×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

What file format will allow my assemblies to have movements?

What file format will allow my assemblies to have movements?

What file format will allow my assemblies to have movements?

(OP)
What file format will allow my assemblies to have movements?

I received an IGES file from my supplier for a Palletizing CAD model Robot, they do not use SolidWorks.

I need to move the joints of this robot and could not do it with this IGES file format.

Does anyone here know which file format will allow me to do these joints movements; IGES / STL / STEP / ACIS-SAT?

Thanks

RE: What file format will allow my assemblies to have movements?

How many solid bodies does the IGES model have when you import it into SolidWorks?  You will probably have to save the solid bodies as individual parts and put them together in an assembly.  If the whole robot is one solid body you will have to cut it apart into its major components, save each component as a separate part file, and assemble them in an assembly file.

RE: What file format will allow my assemblies to have movements?

(OP)
All toguether there are 14 files name HP50 and the other one are name DEFAULT and DEFAULT-1 to DEFAULT-12.

What should I do? I really do prefer to work with the IGES format.

RE: What file format will allow my assemblies to have movements?

You can save each body as its own part (if they aren't already part files) by going to something like Insert > Features > Save Bodies.  Bring each saved part into an assembly like handleman said and create the ranges of motion between components that you need.

Jeff Mowry
www.industrialdesignhaus.com
Reason trumps all.  And awe trumps reason.

RE: What file format will allow my assemblies to have movements?

The IGES file should import as an assy and automatically create individual parts. However the parts will not be mated so should be fully floating.

Are you saying you cannot move anything?

cheers
Helpful SW websites  FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions  FAQ559-1091

RE: What file format will allow my assemblies to have movements?

You can't do movement with IGES / STL / STEP / ACIS-SAT / DXF / PDF / TIF / JPG / PROE or any other non-SolidWorks files in Solidworks.  You can only get movement within a Solidworks assembly file (*.sldasm).  You can only put Solidworks part files (*.sldprt) into Solidworks assembly files.

RE: What file format will allow my assemblies to have movements?

(OP)
Thanks Guys. I will try saving each individual files as SW parts and then do an assembly and provide motion


Thanks again.

RE: What file format will allow my assemblies to have movements?

OK ... I'm confused. We are obviously talking about different animals here. Here is a IGES file from Southco.

http://www.mooload.com/new/file.php?file=files/100806/1155233626/M12A13X3D.igs

It is of a Panel/Door Latch. When it is opened in SW, an assy  and sub-assy complete with parts is created. The parts are not mated. When the sub-assy is opened, the parts can be moved. Mates can be applied to limit movement.

HeavenlySolid ... Is your IGES file opening as an assy or as a multi-body part? If it is an assy, you do not need to save individual files. They should be created automatically when saving the imported IGES file as a SW assy.

cheers
Helpful SW websites  FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions  FAQ559-1091

RE: What file format will allow my assemblies to have movements?

(OP)
Thanks all.

I'm done with the assembly and it works just fine, I'm able to move each of the 5 joints with ease, with the mouse of course.

 
Question:

I'm not that strong using the Simulation tool inside SW when it comes to move all of these 5 joints.

Is anyone here kind enough to download this robot file and give some random movements to all of these joints for me to practice and learn more?

I will appreciate all your help on this.

RE: What file format will allow my assemblies to have movements?

What version of SW are you using?

I've not used the Simulation tool much so would welcome the opportunity to practice for a useful purpose.
See FAQ559-1177 for posting details.

Also I would like to see the original IGES file you have.

cheers
Helpful SW websites  FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions  FAQ559-1091

RE: What file format will allow my assemblies to have movements?

(OP)
Thanks I will post the link as soon as possible, rigth after the break!!!

RE: What file format will allow my assemblies to have movements?

Right, I was wondering about the assembly vs. part type of IGES file myself.  Sounds like it's a multi-body part.

Also, are these solid bodies or surfaces?

Jeff Mowry
www.industrialdesignhaus.com
Reason trumps all.  And awe trumps reason.

RE: What file format will allow my assemblies to have movements?

(OP)
They are solid bodies and I'm using SW 2004

RE: What file format will allow my assemblies to have movements?

I'm using SW06 so will not be able to return an "edited for animation" file.

I'm still interested in seeing that IGES file though.

cheers
Helpful SW websites  FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions  FAQ559-1091

RE: What file format will allow my assemblies to have movements?

(OP)
Send me an email from that website and I will email you the IGES file.

Are you sure you cannot "Save As" 2004 version?

RE: What file format will allow my assemblies to have movements?

If you can get separate solid bodies from an imported model then you should be able to add mates to those bodies and get movement out of them just as if they were SW models. Just because they are dumb solids doesn't mean you cna't get movement out them.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP
www.scottjbaugh.com
FAQ731-376

RE: What file format will allow my assemblies to have movements?

"Are you sure you cannot "Save As" 2004 version?"

Yes I'm sure ... very few solid modelling programs can save to an earlier version.

cheers
Helpful SW websites  FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions  FAQ559-1091

RE: What file format will allow my assemblies to have movements?

SW will probably never have the ability to save backwards. You can save your models out to older types of STEP and Parasolid files to get them back and forth between SW versions, but they are dumb files.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP
www.scottjbaugh.com
FAQ731-376

RE: What file format will allow my assemblies to have movements?

solidworks kinda sucks for robotic simulation, even for just simple reach studys.  Deneb Ultraspot is much better.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources