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Any way to export Workpoints to Iges?

8 REPLIES 8
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Message 1 of 9
Sirius2009
823 Views, 8 Replies

Any way to export Workpoints to Iges?

Hello there, I am using Inventor 2009 and a customer has requested that we send them our models of their fixturing with points included in the file, as Iges format. They are importing into Unigraphics NX.

We have had some fun and games trying to get points *into* Inventor, but this time, and in the future, we will need to send them back through the IGES format (their preferred format).

What I usually do is place workpoints on all the "blips" which we import from the customer as IGES 3d "sketches" so that I can use them for positional constraints to mating objects on freeform faces, and I need to be able to export those workpoint positions back out again, either as the 3d sketch/points that came into the system or exporting the workpoints themselves somehow.

Accuracy is important because they are to be used as CMM inspection points on an automated PCDMIS (?) system.

I have tried right clicking the workpoints in the feature browser and selecting 'export this entity' (or whatever is says), but this hasnt had any effect. I have also done it with the 3d Sketches and made sure "export sketches" is selected on the output format options within the IGES flavour.

Any solutions would be very appreciated!. This is something which is probably going to increase in frequency in the future.

Sirius.

Edited by: Sirius2009 on Feb 4, 2009 7:37 PM Edited by: Sirius2009 on Feb 4, 2009 7:43 PM
8 REPLIES 8
Message 2 of 9
Sirius2009
in reply to: Sirius2009

Okay, either nobody knows or I havent explained well enough lol.

I will try again, more simply.

I recieve a model of a casting from Unigraphics NX as an Iges file. The file, along with solids and surfaces, includes "points" or "dots" which we need to use for our tooling and what they use for surface inspection.

I need to be able to export the tooling back out, including the points. Inventor doesnt seem to do it.

I have tried placing sketchpoints onto all the dots in the 3d sketches that imported from NX. I have tried using workpoints, I have tried both of those and made sure the "export object" is selected when I right click the elements in the browser tree.

I have made sure "export sketches" is selected on the IGES output settings, and I have tried STEP and other formats too.

Can inventor export points, sketchpoints in sketches, workpoints - or am I completely wasting my time trying?.

Lines, splines etc seem to work, but not any point data.

Are there any plug-ins or tools to do this?.

Sirius2009.
Message 3 of 9
Anonymous
in reply to: Sirius2009


Have you tried ....

 

1. Opening the NX file in Inventor using the translator from
http://labs.autodesk.com ?

2. Setting the Open- Options (Import Options) after
selecting the file name, but before actually opening the various IGES, STEP or
NX formats?   There is the ability to map Points and Lines along with
surfaces and solids.


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Message 4 of 9
JDMather
in reply to: Sirius2009

>Have you tried ....

The problem description, "I need to export points back out..."

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Message 5 of 9
Anonymous
in reply to: Sirius2009

Would exporting the workpoints from Inventor
to an excel file be acceptable? My Inventor Tools
addin does that.

Bob S.

JDMather wrote:
> >Have you tried .... The problem description, "I need to export points
> back out..."
Message 6 of 9
Sirius2009
in reply to: Sirius2009

Thankyou very much for your replies.

Exporting out to an excel file 'might' be okay........it depends on what the customer is prepared to accept, and what my bosses would be prepared to spend lol.

I am pretty surprised that Inventor cannot export the same entities which it can import......its quite strange.

Yesterday, I went around the 3d sketches and placed centerpoints on all the dots (which took a while) and tried that option, thinking that perhaps I needed something extra to be in the 3d Sketch for it to output, but nope, that didnt work either.

I am currently having to export an IGES file from Inventor, bring it into another older CAD system (which isnt Autodesk related) and then inserting the original customers files back in "over the top", after scaling and re-aligning the parts in 3d space.

I have spent quite a few hours trying to sort this out, and I am potentially leaving myself open to error.......but I have done what I needed to get done this way now, so the immediate heat is off my head.

I suppose if the customers NX system can import points from a spreadsheet it could be an option Bob. At the moment I dont know whether it is going back through NX, or whether in the future they want to port the fixturing right into the PCDMIS style CMM inspection software they have (I do not know which program that is).

I was kind of hoping somebody (perhaps from Autodesk) would say "oh, you do this, this, this and this, and there are the points for output" lol.

Thanks for the possibility of the spreadsheet though Bob, that might be good to know. I would have to wait and see though.

Sirius2009.
Message 7 of 9
yannick3
in reply to: Sirius2009

Hi
Try this.
Insert 3d sketch and make 3d line with your existing points
and save a copy .XT format ,check include sketch in option tap

For me when i open with SolidWorks the 3d sketch is there.(see image)
I think UG will be able to make them.

Yannick
Yannick Verreault
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Message 8 of 9
Sirius2009
in reply to: Sirius2009

Thankyou for your suggestion Yannick. I appreciate you go to the effort of trying something out for me. However, unfortunately it would not be an acceptable solution because they need point data and not lines. Also, the parts are freeform surfaces of aerofoils so there would end up being many, many lines if we went though and joined up dot to dot.

Great idea though!.

Thanks,

Sirius
Message 9 of 9
Ojdamann
in reply to: Sirius2009

I know this question was asked years ago, but did any one ever find a fix for this. I've been messing around with Inventor 2014 recently and developed a rapid-test setup tool for FEA stuff we're doing in Siemens FEMAP. It's pretty insane that it exports just about anything under the sun except work points which are pretty fundamental objects when it comes to 3D. The excel export sounds appetizing, it unforunately it adds another layer to tool sets which can become too much for our customer to want to handle.

 

I appreciate any feedback guys and girls.

 

Thanks,

OJ

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