Thickening/offset of a large number of faces

[AhmedPP]

Greetings

I have an STL (mesh file) file that I converted into DXF file, and then imported into Inventor.

The file contains a surface (meshed) I would like to create a thickness for each face. Since, the number of faces is very large, I cannot do it manually, is there an option/ trick to select them all, or perhaps a different way to create a thickness to the meshed surface. 

Thanks in advance 

[mrattray]

Did you try stitching them first?

[CCarreiras]

Hi!

You converted the STL to DXF?!

Can you post the file?

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[AhmedPP]

Greetings

Thanks for your prompt response

I will download the inventor Addin to open STL file, but after this stage, what can I do to create a thicness for the surface. Note that I can select surfaces one by one and the surface do not apear in RHS tree. 

Please advice

Best

[AhmedPP]

Find attached the file (DXF), since STL file can not be posted.

[AhmedPP]

Find attached the requested file.

Best

[AhmedPP]

Find the attached file below, I really need help in this subject

Thanks in advance

[CAG_DRAFT]

how accurate does the surface need to be? 

I've just had a quick play around with it (and I don't really know what I am doing with surface modelling)

But I would try to create a new 3d sketch, include the most critical points of the imported composite body and then boundary patch & stitch together to get a 'smooth surface'

[yannick3]

Hi

1-Composite 0 RMB, copy to construction

2- double clic to construction node expand node 0, RMB to surfaces (284) and stitch, change the tolerence to .001 and apply

3- surface (1) RMB, copy object with output object  option to surface and apply

4- exit construction node and thicken with quilt option, change the distance to .02 and apply

that's it 

see attachment and roll down the end of part

[CAG_DRAFT]

Trying to follow your workflow but the step 2 seems impossible (in 2013...)

After copying to construction I am unable to use the stitch command on the newly created construction entity (group of surfaces)

[yannick3]

Hi CAG DRAFT
I Will try with 2013 tomorow and check that

[yannick3]

Hi
I didn't sleep and try the workflow with 2013, all can be done except the thicken, inventor can thicken the surface.

[CAG_DRAFT]

Thanks for the speedy reply. Although I'm guessing that you meant to say can't instead of can...
if so, at least I'm not going crazy, and I guess it's good that general improvements to the kernel are still having a big impact on Inventors capabilities.

[CCarreiras · Accepted solution]

Hi!

CAG_DRAFT, you don't have to stitch, simply copy the all the surfaces (body) to the main environment and then you can thicken the copied surface.

Note: I'm doing this in INV 2014.

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[AhmedPP]

once I stitch it, I get stretched surface 1, do you mean that this the one that I need to copy it into a surface object? all surfaces are selected automatically in the quilt option? can u please explain?

I really thank you for your help, I feel I am on the verge of getting it.

Best Regards

[AhmedPP]

You mean thickining one by one, because what you have proposed creates a list of surfaces in RHS tree. 

Best

[CCarreiras]

Hi!

You have the composite, Right?

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[AhmedPP]

No, how did you do that?

[CCarreiras]

Hi!

1 - Open your DXF in Autocad Mechanical.

      Save as IGS.

2- Open your IGS in inventor and you will have the composite surface.

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[CCarreiras]

 Now you have the composite surface.

 Start "Copy Object" and: select "face" and as output select "surface".

Drag a window to select all the surfaces.

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