Help convert surface to wireframe

[Thee Starry™]

I have an IGES model that has no wireframe, only surfaces. Being that I am at home I don't have access to Pro/E to save with wireframe. Anyone available to help me out here tonight? Is there something I can do in MCX2?

 

Help me. I use contour toolpaths all the time, but am stuck w/o wireframe to chain from.

[Colin Gilchrist]

Create - Curve - All Edges.

 

Select all surfaces. Press enter, then OK.

 

Now, Edit - Simplify, Select "all splines", press OK.

 

That should give you pretty clean wireframe depending on the condition of the surface edges.

 

HTH,

[Thee Starry™]

thanx colin

[cobra95kev]

Colin,

I uually only do the first step. What am I missing out on by not doing the second step. To do the second step do you just select all of the curves you created? Or how do you select just splines?

 

Thanks,

[Thad]

quote:

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Or how do you select just splines?

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Use the All Splines Quick Mask. Or All-Splines (from the All dropdown).

 

The second step (Simplify) convert spline to lines/arc.

 

Thad

[Colin Gilchrist]

Yep,

 

To elaborate on what Thad said, Simplify will attempt to convert all linear and circular splines into lines and arcs. It does not break a complex contours up into line and arc segments, nor does it work on non-planar curves.

 

Basically what happens on some surface models that have low quality, tolerance, or surface gap issues, is that Mastercam generates a spline where it could create a line or an arc instead. Simplify uses a tolerance to evaluate each spline and determine if Mastercam can convert it into a line or into an arc.

 

It will not work on non-planar curves, such as the spline that results from intersecting two fillet surfaces or a curved surface with a (non perpendicular)plane. In almost all cases, the resulting intersecting curve has a variable radius along the entire curve. These wireframe curves are represented by splines, and should be represented by splines, as no line or arc can accurately represent them.

 

HTH,

[MLS]

I have found on IGES models that if you create a solid from the surfaces then create curve all edges from the solid, it typically gives you much cleaner geometry, and no duplicate garbage.

 

Not that it helps now as I am a little late, but for future reference.

[Thee Starry™]

My company is too cheap to have solids! But thank you anyway.

 

This is the downfall of having been entirely self taught on MC. I figure out things as I need them and never learn all the nifty tricks. Just enough to do what needs to be done. No training, lessons, or even anyone else who uses it in my company to learn from.

 

Thankfully you guys and this forum are out there, I would really flounder without it.

[Ployd]

Something I also do is after create curves and simplify. Turn off all levels except curves. Delete all duplicates.

 

Bill

[cobra95kev]

Thanks for the further tips guys.

Yet another thread I will bookmark.