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Exporting SW Assemblies as a "lump"

Exporting SW Assemblies as a "lump"

Exporting SW Assemblies as a "lump"

(OP)
Hi all,

I am a design engineer with company that builds prototype vehicles, and we have SolidWorks as our main CAD package. On occasion we have to send out an assembly (for example a suspension assembly) to a customer but the problem is, we don't really want to give them a solid model of our parts because they could manufacture the parts - so u can see our problem.

Now we have tried using the "Join" command to join the assembly, but because this is a very complicated assembly it is very time consuming, and often doesn't work. WE have also tried exporting the assembly as "vrml" because I thought this method would join all the parts, but again it wasn't very successful.

So, I would be grateful if anyone here could tell me of a way of exporting a file without giving the receiver too much information.

Thanks.

BandH


RE: Exporting SW Assemblies as a "lump"

BandH,

Build the assembly is a single part. That works the same is joining, it's just easier.

Hope that helps,

Scott Baugh, CSWP
George Koch Sons,LLC
Evansville, IN 47714
sjb@kochllc.com

RE: Exporting SW Assemblies as a "lump"

Have you tried e-Drawings?

My customers love this and the files aren't that big.

Chad Parsons

RE: Exporting SW Assemblies as a "lump"

You can Save As your SWX assembly as a Step AP203 file.  It will "collapse" all of your features, making the parts in the assembly "chuncks".  There won't be any SWX Feature info, but each part will be self contained.  I've had good luck with this option.

I doubt anything will stop a customer from reverse engineering any model file you send them, but you have to give them the benefit of the doubt.

"Happy the Hare at morning for she is ignorant to the Hunter's waking thoughts."

RE: Exporting SW Assemblies as a "lump"

How about sending an eDrawing file or publishing to the Solidworks website? Your reseller can help you with either of these.

Crashj

RE: Exporting SW Assemblies as a "lump"

(OP)
Hi guys,

Sending an e-drawing is not an option because they want to import it into Pro-E (or whatever package they have)- any more suggestions?

Regards,

BandH

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