Kudos to Mastercam's IGES translator

[gcode]

I've got an IGES file from an areospace company.

Its a new file of a protoype part ( a weldment made of tubing, plate and bar stock)

I tried it in Solidworks 2012 and 2013 beta, SpaceClaim, Catia V5R19 and NX5.

None of them could convert the surface model to solids.

X6 MU2 made a watertight solid in about 20 seconds on my first attempt

[Guyinthedesert]

I've got an IGES file from an areospace company.

Its a new file of a protoype part ( a weldment made of tubing, plate and bar stock)

I tried it in Solidworks 2012 and 2013 beta, SpaceClaim, Catia V5R19 and NX5.

None of them could convert the surface model to solids.

X6 MU2 made a watertight solid in about 20 seconds on my first attempt

[Guyinthedesert]

Might be a sign to go buy a lotto ticket

[GoetzInd]

Fanboi!!!!

[gcode]

Fanboi!!!!

 

Credit where credit is due.. I just wish I'd tried Mastercam first. It would have saved me 2 hours of screwing around.

[Newbeeee™]

I have been a big fan of mcam translators for probably 12+ years now (end of V8?).

Only ever had an issue with one file (step) in this time where it wouldn't load correctly into our CMM. Mcam was fine and we programmed the part from it but the CMM had no luck. The CMM company used Rhino to fix what they had to do to it.

[Panda_Guy]

The translators actually have come a long way since I started with MC (V9). It surprises me that you are getting IGES files for an aerospace part. Is it a legacy part?

Most of our aerospace files come in STEP or X_T, almost never IGES.

When we do have trouble translating it is due to a bad file or something the customer did when converting it.

[TheePres]

On a aerospace part with loft surface created in Catia V4, I will always go back to Catia and create an IGES.

The STEP file either does not export corectly, or MasterCam does not import correctly.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

For those CATIA V4 files... I always try to get the native *.model file. IGES is the next best solution for stuff that old. I still loathe IGES because I prefer solids. But Mastercam and Rhino are very good with them.

[gcode]

The translators actually have come a long way since I started with MC (V9). It surprises me that you are getting IGES files for an aerospace part. Is it a legacy part?

Most of our aerospace files come in STEP or X_T, almost never IGES.

When we do have trouble translating it is due to a bad file or something the customer did when converting it.

 

no it's a prototype that's never been built before... and the old school engineers who sent me the model

don't know any better

[drafting3]

importing files always seems to be a crapshoot. I request that all files that are sent to me are sent in a native language, IGES, and STP.

 

In a perfect world, there would be one file format for all CAD systems. Standardized. What a glorious world it would be.

 

 

sometimes IGES works best, sometimes STP works best. in my experience, parasolid almost never works. (this includes parasolids that are created in newer versions of mastercam. creates some weird kernel error)

 

 

congrats on the import. it is a good feeling when you don't have to manually repair geometry.