Step file import issue

[left coast lefty]

Has anyone encountered this message?

 

Simple step file import, usually works fine. Also I clicked the box for solids but it came in surfaces for some reason.

 

X6 MU3

[Guest]

That is the maximum number of points that can be imported in the 32 bit version if I remember correctly

 

 

I have encountered the limit when trying to drill more than that many points

[left coast lefty]

This is 64 bit.

[Guest]

I know I get this when I try to select more than 32768 drill points

 

I just did....x64 with 8 gigs I believe it is a software limitation

[left coast lefty]

Thanks John.

 

What is a "boundary point"? Screen Stats show no points, only lines, arcs, and splines. And why won't it give me a solid? Never happened before.

[Tyler Robertson]

what CAD/CAM system did the STP file come from

[left coast lefty]

Most likely Solidworks. It came from a customer.

[Pete Rimkus from CNC Software Inc.]

L.C.Lefty,

Boundary points are what make up trimmed surface boundaries...it sounds like in this case you've got a really complicated, or really huge, or both, trimmed surface boundary. You probably haven't seen this before because something like this will be part-specific.

There have been some improvements since X6 Mu3 in handling large numbers of boundary points, so I'd be curious to see how it holds up in X7...can you send me ([email protected]) the file? If so, I can also take a look at determining what's keeping it from coming in as a solid in the first place. The two issues may or may not be related.

[left coast lefty]

Sorry, it's actually a Pro-E file. Not particularly large, only about 6 megs. It opens in X7 without the warning, but still no solid.

 

Thanks guys!

 

Pete, I will send it to you after lunch.

[Pete Rimkus from CNC Software Inc.]

OK - I'll look for it. Thanks.

[Tyler Robertson]

Sorry, it's actually a Pro-E file. Not particularly large, only about 6 megs. It opens in X7 without the warning, but still no solid.

 

Thanks guys!

 

Pete, I will send it to you after lunch.

 

I had the same issue with a file from Cimatron but it turned out that they were exporting to Step as surfaces without knowing it. ProE and Cimatron treat solids and surfaces as one a 'face' for the other and this kind of thing can confuse people when they're exporting for other systems.

 

not to say it couldn't be a problem with the import - but it may be that the file is a solid in pro-e but the .stp just doesn't contain any solids

[Pete Rimkus from CNC Software Inc.]

One point for Tyler...the file does indeed consist only of surfaces.

Pro/E's "Save Copy" functionality lets you control how you want the output file to be saved by giving you choices of "Shells"/"Bodies" vs. "Surfaces". This one must have been saved as surfaces.

 

Lefty - I'll be emailing you an MCX-6 file that is the result of importing it here into X7 (no "boundary points" error when opening it in X7) and passing it back to X6. Let us know if that works for you.