converting solids to pull dimensions out

[MAXTEC]

i cant remember how to properly take a solidworks drawing and open it in mastercam x to be able to get dimension off of it? It just stays purple in color and I cant get it to go green. any help would be greatly appriciated. thanks

[Wise-ACR]

Firstly as far as I know you cannot open a solidworks drawing in Mastercam. I use solidworks all the time and I just take my model. If you have solidworks you should be able to go to file open and select file types. There is also Mastercam Direct.

 

Alternatively you could save your"drawing" as a dxf of dwg. But I do not know if you have a model or drawing or both.

[MAXTEC]

i can open it in mastercam as a .sldprt file and it is all there. i have converted them before to let me pull dimensions off of it but i cant remember how i did it. When you inport the solid its purple and after you do something to it to convert it the drawing turns green and you can pick points on it. thats all i can remember about it.

[Kannon]

Can you create-curve-all edges?

[MAXTEC]

that worked for some of it. Is there any other way to import a solidworks solid model into mastercam X and be able to dimension it? I remember something about un-blanking the solid or doing something to it just after you open the solid into mastercam. Im fairly new to the solid modeling stuff.

[Hardmill]

Use solid layout

 

 

PEACE

[Todd Tracey from Fastech]

Also, might need to "Clear Colors" possibly

[Troy Gossett Indepak Inc.]

Save it as a parasolid .x_t You still get the Solid info and MCAM doesn't freak out(technical term).

[Matthew Hajicek - Singularity]

You should be able to save your Solidworks drawing as a DWG or DXF, then import it into Mastercam. That should work even with an orphaned drawing where you don't have the model.

[Keith @ Solid Code Solutions]

quote:

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You should be able to save your Solidworks drawing as a DWG or DXF, then import it into Mastercam. That should work even with an orphaned drawing where you don't have the model.

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Why?

 

You first can import a sldprt file directly into McamX, the only short coming is if you are using alternate part configuration within SolidWorks. If you are open SolisWorks and either save the sldprt file as the configuration you would like or save as .x_b or .x_t (parasolid files). Then you caould use Solid Layout as Hardmill suggested.

[Wise-ACR]

Agreed, but if you look at his initial question he said drawing.

[Keith @ Solid Code Solutions]

True , True

[MAXTEC]

sorry about the wording. What i have is a solid model from solidworks. I can open it in mastercam but cannot do anything with it. I need to pull some dimensions off of the solid model but it wont allow me to choose any line, circles, or anything else on the model. i know there is a way to un-blank, or creat geometry, or make the solid model let me choose lines to get my length or diameters from. I'm sorry if my wording is confusing. still pretty new to the whole mastercam X/ solid model programming. Ive always just had a print with all my dimensions on it or programmed them in 2D form. thanks again to everyone thats helping me resolve this issue.

[Justin Beebe at Folsom Tool]

Max,

 

How are you selecting the features you want to dimension. If you have a solid with no edge curves then you can't select a line or arc because they do not exist. There are two things you can do. The first is to create curves on the edges of your solid. The second is just to let auto cursor snap to the points you want to dimension right off the solid. If you try to pick up a line or arc from a solid with no edge curves mastercam will not find anything. The way to have mastercam find a feature on a solid with no curves is to let auto cursor snap to the features.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Justin

[gcode]

quote:

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but it wont allow me to choose any line, circles, or anything else on the model

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Do you have autocursor turned off? In X or X2

right click, select autocursor, enable arc centers and endpoints.

 

Then try Analyze Distance

 

I don't remeber how to do it in V9

[kunfuzed]

Due you actually have the solids module? If not, your system may be set up to import the solid in as surfaces. In which case you'll have to do like everyone else is saying and create edge curves. Normally if you import a solid it allows you to snap to edges and centers as if there were edge curves there, but their not.

[cadcam]

Maxtec call your dealer or stop in and have him show you. Using solid works files are great inside mastercam and you can get most Dim from the solid without wire frame. I think you just need to be shown.

 

PS if you do not have solids it still comes in as a solid unless you use the :options" button to bring in as a surface model. But Screen Statistics would also answer this to.

[Wise-ACR]

Mornin Jay

[cadcam]

Morning Jerry, I am off soon up the street from you Ave Tibbits.

 

Hows it going?

[Wise-ACR]

Goin great. Maybe stayin in Santa Clarita and not going to Tuscon. Then I can see who this Hardmill guy is

 

See u for beers Friday ??

[Keith @ Solid Code Solutions]

LOL

[Hardmill]

quote:

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Then I can see who this Hardmill guy is

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PEACE

[Wise-ACR]

[andy007]

Maxtek, i've had this problem before when the imported file is purple and you can not do anything with it, it is a parameter in your settings somewere, in converters. i used to know where it was in v9 but not in vx set this parameter and you will not have a problem. I bet you would have the same problem when importing DXF DWG Files also.

hope this helps

[Wise-ACR]