I'm having trouble converting AutoCad 2004 3D solid files

[Bill K]

I'm having trouble converting AutoCad 2004 3D solid files ( at least I was told they were solid files, they have a .dwg extension). Every time I try to convert one of these files, Mastercam crashes.

[betts]

Can you find out what version they were sent out of?

 

Are you up to date on converter patches?

 

Does it make a difference if you deselect "edge curves", or try to bring in "trimmed surfaces"?

[Threept82]

AutoCad 3D Solid?

I didn't think AutoCad did 3D solids

[cadcam]

Bill can you share the file?

I have had success in the past.

[mayday]

they seem to work best if saved to a SAT file from acad. then use the SAT conerter in MC and import as surfaces.I've had gaps occur when importing as a solid

[Brad St.]

Bill, this may be related and it may not but an issue with autocad was just covered in a post from Surface, here was an important reply:

qoute:

One problem we have importing this file is our inability to properly import Solids which are defined as part of a Block Reference. If you open the part in AutoCAD, select the Solid, and right-click for Properties, it tells you it's a Block Reference with a translation vector. We currently can't handle this case - we lose the translation vector on import - therefore the Solid and the dimensions are nowhere near each other.

But...

If you use AutoCAD's Modify/Explode function, it'll remove the BR and you'll be left with a solid in that location. If you save the DWG file now, the dimensions and the solid will show up properly placed in Mastercam.

And the paper space border comes in, but it's blanked (at least by default).

We'll take a look at handling the Solids that are part of a Block Reference with a translation vector.

 

--------------------

Pete Rimkus

CNC Software, Inc.

 

 

here is the link to the post:

 

http://www.emastercam.com/ubb/ultimatebb.p...ic;f=1;t=015010

[Bill K]

I work for the University of Wisconsin, and I deal with quiet few researchers, quite a few are (PHD'S), some petty smart people, but when a comes to engineering, things can get a little fuzzy.

I just talked to the person that sent me what he calls a AutoCad 3D Solid file that was created in AutoCad 2004. I questioned him about weather or not this was in fact a 3D Solid, and he said it was.

He also talked about something called AutoCad Inventor, said he might be able to recreate it there.

Almost all of the solid files I get are created in SolidWorks, and covert just fine in Mastercam, AutoCad is another story, and seems to give me the most trouble.

So I guess my question is weather or not MasterCam is able to convert AutoCad 2004 files?

BTW, these researchers have one heck of a imagination, and its never a dull moment around here, (almost everything is one of a kind)

[betts]

Well the answer is definitely YES that MC can convert AutoDesk files.

 

The above suggestion of outputting .sat file is a good one, as this usually works well.

 

Since Jay offered, I would let him try and he can tell you what he had to do.

[Surface]

Bill, there is a known bug when converting more than one file in a single session. MC crashes. I was told to wait until X.

[cadist]

Sat files work fine for autocad solids, though I NEVER had any problem importing one or more autocad solids in mastercam. Doing it on regular basis.

[Bill K]

Thanks again everyone,

 

Converting AutoCad solid file to .SAT in AutoCad, then importing to Mastercam using the SAT converter worked great.

[Surface]

I will need to try the *.SAT method.

The following is the reply to an earlier thread, from Pete Rimkus from CNC Software.

Yes - this is a known bug. It can crash if you read more than one DWG/DXF file which contains solids within the same Mastercam session.

Unfortunately, it requires, release of a new V9 .EXE to fix it, and there are currently no plans to do that in the near future.

It had been corrected for X.

 

Sorry if this has been a problem for any of you.