Solidworks Configuration Import

[Mick]

I have a Solidworks part file, that contains both the machined part, and the casting part.

 

When I import it, it doesn't prompt me for the desired configuration, ie either As Cast, or Machined. It just imports the Machined configuration.

 

I've tried it in both X2 and X3 (we have Solidworks 2008) and I get the same result. Has anyone else encountered this at all?

[gcode]

you can set your SolidWorks configutation

to the casting and Save As a parasolid.

X_B file extension)

Then open (or merge) the parasolid file

in Mastercam

SolidWorks also has a cool feature called coordinate sysytem.

Make CS with the X Y and Z aligned the way you'd like the part to come into Mastercam.

When you Save As a parasolid select the CS in the Options drop down of the Save menu

When you open the parasolid in Mastercam it will

be oriented correctly

 

this also works with STL, IGES and Step files.

It makes aligning STL files in Verify very simple.

[Brad St.]

Mick, gcodes got the sure fire way of doing it but may I ask are you opening the file from MC and selecting the sldprt extension? Or are you doing a MCdirect out of SW? Is this part also inside of an assembly by chance, I see in your message you say it's a part file but I'm curious if it may be inside of an assembly there may be other issues.

 

J/C

 

Brad

[Mick]

Sorry to raise this old post, but I hav encountered this problem again.

 

I understand gcodes method, but, I still dont understand why the option to import either the As Cast, or Machined, model into Mastercam is longer active.

 

When I open the SLDPRT, I am no longer prompted for the choice (even though the SLDPRT contains both), and I only get the Machined Model. In effect, through Mastercam, I cannot access the As Cast Model.

 

Is this a Solidworks problem, or a Mastercam problem?

[Guest]

Mick,

Open your SW part and make sure ALL of the configurations have been rebuilt. If all configurations are not rebuilt you won't get the option.

 

hth

[Mick]

In looking into it further, it appears it is a Solidworks problem. I just tried opening two different Solidworks files. One gave me the choice, (either casting or machined part) whereas the other didn't, and I could only opne the machined part.

[Mick]

Thanks John. I'll go and talk to the Cartoonists (as we call them )

[Mick]

John,

 

Whereabouts is the command to "rebuild configurations" in Solidworks? Please bear in mind, I dont use, and have little knowledge of, Soldworks.

 

Regards,

 

Mike

[Guest]

Mick,

 

You have to activate the configuration.

 

On the feature tree, there is a row of icons across the top of it, in a standard configuration it is the 3rd tab.

 

You can double click a configuration to activate it, then go back into the main feature tree tab and click on the icon that looks like a stop light, that's the rebuild.

 

You'll have to activate and rebuild each configuration individually.

 

hth

[Pete Rimkus from CNC Software Inc.]

This has come up before and has to do with the way Configurations are saved. We've found that if you open the SLDPRT in SolidWorks and cycle through all the Configurations and use ‘Edit/Rebuild’ on each one, then they will all be available as choices in Mastercam.

I don’t know enough about SolidWorks to really know what’s going on, but it’s happened enough that I’ve had to go to SW for an explanation. Basically, we don’t put up the Configuration as a choice if it does not have a solid body stored in the part file. For some reason, parts can be saved without the bodies, whereas the ‘Rebuild’ step above will ensure that the bodies do get stored.

Here’s the info I got from SolidWorks on this…

 

“...The partition stream for the one configuration has zero bytes stored in it. The model itself wasn’t built when it was saved. My guess is that SW determined that the model was out of date and needed to be rebuilt, when this happens the configuration data isn’t saved.”

 

“The primary reason that we will not save the Parasolid model is that the feature tree has not been rebuilt and is considered dirty. Beyond that, we do not have other explicit reasons for the lack of a model. Typically, I see this on in-active configurations that have been marked dirty based on changes to the active configuration. In these cases, the configuration’s model is not saved...”

 

That's the long-winded technical answer, but I hope it helps…

[wildcat99]

In Solidworks, you can also use Ctrl+Q to force regen and then save. That should clean up the model.

 

Although, I still use the exact method gcode does for importing solidworks to mastercam.

[skinnyj]

I know this is an old post but....

 

Gcode...your tip about the coordinate system in solidworks just made my day/week. Thanks. I no longer have to struggle with the crappy translate function in MC anymore!!!!!

[gcode]

glad I could help

[Guest]

quote:

---

I no longer have to struggle with the crappy translate function in MC anymore!!!!!

---

Boy, there's someone who hasn't tried the new Dynamic XFORM in X4

[kunfuzed]

I'm using Solidworks 2008 and X4 and having the same issue. No option for which configuration to select. I tried rebuilding all the configs, but no luck. Maybe I'm doing it wrong? I double clicked the config, then highlighted all the ops adn did a rebuild, on each config. Any ideas?

 

Thanks!

[kunfuzed]

Looks like it's a specific computer issue. Tried it on one of the other computers in the shop and it worked fine. Could this be a nethasp, licensing issue?