Working with CAD data – Exporting data for use in CAD software

When exporting vector data from Scalgo Live, you can choose the DWG file format, a common interchange format for CAD software (and at the same time the native file format for AutoCAD and Civil3D).

Scalgo Live always uses geographic coordinates in your chosen coordinate system (Spatial reference).  Using longitude and latitude (WGS 84) is not common for use in CAD software, so you will be using a meter-based coordinate system such as a UTM zone.  They have the advantage that distances in the coordinate system are actual distances in meters in the real world.

When importing a DWG file from Scalgo Live into your CAD software, you will therefore want to set the insertion units to meters.

However, when opening a DWG file directly in AutoCAD, for instance by double-clicking it, you are not being asked for units.  AutoCAD assumes coordinates in its document to be in millimeters for metric models or in inches for imperial models.   When creating a viewport for your paper layout, a 10m long wall will be 10mm long at scale 1:1

DWG and DXF are the only file formats that can represent smooth curves (splines), which Scalgo Live uses, for instance, for contour lines.   If you prefer not to export smooth curves, tick the "create polygonal output" box.  This causes Scalgo Live to approximate the smooth curves by polygonal lines, just like it does for all other vector output formats.