Converting SolidWorks parts creates splines, not arcs

[gargodude]

I have X3 MU1, level 1 and import a lot of SolidWorks parts. Often, arcs come into Mastercam as splines. This mostly happens on filleted edges, but can happen anywhere. I know about the "simplify" tool, but was wondering if there is a setting that will fix this automatically. It gets pretty tedious on busy parts to manually fix each instance of this every time I import a part.

[Guest]

This "tends" to be geometry specific.

 

I usually import with no edge curves and then only make the ones I need/want

[gargodude]

Does that mean it will only import the solid?

[Guest]

yup, in settings > config > converters there is a check box for edge curves.

[gargodude]

So then I would have to creat all the geometry I need. That's convenient.

[Pete Rimkus from CNC Software Inc.]

gargodude,

I apologize if this is a stupid question, but why is it so important that you have the wireframe as arcs? What are you later doing with the part that you must have all the rads as arcs?

[gcode]

I import the solids clean and just add whatever

wireframe I need to drive toolpaths..

adding all that wireframe can double or triple the size of a file.. with little parts this is not big deal.. with big parts it can make a huge difference.

[gargodude]

If I import only the solid, I have to re-create all the wireframe geometry to drive the 2D toolpaths. Seems like a waste of time, if I can just import them from the original file. Also, I have tried chaining some of these splines and the part comes out with faceted corners, instead of smooth radii.

 

I do notice that the file size is absolutely HUGE. This particular part I'm now working on is 33MB! I' have way more complicated SolidWorks assemblies that are only half of that (as SolidWorks files). Why are MC files so huge?

[Pete Rimkus from CNC Software Inc.]

"...I have to re-create all the wireframe geometry to drive the 2D toolpaths..."

 

You can select the solid edges themselves in chaining without having as 2D wireframe

 

"...tried chaining some of these splines and the part comes out with faceted corners..."

 

sounds like a simple tolerance issue.

 

"...Why are MC files so huge?..."

 

We store lots of redundant information when working with solids so as to prevent possible problems later.

 

 

Having said that let me see if there's a way we can recognize that those edges really could be brought in as arcs.

[gargodude]

Well, that's news to me. I don't quite get it. How can I chain solid edges if there are no wireframe lines and arcs on them? I tried turning off the layers with the wireframe and I could not select anything when trying a contour toolpath.

[gargodude]

Well, I just discovered that there is a "Solid mode" in the chaining box. News to me. I took my basic training when I bought version 9, so I was led to believe that you couldn't do much with solids without the solids option. Consequently I was never shown how to use this mode when creating toolpaths. This is something I should explore further. It's a bit harder to see the model details with the wireframe turned off.

[gargodude]

Well, so much for the file size advantage, importing only solids. The file went from 33MB to 30MB. Seems a lot easier dealing with wireframe than solids. Especially for analysis.

[gargodude]

Another interesting discovery! If I import the file as Trimmed surfaces with edges, then I get all my wireframe and the file size is only 6MB. Since I really don't use solids anyway, I think this might be the way to go from now on.

[Pete Rimkus from CNC Software Inc.]

gargodude,

 

"...I think this might be the way to go from now on..."

 

I agree. Surfaces tend to require less storage space.

 

Keep pluggin away at it...

[gargodude]

Thanks Pete. I learn something new every day.

[1 master]

on this forum i always learn somethine new.

[kccadcam]

Import the model with edge curves as usual,

then window around the whole model and simplify before toolpaths, done....

I don't even look at file size anymore,,, who cares...

[gargodude]

I think I care, since a file with solids that I don't use takes up 33MB and one with surfaces that I don't use either takes up 6MB. The simplify idea does seem to be the only way to get arcs and not splines.

[Joe788]

Gargondude, if you save your Solidworks file as a Parasolid XT or XB file, it will be perfect 99.99% of the time when you bring it in to Mastercam. This is the way I did it back when it was still V8, and we've kept doing it that way because I like to have that parasolid file, as sort of a record of what was brought in to MC in case there are changes to the SW model later.

[John@WMM]

Inside Solidworks you have a choice on saving models "Draft Quality HLR/HLV" or "High Quality HLR/HLV" If saved as "Draft Quality" it will import into Mastercam as a spline. Our Engineering Dept. started saving as Draft Quality to save space on their file server and I started having this spline problem all the time.