inventor

[spi]

Anyone import inventor part files? Is there a quick to get rid of wireframe that is imported? Will adding the Solids option eliminate this problem?

[robk]

quote:

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Will adding the Solids option eliminate this problem?

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Yes

 

Right out of Mastercam's help menu (Search fo inventor)....

 

quote:

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5. Select whether to import Solids or Trimmed surfaces. Selecting Solids converts the solid to a Mastercam solid (without operation history). Selecting Trimmed surfaces converts each face to a trimmed surface.

 

Note: You must have purchased a Solids license to import solids.

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[G Caputo]

All my models come from inventor. Nor sure as to why you would want to get rid of the wireframe though. I put the solid on one level and the wireframe on another, that way it is there if I need it. With solids the model comes in good, but it is a "dumb" solid meaning it has no history tree.

[Psychomill]

+1 G....

 

same here

 

A customer's file is like a box o' chocolates....

You never know whatcha gonna get

[robk]

quote:

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Nor sure as to why you would want to get rid of the wireframe though.

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I do it to reduce the size of the file, and also to machine from the solid. If I need to machine the wireframe than I create a surface of only what I need.

[spi]

my company never purchased the solids option for MC, but all our designs are done with Inventor, so every part I bring in to MC is a wireframe with multiple lines everywhere, becomes a bit of a pain having to delete them or change levels.

[G Caputo]

spi,

Get the solids add on for mcam. I wouldn't have it any other way. It'll pay for itself over and over again and your life will become much easier.

[spi]

Thanks G, thats what I figured but I'm fairly new to Mcam.

[Joe307]

My company uses inventor extensively and what I do is import the solid directly. Yes you are right it is a "dumb" solid. But I when it comes over I usually turn off the "rendering" and then I am left with the wireframe and base my tool paths on that wire frame.

I agree by all means purchase the solids package from MC it saves a whole lot of time.

But if you have to modify the solid in MC then it becomes a challenge because it has not history tree. So there have been times where I have to import the solid and re-position the model a few times in row. Is there any way to get around this??

[G Caputo]

Joe,

Not sure this is the fastest way, but it saves me time when the engineers change the model. I will put my solid on one level and the wireframe on another. If i am doing toolpaths off of the wireframe, I just copy that particular bit of wireframe to a seperate level for each toolpath I do. I also do that with containments when working off of the solid also. This way, on all 2-d toolpaths they are not directly related to the original wireframe.

Now if there is a problem with the original model, I pull in the new or revised one, change any chains that need be and repick my drive surfaces.

Not perfect, but it works for me. Oh yeah, tell the engineers to draw it right the first time