Converting Surfaces to Solids
Converting Surfaces to Solids
(OP)
I'm working on a project where there's an ID person using Alias, a surface modeler. As the design has grown in complexity, I don't seem to be able to use her surfaces to crate a solid body. She is giving me IGES files.
She could give me STEP instead, though I don't know if this would help.
My thought is that I should have her simplify her models to just the basic shape (with none of the details like the hole for a cable or button), and then I can use that to create the base body, and do the additional detailing from there.
2001+
Thank you for your thoughts.
A
She could give me STEP instead, though I don't know if this would help.
My thought is that I should have her simplify her models to just the basic shape (with none of the details like the hole for a cable or button), and then I can use that to create the base body, and do the additional detailing from there.
2001+
Thank you for your thoughts.
A






RE: Converting Surfaces to Solids
You should then have a valid solid from which to work.
There are complications related to this if your geometry is not this straight-forward. Repost if necessary.
From the solid, you can add your fillets and then apply a nominal wall thicknes with the shell feature. Add holes.
Jeff Mowry
www.industrialdesignhaus.com
Reality is no respecter of good intentions.
RE: Converting Surfaces to Solids
RE: Converting Surfaces to Solids
Attempting to "make solid body" on import fails. I'm also having issues knitting, and having issues with "filled surface" to patch holes, etc.
I'm going to get her to simplify to just the base body, and use her "full featured" surfaces as references for sketches to recreate her more complex features, I think.
Thanks again
Andy
RE: Converting Surfaces to Solids
Surface-Knit1: Failure to knit faces.
How do I diagnose areas where this failure occurs?
Thanks,
Alex
P.S. I am using SW 2004, sp4.0 in WinXP sp1.0
RE: Converting Surfaces to Solids
Sometimes you can knit surfaces in increments--such as all surfaces above a planned parting line. See if those will knit. If so, see if another section of the model will knit. Sooner or later you will find the problem. Often the problem is a super-small surface that was not selected or surfaces that separate or cross one another. In those cases, you should ask for an improved exported file to work with or you will have hours of tedious work trying to repair the sloppy surface file.
When you are doing these partial knits, do not select the "try to form solid" option yet. Get some knits accomplished, then hide the original imported surfaces so you can see what you've got, then knit the knitted surfaces together and try to form a solid during that operation.
The best thing to do is to eliminate super small surfaces and fillets when exporting the original file. This will save lots of headache, and allow you to add-in the features after you have a valid knit or solid.
Jeff Mowry
www.industrialdesignhaus.com
Reality is no respecter of good intentions.
RE: Converting Surfaces to Solids
By the way, when using:
Insert -> Surface -> Imported...
There seems to be no way of importing only specific surfaces from the IGES file, and it attempts to pre-knit them, and these pre-knit surfaces are pretty much useless.... Is there a setting to turn this off?
A
RE: Converting Surfaces to Solids
I've done some extensive work with Pro-E file exports and normally need to come up with my own work-arounds for files like this. If possible, obtain new IGES (or other) files and work with those.
Jeff Mowry
www.industrialdesignhaus.com
Reality is no respecter of good intentions.
RE: Converting Surfaces to Solids
Dang, when do we get the software that just does what I'm thinking in my head?
heh
Thanks for the help...
A
RE: Converting Surfaces to Solids
Make sure that her Alias tolerances are high. A lot of issues with surfaces not knitting stem from loose tolerances in Alias. Have previous models from her come in as solids or as separate surfaces?
RE: Converting Surfaces to Solids
So far, they've all come in as surfaces, and I've had mixed results converting them to solids (using extrude to surface or cut to surface, etc.)
Andy
RE: Converting Surfaces to Solids
I am not sure what she can do at this point to tighten things up further. If you are not seeing too many extra surfaces in the tree it ais almost certainly a tolerance issue
RE: Converting Surfaces to Solids