X5 levels

[Odin]

When i open a new file in X5, I always put the wireframe on level 1 and surfaces on level 2. The problem is when i do this it always shows that it has geometry on other levels, when in fact there is none. I've tried purging the levels and everything else i can think of. We work with parasolids only and never had this problem with any previous MX versions. BTW X5 MU1 is waht ver im using right now.

Anyone have any ideas?

[Odin]

Anyone?

[gms1]

This is normal for me. Whenever you bring in a model from a different software system it leaves behind a hidden entity in the level. If you right click in the level manager and hit report you will see it in the list. All you have to do is right-click the level and hit delete at the bottom of the options and it will go away.

 

I sent this in as a bug report a couple months ago and that is what they told me to do.

[Odin]

Thanks gms1 I'll give it a shot.

[neurosis]

I just imported two parasolid files that came from solidworks and didnt have this issue. What exactly are the steps that you take to do this?

 

Are you importing as a solid and then converting to surfaces? Or importing as surfaces?

[gms1]

For me, it isn't a parasolid file. I get catia, dxf, iges or step files and any one of these formats can leave that hidden entity. It doesn't do it all the time though.

[Odin]

I open X5

file> Open> highlight parasolid i need> Options( check Trimmed surfaces and Edge curves) hit ok> then click Checkmark to bring file in.

 

These file are parasolids from UG.

[Odin]

I am importing as surfaces.

[LaszloK]

This will happen with any imported files that have surfaces. The hidden entities are the original untrimmed surfaces that became the trimmed surfaces in the part model. you can not delete them or the trimmed surface will go away also. You can unhide them and put them on different levels if you want.

[CJep]

file> Open> highlight parasolid i need> Options( check Trimmed surfaces and Edge curves) hit ok> then click Checkmark to bring file in.

 

Odin,

If you're converting the model to trimmed surfaces, the "blanked geom" is the untrimmed version of the surface that you can see.

 

If you create a surface in Mcam and then trim it to a curve you'll notice that the level where you previously had the surface had one entity, then has two after the trim. That second entity is the untrimmed surface, they are associated to one another.

[Odin]

Here is the thing though. When i go to those levels where it says that there is enities, there is nothing visible at all, no wireframe or surfaces.

[CJep]

It's because the associated geom is "blanked", to see that geom you would need to go to the screen drop down and "unblank" the entities.

[gms1]

Blank/Unblank doesn't affect those entities. Im tellin ya its just an invisible entity from the translation process.

Here is the reply I got from CNCSoftware:

 

Hi Greg.

 

Here is the reply from development:

 

“we had decided that we could not automatically delete unreferenced CAD files because they could be referenced by some third party app and we would have no way of detecting that…”

 

 

 

You can delete the levels by right clicking on the level(s) in the level manager and selecting “Delete”

[LaszloK]

If the un-blank or unhide does not show those entities, they could be drafting entities that can only be seen in the view they were created in unless the system configuration --> dimension settings --> display --> any view button is selected.

[Odin]

These are the setting i have setup for the drafting entities.(these are the setting in my x4mu3 config, but they are the same as in x5mu1.)

[Pete Rimkus from CNC Software Inc.]

gms1,

 

Importing a CAD file via File/Open or File/Merge does not create any invisible unusable entities.

The response that you got from us regarding the "CAD File entities" was in response to our investigating his file and seeing that there "CAD File entities" in the file, but these are the result of machining and choosing a CAD file rather than - or in addition too - surfaces, faces, or solids.

Can you verify for me that what you are seeing is the result of something as simple as performing "File/Open" with a STEP or DWG file? Are you running any 3rd party C-hooks afterwards?

I think Odin's problem sounds like the blanked 'base' surfaces that 'CJep' and 'LaszloK' are referring to.

 

I'm curious to find out more about how and why those "CAD File entities" are appearing in your Mastercam parts.

[gms1]

gms1,

 

Importing a CAD file via File/Open or File/Merge does not create any invisible unusable entities.

The response that you got from us regarding the "CAD File entities" was in response to our investigating his file and seeing that there "CAD File entities" in the file, but these are the result of machining and choosing a CAD file rather than - or in addition too - surfaces, faces, or solids.

Can you verify for me that what you are seeing is the result of something as simple as performing "File/Open" with a STEP or DWG file? Are you running any 3rd party C-hooks afterwards?

I think Odin's problem sounds like the blanked 'base' surfaces that 'CJep' and 'LaszloK' are referring to.

 

I'm curious to find out more about how and why those "CAD File entities" are appearing in your Mastercam parts.

 

A few things to note here first: One is I haven't gotten this issue yet with x5 mu1. The second is the majority of the work I'm doing at the moment involves rev changes to existing files that were created in older versions (x2,x3,x4) so I haven't been able to play with it more. And third is that reply from you guys was when I was programming in x4.

I can't say for certain that it happened on a file/open. I always noticed it when I was cleaning up a file and knew there was imported geometry in the file and I didn't see it any other time so I assumed it was because of the imported models. Would a few z2g files with these external entities help? I'd be happy to send em to ya.

 

Odin, sorry if I misread/mislead you. I thought it was related to my issue.