehensive investigation and reply. I will try with -block= using expression.

Thanks a lot again.

Regards,

Minh Phan

[pmbaokhanh]

Hi,

I have tried to use this command to export only *Model_Space and *Paper_Space
.\dwg2pdf.bat -block="*Model_Space,*Paper_Space" -f "C:\Users\Minh Phan\Downloads\blocks_and_tables_-_imperial.dwg

I, however, got this error
RScriptHandlerEcma::eval: script engine exception: "SyntaxError: Invalid regular expression: nothing to repeat"

I assume it is reading the block name as regular expression. Could you advise me how to do the export for only those blocks please?

Regards,

Minh Phan

[CVH]

Hi,
Not an expert in this (Quote: 'All spaces' would require some sort of regular expression.')

The asterisk is the 'greedy' quantifier in a regular expression:

• * matches the previous token between zero and unlimited times, as many times as possible, giving back as needed (greedy)

There is indeed no token in front of the asterisk.


Normal Blocks their names are as listed in the Block List.
I then assumed (wrongly) that the name of the Model_Space Block is 'Model'.

Digging deeper because we don't use that in JS scripting ... We use the function isModelSpace().
The function isModelSpace() in RBlock.h compares with modelSpaceName (RBlock::modelSpaceName).
This parameter is defined in RBlock.cpp as RBlock::modelSpaceName = "*Model_Space";

Querying the Model_Space Block and revealing its name with getName() returns '*Model_Space'.
The Block name of layouts queried in the same way return '*Paper_Space[xx]'.
Where [xx] is empty or a number counting up from zero.

Still, I was not that wrong ... The layout name of the Model_Space Block is 'Model' with getLayoutName().
Per analog the layout name of a Layout Block is also what is in front of the brackets in the Layer List.

In the code that processes the -block arguments (Pro script common.js) it first test for layout names.

What does the following command line instruction do?

Code: Select all

.\dwg2pdf.bat -block=Model,"D-size Plot" -auto-fit -auto-orientation -f "C:\Users\Minh Phan\Downloads\blocks_and_tables_-_imperial.dwg

This is not yet a solution for 'All spaces' of any arbitrary drawing file.
Any page layout besides 'Model' would be something as:

Code: Select all

\*Paper_Space\d*

Explained as: starting with an asterisk literally, followed by the term 'Paper_Space' literally, followed by a digit between zero and unlimited times.
Again, I am not an expert in this matter.

By default this RegEx is preformed as:

Code: Select all

/^\*Paper_Space\d*$/i

Explained as: The match explained as above but strictly from the start to the end and all that case insensitive.

Regards,
CVH

[pmbaokhanh]

Hi,

Thank you so much for your help.

Regards,

Minh Phan