Doug Pidgen Posted July 18, 2003 Share Posted July 18, 2003 We are having a problem with importing a solid model sent to us from one of our customers. Has anyone else dealt with IDEAS and know how to bring their models into IronCAD? Our customer has IDEAS Master Series and have exported the model using STEP and 3D IGES. The STEP file would not import into IronCAD. We could not get a solid from importing the IGES, the best we can do at this point is a surface model and then exporting a 3D curve IGES which we can use in our CAM. But we prefer to work with solids. CAD/CAM Programming aero-safe technologies inc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlehnhaeuser Posted July 18, 2003 Share Posted July 18, 2003 We accept alot of data from IDEAS-Master Series. The best results we have have is that Export from IDEAS in iges using the Unigraphics Flavor. This hasn't given us any problems so far. Good Luck Tom OH!!! makes sure IC is only running using the Parasolid Kernel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Pidgen Posted July 18, 2003 Author Share Posted July 18, 2003 Thanks for the tip Tom! By having "IC using only the Parasolid Kernel", do mean to turn off the "Kernal Collaboration", as well as have the default set to Parasolid? CAD/CAM Programming aero-safe technologies inc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlehnhaeuser Posted July 19, 2003 Share Posted July 19, 2003 You got it Doug. Hope it works for you. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Pidgen Posted July 22, 2003 Author Share Posted July 22, 2003 It didn't work for us Tom. The best I could do was to bring the model in as surfaces, but it wouldn't convert to a solid. If I left the default settings for importing iges, it would fail. If I selected solids only, IC said that there was no information available. I have a feeling it is how they are exporting the model, but I don't know enough about IDEAS to suggest anything to them. Do you have anything more you can tell me about it? Perhaps they are exporting surfaces and not a solid??? Doug. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest IronKevin Posted July 22, 2003 Share Posted July 22, 2003 Hi Doug, I dredged up some very old info on this subject (from around 1999) so I'm not sure if it's still valid but it may help: SDRC Recipe for exporting to IronCAD A) Adjust modeling accuracy if needed 1. Adjust the point modeling tolerance prior to creating the iges file. This will have to be done by trial and error. Increase the tolerance as tight as you can without causing the model to fail the update(regeneration) process. Usually somewhere in the .0001 - .00001 range. This will give you a better chance of converting the surfaces to a solid in IronCAD. 2. Turn menus on (ctrl-m) 3. Modify, Special Techniques, Tolerance, Modify enter the desired tolerance 4. Update(regenerate) the model. If any errors occur, the tolerance is too tight. Export the file to IronCAD 1. Select File / Export 2. Highlight IGES and then select DONE. 3. Select the Entity you want to export (click and hold right mouse to access other geometry selection methods), then click the middle mouse button (DONE). 4. Under the IGES OPTION menu, select TRIMMED SURFACES, and de-select POINTS and CURVES under Entity Class Switches. 5. Select OK 6. Under the IGES FLAVOR, select B-Spline. 7. Select DONE until all geometry is exported. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlehnhaeuser Posted July 22, 2003 Share Posted July 22, 2003 Hi Doug, What Kevin posted is a good task to try. In the meantime, I will try to retrieve the exact steps my SDRC client users when exporting files to me if I can. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Dorrington Posted July 22, 2003 Share Posted July 22, 2003 Hey folks, I have been working with this *&^$* file all day with Rhino and I thought I would just let you know what has been happening. I started with the Unigraphics flavour Iges file as per Tom's suggestion. Rhino eats this file up without any problems. It 'Checks' OK. It will export anything you want without any problems. Basically Rhino doesn't see anything wrong with the model (all surfaces). EdgeCam will open the x_t and iges output from Rhino. It says that the x_t file is non-manifold and thus won't recognize it as a solid. The iges file is all surfaces so feature recognition is not possible. IronCad chokes on any file exported from Rhino. It will bring in the iges and x_t files but they show as 5584 parts (all surfaces, it takes about an hour). It will not convert to solid. IronCad is unusable in this state. Slower than EdgeCam support. Remember that this is a single part that we are trying to make (Baseplate). It shouldn't be this difficult. I suspect the original IDEAS model (again). Our customer is certain to be thinking that we are a bunch of morons. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlehnhaeuser Posted July 22, 2003 Share Posted July 22, 2003 Rick, and Doug, My sdrc client got back to me and said that he doesn't do anything special other than export in Unigraphics flavor. The files he sends to us are usually sophisticated surfaced models. I am sorry I can't offer more, but FYI Some notes to file in the memory banks: 1. IronCAD can't see Holes and Cylidrical 3D data from SDRC imported geometry (no problems from any other CAD app). What I mean is when generating a 2D print from SDRC data. I can't access the centerpoints of the holes etc... 2. AS a var, i speak to many sdrc users looking to switch to another app. The primary reason that i hear from fustrated sdrc users is SDRC's support s___ks and the softwares abilities and capabilities haven't been updated in years to stay current with todays computer technology advancements. Since EDS purchased I don't believe its gotten any better (spectulation) So my conclusion is that any problems and isues is at the SDRC end of the rope (noose) NOT IronCAD. If possible, you may want your SDRC client to contact their technical support hotline and get their input. Knowing sdrc, they probably will just blame IC and be done with it , but its worth a shot. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Lohman Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 ...might also go back to the client and ask them to send you a basic cube to confirm that it works with the simplest of geometry. Once you know that the cube works; you can blame the more complex geometry as the area that the problem exists in. As always; rick/doug if you can send the parts that won't import to us then you will at least give us a target to work towards with enhancing our translator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Dorrington Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 Chris et al, We appreciate all the advice and assistance from everyone. Chris, this is the same job that you and I were looking at a few weeks ago where we had no luck with the STEP file. I will send you the .igs file to look at. Regards, Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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