SAP2000 models may be exported to DXF (Drawing Exchange Format) using the procedure which follows:

1. Save the SAP2000 SDB file within the C:\Program Files\Computers and Structures\SAP2000 folder. This is where models must be saved to perform SAP2000 operations.
   
   The example model we will use for demonstration contains at least one joint, nonlinear link, frame, shell, and solid object, as shown in Figure 1:

A few notes which concern this process are as follows:

• AutoCAD does not need to be installed on the desktop to import or export between SAP2000 and DXF.

• The only difference between export to DXF and DWG, aside from file format, is the mapping between SAP2000 objects and DXF entities, which is described in the following table:

How are text labels for section sizes exported from SAP2000 to DXF?

Answer: Text is exported to DXF only when active-window views are 2D. All labels visible in active windows will be exported.

See Also

• Export SAP2000 to DWG article

• Import DXF to SAP2000 article