Importing SW solid with text and centerlines

[Sticky]

Is it possible to import a solid into MC that has Solidworks single line sketch text on it? I have a bunch of SW assemblies I am importing into MC that have single line font text I need to engrave, but they don't show up in MC.

 

If I can't is there anyway I can import solidworks sketch centerlines? I could use the lines for adding text in MC if I have to then.

[gcode]

try saving as a step file

you may need to enable sketch entities on the options page of Save As

[Sticky]

Hmm I couldn't get either AP 204 or AP214 to bring it in.

 

So far it doesn't seem to make a difference if I am bringing in the whole assembly (preferred) or just a solid/part.

[Sticky]

Well it doesn't look like its possible:

 

https://forum.solidworks.com/thread/9235

 

For the guys using MCFSW can you engrave sketch text in there?

[gcode]

Hmm I couldn't get either AP 204 or AP214 to bring it in.

 

So far it doesn't seem to make a difference if I am bringing in the whole assembly (preferred) or just a solid/part.

 

was the sketch visible when you did the Save As

[Sticky]

was the sketch visible when you did the Save As

 

Yes, I also tried a few different colors from the base of the solid. Analyzing the solid in MC appears to only yield the solid.

 

Is this working for you?

[Sticky]

Also I found a video on youtube showing MCFSW X7 engraving sketch text with a contour toolpath, that is sweet.

 

Is MCFSW stable for running multiple custom WCS's for HMC type work?

[Joe788]

Dave, if it's a regular font - unfortunately the easiest way is to just add a dummy into your assembly, extrude the text into it, then import that solid into Mastercam. If it's a stick font that you can't extrude - create a drawing in SW (blueprint). Make the scale 1:1 - and save it as a DXF. Merge the DXF into your mastercam file, and then shuffle it around till it's in the right place. Either way it's a PITA, but both of these work well when you've got a customer part that has a bunch of bullxxxx stick writing you don't want to redraw in MC.

 

I've only had to do this a few times over the years so I just went with what I knew would work. Hopefully somebody else here has the magic combination for letting sketches transfer over from SW to MC.

[Sticky]

Yeah its a stick font. I actually designed the parts (manifolds) in SW for a customer, and I had to put assembly instructions all over them so that they install them correctly. SW 2014 advertised this new stick font specifically for engraving procedures where you don't want double line fonts, and don't want to make an extrude cut into the part. Guess they forgot about the part where it needs to get exported with the model...

 

It's just a new feature that I wanted to try out, apparently it doesn't work from what I have found on the SW forums.

 

The MC text function is pretty lacking which is why I was trying this method out.

 

Have you ever tried MCFSW Joe?

[Sticky]

I found that you actually can import Solidworks sketch entities and use them to drive tool paths. The caveat is that you can only do this if you are opening a .sldprt, it does not work if you are opening an assembly.

 

When you go to open the file in MC, select the file you want to open, select options, then select "import solids history". (Import solids history option not available when opening an assembly)

 

It will take a while to load but it will come in with the sketch entities.

 

Because I am primarily working with assemblies, I am just opening my assembly like I normally would, then merge file with just the one, or many different .sldprts that have the sketch entities that I want, put them on their own level and dynamic xform them where I need them in my new "assembly" and then I am ready to start grabbing nay of those sketch entities for driving tool paths.

 

This is the fastest method I have come up with for doing things like engraving so far.