invisible surfaces

[sharles]

I often get files that have a number of invisible entities (I think from previous engineering changes). I think they're called base surfaces (sorry for my ignorance). Anyway, when I try to make an iges file of my part that's visible on the screen for my inspection guy (zeiss machine using holos) the iges file includes all those hidden entities and makes them visible when our inspection guy reads them into his system. That causes him all kinds of problems because it puts surfaces upon surfaces and "freaks out" his inspection software.

 

Is there anyway I can make mastercam ignore all those hidden entities so that it will ONLY save what is visible on the screen? When I do a "save some" (and make it an .mcx file) and then open up that file to create the iges file, it does seem to get rid of some of the entities, but not all of them.

 

Thanks!

[Matthew Hajicek - Singularity]

You could try moving or copying your wanted surfaces to a new level, and turning off all other levels before saving as IGES, but I think those base surfaces are part of what's needed to define the trimmed surfaces. I've found it works better to use solids instead of surfaces, but that requires you to have a solids license. Which verification software is it, and does it have import options? It may also be worth trying a different format like STEP or ACIS if it will take them.

[Rick Henrickson The Boeing Co.]

cant you unblank those hidden lines and delete them?

[sharles]

I don't think they're "blanked" surfaces. I've tried saving it to parasolids, but I don't have the solids license on my computer (I'm going to try to get it installed tomorrow) so that didn't work. When I tried to save it to a .dwg it saved nothing. The step file did get rid of all the hidden surfaces, but it ruined a bunch of surfaces in the process so that's not a lot better. Right now I'm trying to save it to acis but it's taking awhile....no luck on the acis.

 

Maybe I'll have better luck when I get the solids license installed on my computer.

[Henk]

Maybe they are in the same color as your background.

[Dan@home]

Your saying you can't delete all but the stuff you want keep? Mastercam can transport the file but can't read some of it?

 

[ 05-25-2007, 09:51 AM: Message edited by: danbo ]

[JG]

sharles,

just a "wag" but I'd bet the invisible surfaces are the parent surfaces of the trimmed surfaces you want (they are required), when you export them thru igs they are probably identified as such (unless you made them visible), so maybe the issue is on the receiving end? have you tried to read in the file you exported?

 

Jg