reading CAD file into Simulation CFD

[Anonymous]

Hi, 

I just started to learn to use Simulation CFD 2015 recently.  Everything went smoothly with all those tutorials.  But when I tried to follow the same procedures to load my own CAD file ( *.sldprt file generated by Solidwork) into Simulation CFD, it just didn't work.  No error message shown, but the program just got stuck there and models never showed up.  Does anyone know the reason and how can I resolve the problem?  Thanks!

S.G. 

[Jon.Wilde]

Hi,

Could you first test just a cube or one of our tutorial models?

Are you working on a local drive? (you need to be).

The next step would be to share the part with us.

Kind regards

Jon

[Anonymous]

Hi, Jon

I have tried most of the tutorial files without any problems. However, when I started to try out with SolidWork files that I had or I got from the web, none of them worked. But I can try with a simple cube later.

Also, I am using a desktop personal computer in my office, is that considered a local drive? Or how can I make sure about that? Thanks

Best Regards,

SG Liou

[Jon.Wilde]

Hi,

Try a cube first and let's go from there. 

By local drve I mean, saved on your local C drive.

Failing that, it is likely the geometry needs cleaning, which we can chat about if needed. Please share whatever it is you are trying to launch if you have no luck.

Thanks.

Jon

[Anonymous]

Hi, Jon

Thanks for the reply. I will try that tomorrow at the office. If it still does not work, I will share those files I had tried with you.
Also, I always save or open files from my local C or D drive, not from the "cloud". Thanks

SG Liou

[Anonymous]

Hi, Jon

I have tried the cube model as you suggested, but it also didn't work. Attached please find three simple model files that I had tried. I wonder if there are some requirements for the model files to be imported successfully into Simulation 2015? Thanks!

SG Liou

[Jon.Wilde]

Hi,

So our tutorial models worked but a cube did not? This suggests something to do with read/write issues to the folder you are launching from. Did you open the tutorial models in SWx?

Open the cube from a folder on the root of your C drive and see what happens 🙂

Thanks,

Jon

[Anonymous]

Hi, Jon

I use Simulation 2015 to open those files following the instruction in help file, i.e. > new > select file > browse > C:\program data\autodesk\simulation 2015\tutorial\SolidWorks\*.sldprt. I have not encountered any problems opening a tutorial model, but for those models I had in the same folder, none of them can be opened.

I have tried to move the cube model to a folder under the root directory, but it didn't help. I had attached those model files in my last e-mail. Did you have any luck in opening those files on your computer? Is it because of the wrong version or incomplete content or format?

By the way, once I installed the Simulation 2015 on my computer, can I still change its language? Since I am using traditional Chinese now. Thanks!

SG Liou

[Jon.Wilde]

Hi,

If our files work and a simple cube does not that means the install and the SWx launcher are all working OK but there must be some kind of read/write issue. I cannot think of it being anything else.

This is really strange, could you share any of the files that don't work with us just incase?

Thanks,

Jon

[Anonymous]

Hi, Jon

Attached please find those file that I had tried and failed. If you can not get those file (since I have sent those files before), please let me know whether there are other ways to share those files. Thanks

SG Liou

P.S. The cube file was made by me, and the other two files were got from the web, just to see if the problem only happened to my model file.

[Jon.Wilde]

Just shared a Dropbox link with you.

[Anonymous]

Hi, Jon

Although I am not familiar with Dropbox, but I just tried to upload three files and shared their link with you. Please check and see if I had done correctly. Thanks

SG Liou

[Jon.Wilde]

Hi,

Are these all solid geometry? I can only open the cube, which reads in fine. The others seem like they have some odd geometry that will not open. Even the cube seems a bit strange, is it just an extrusion?

Are you using Sim CFD 2015?

Kind regards,

Jon

[Anonymous]

Hi, Jon

I asked my student to prepare the cube model for me, so I know it is a solid cube, but I am not sure whether it is just an extrusion or not, since I am not familiar with those drawing software. The other two files were downloaded from MIT's open course. I think they were created using different version's SolidWork.

I indeed are using Simulation CFD 2015. So, do I need to re-install the program? Or I need to check some settings in the program or my operating system concerning path? What will be your suggestions for the next step? Thanks!

Have a nice day

SG Liou

[Jon.Wilde]

Hi SG Liou,

I ask because I opened it into Inventor and it tried to run a repair on the geometry, which is really weird for a cube.

I can still only see this being a read/write issue or a geometry one. What happens if you open CFD and go to 'new'. Import the cube from there - this worked OK for me.

Not with the other model though, it is not a good CAD model for CFD I do not think.

Kind regards,

Jon

[Anonymous]

Hi, 

Have you solved this problem? Because I'm having the exact same situation in my CFD 2016 (with Inventor 2017).

Only tutorials are working, not even simple shapes like sphere or my project.

I'm also having problems with my license (I'm testing a trial version, maybe that's the problem).

Best regards,

Szymon

[Anonymous]

For the version I am using, only *.x_t file format can be imported. Good luck.

[Jon.Wilde]

That might be licence dependent, rather than software version I think.

If you have having issues, kick off a thread and share some geometry 🙂

[marco.mueller]

as far as I know is CFD not backwards compatible with Inventor, so CFD 2016 will not read Inventor 2017 files.

[Anonymous]

You are right. That is licence dependent, not version. But since I can always convert my file to *.x_t format, so it won't cause any problems.