DWG (Drawing) files may be imported into SAP2000 using the same procedure as that for DXF files. This procedure is described in the Import DXF into SAP2000 article.

AutoCAD must be installed on the desktop to successfully import or export between SAP2000 and DWG. This is because DWG files are in binary format, and must be read or written using the AutoCAD functions available using
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technology and the AutoCAD API. DXF import and export, however, does not require AutoCAD installation because DXF is a text file of published and available format.

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

	MAPPING content
	DWG entity	SAP2000 object
1	AcadPoint	Joint
2	AcadLine	Frame / NLink
3	Acad3DFace	Shell
4	AcadDb3DSolid	Solid

NOTE: DWG Solid objects differ between import and export. For import, AcadDb3DSolid is useful for DWG files. For export, AcadPolyMesh is useful for obtaining object coordinates.

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NOTE: DWG Solid import was available to SAP2000 V11.0.4, but is no longer available to V12 and V14.

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Sample DWG files for import

The images which follow present the geometric configuration of DWG models which may be imported into SAP2000. For your reference, these DWG files are attached below. In these models, the Extrude command converted AutoCAD 3DFace entities into solid objects. Objects were successfully imported into SAP2000 after performing the Rotate3D operation on all solid entities.