Solidworks to Pro/E question

[SrGilberto]

What is the best way to bring a Solidworks model into Pro/E?


We are expecting to get a model from a supplier but we may need to manipulate it. They use Solidworks. We use Pro/E.


Thank you for a speedy response,
SrGilberto

 

[AHA-D]

As good as all translations start out as dumb translations. They convert 3D information and that's it. After that it can go two ways. You have some kind of feature recognizer that tries to find protrusions, cuts, holes, etc... When they're found they can get parameters ans subsequently be changed. The other way is direct manipulation. You have a cilindric cutout in a solid, the software allows you to move the face which in turn modifies the solid.


I have no knowledge of either function in ProE. Some other CAD I know has some of these functionality.


Third party programs claim to be able to intelligently translate models, but I have never seen any example of results of this where I could indepently compare the original against the translation. Guess you don't know until you try.


So the final thing you are left with in plain ProE is to modify by hand. You can add material, cut away material, ... with the standard functions. You can create offset surfaces and replace the original with the offset. Guess that's about it.


Alex

 

[jelston]

SW can save a file as a native Pro/E file (SW is saving to Pro/E, while Pro/e is having trouble saving to Pro/E)

 

[magneplanar]

SrGilberto,

have them save the file as a neutral file, the option to save as a pro-e file actually generates this neutral file that can be opened by pro-e but has no detailed features.
if you have the latest pro-e then you can recognize some of the features with import, if I am not mistaken.

Jelston,

have you actually tried to do this? I dare you to show a file saved in solidwerkz that has full features available in pro-e. Even solidworks feature recognition can only do limited features and virtually no surface features on an imported part. No software for translation can produce a fully featured part from import geometry without additional actions. That is why translation companies still have business in feature building for import parts.

be nice

M

 

[c_thompson_68]

Occasionally, I have had past issues when opening a SW file into Pro-E that was saved as a Pro-E file. The models may not be solid due to gaps between the surfaces. I find saving as a STEP to generally be more reliable.

If viewing the feature dimensions / tolerances are important, than I would suggest having your supplier create an eDrawing file as well. When I need to modify a part created in SolidWorks, I usually have a session of both SW & Pro-E open at the same time, and remodel the part in Pro-E. I have also done this for other clients. If you need help, let me know.

 

[tommypurple2]

If you plan on doing any work on the Solidworks model in Pro Engineer you will need to get a step format model. The neutral (neu) format may come in as a solid model in Pro E, but the geometry will be very questionable and difficult to work with.


Do not get a parasolid (x_t) they are horrible!

 

[magneplanar]

tommypurple2,

i agree about the quality of a neutral file, sometimes its a pain

cheers,

M

 

[prohammy]

SrG,


From past experience, forget neutral and go for STEP.Problem is that you are going to be using very 'heavy' models that will cause you some grief


Kev

 

[SrGilberto]

The step file is the way that we usuallyreceive models from vendors using other cad programs. I'm able to do the usual feature creations on those models when I need to manipulate thema little. I was encouraged to hear that S.W. can save a file as a Pro/E model, but I was also discouraged to hear some of you say that it's not really as great as it sounds.


Thanks,


SrG.

 

[ilmegor]

I'm using SW 2007 and translating file to WF 4.0 often, after many trials, to my experience, the best translatin is ACIS (.sat) file , it gives me the solid parts when others format (even stp)cannot. Just give it a try.

 

[Dell_Boy]

I'm using SW 2007 and translating file to WF 4.0 often, after many trials, to my experience, the best translatin is ACIS (.sat) file , it gives me the solid parts when others format (even stp)cannot. Just give it a try.

I know from experience that SW is awful at importing large .stp assemblies. Now you appear to be saying that it is awful at exporting them as well.

But thanks for the tip about ACIS



DB