Solidworks files

[Jeff the haas_guy]

Our engineering dept is planning on changing all of our dwg files to sld files. I can't imagine why they would do this since we do 95% 2D work with MC. Anytime I need a 3D picture, I can usually draw it myself. We have MCX MR1 Level 2. I have tried to run contours from the SLD files but there are so many breaks in the lines it drives me nuts to try to contour all the way around. Would Level 3 help me?

 

Any suggestions on this?

[Lumpnut]

How are you selecting your contours ?

[Jeff the haas_guy]

I dont understand your question?

 

With the mouse.

 

Pick the beginning and the end and all the lines in the middle. You have to pick every line.

[Lumpnut]

2d countour , make sure the C-plane is selected , then try.

 

Or

 

Use "Partial chaining method. Selcet to first(start branch) then the end branch.

[Guest]

If you can get by with level 2 right now, you might want to consider only adding the Solids Add-on so that you can machine to the solids and not worry about creating edge curves, for the most part.

[Jeff the haas_guy]

I do that partial chain thing, but still have to select every line and arc individually in between. Do they not know how to draw?

[88Matt]

don't use the lines and arcs u get when converting the parasolid. blank all of that and create your on wire frame.

[Guest]

quote:

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Do they not know how to draw?

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That'w why you use the solid and NOT the geometry it comes in with.

[Lumpnut]

What's your chaining tollerance set at ?

 

Is it really a closed contour ? Zoom way in on the intersections and see if there are gaps.

[Jeff the haas_guy]

John:

 

They have only started redrawing the files now. Im sure it will be awhile before running into alot of them in one day. I will check into the Solids add-on.

 

Thanks

[Fred @ Slate Industries]

You have to convert SW's splines to Arcs in MC

Then it will Fly through them and look good when you cut it too.

 

 

Born in

FT.Wayne IN

[Peccator]

quote:

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Do they not know how to draw?

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Careful! A wise man once said, "Those who anger you, control you.

 

 

Shane

[Jeff the haas_guy]

Ive never drawn in solidworks, but I do now they are one complete entity.

 

And I have zoomed in and found tiny little lines you cant see when your looking at the whole picture.

[moldy]

Whenever I've had this problem it has been because of overlapping entities. Try the chook "FindOverlap.dll" or try to "delete duplicates".

Moldy

[88Matt]

we've used solidworks and pro-e for years with mastercam. it's part of the conversion process of a parasolid. Make sure u have the latest converter. just blank or move the 2d geo that comes in with the solid and turn it off. don't delete it. then create curve on edges and toolpath these. u will save yourself a big headache and be time ahead.

 

Happy Easter All!!!

[Jeff the haas_guy]

Do they not know how to draw was not an angry statement.

 

And how do you change SW splines to arcs. Thaat may be my only problem, with mc that is.

[Jeff the haas_guy]

OK. Ive never converted a SW to parasolid. Im new in the SW arena. No training in it. I guess it shows.

[P_Scott]

haas_guy,

 

It seems as if you may be having a chaining problem with the lines, arcs, or splines (aka wireframe) geometry. The Cplane radio button selection that NuNu suggested is the same thing as "Plane Mask" in V9. This will allow a user to only select all the entities that are connected at the same depth for 3-D wireframe geometry. However, there is nothing that will make it easy to chain wireframe if you have multiple entities being overlapped by longer entities directly on top of each other. This is frequently a problem when converting a solid format file and importing the wireframe or "edge curves" along with the single solid entity.

 

What I usually do to avoid extraneous geometry is simply click off the "edge curves" radio button from the Options button of the File-Open dialog. This will then only convert the single solid entity. Selecting a solid edge loop is very similar to using a closed chain in Mcam. When solid geometry and nothing else is present, choose the solid chain button in the chaining dialog. Then click on the button indicating "Loop" in the pic below. You may find you will no longer need "wireframe" geometry if you follow these steps and work with it a little more. HTH

 

[Eric Hendriks from CNC Software]

Haas_guy;

 

Are you trying to change splines to arcs in MC? Is that what you're getting at? It's located under Edit-->trim-->break-->break many pieces. Select the spline, toggle the lines/arcs button to show arcs, enter a tolerance and away you go.

 

I may not be on the same page here....but I know I've answered a ton of questions on this because this particular function isn't all that intuitive.

 

I hope this helps.

[Rick Curtis EastechInc.]

Hang on people- This sounds like a problem with how you are exporting the file from Solid works environment. There are options atleast in

- Solid Edge - and Im sure they must be the same in Works where you can export the simple line and arcs with the file. There should not be any reason to convert splines after you get into the Mastercam format.

[JG]

Haas_guy,

are they (you) using sldprt or slddrw files?

if they (you) are using slddrw files I would look "upstream" for the problem.

 

just my .02

 

Jg

[Jeff the haas_guy]

We are having a couple MC guys come in Wednesday to show us how to use the files.

 

Thanks for your help.

[88Matt]

haas-guy,

 

What kind of info did u get from the MC guys? Please do tell...

[kinglouie V]

I missed this the first time around.

 

if you are limited to level 2 you will only be able to work with two surfaces at a time to create toolpath. Why do I mention surfaces? With out the solid package like John said you will be limited to your level 2 version (create surfaces/from solids).

If you just open the SW file as a SW file in X you will be better off and then follow the above advice.

 

Haas_guy

 

In SW you create a sketch and extrude like you do in MC pretty much, maybe the little hidden lines are the sketch entities you're seeing which aren't necessarily edge curves.