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Assigned colors are lost when importing STEP or Solidworks file

22 REPLIES 22
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Message 1 of 23
treecatt
12161 Views, 22 Replies

Assigned colors are lost when importing STEP or Solidworks file

When I import a STEP file or most recently a Solidworks part the assigned colors are replaced by the standard gray. Is there an option I'm missing to ensure the colors are retained? I am using Inventor Professional 2012.

22 REPLIES 22
Message 2 of 23
JDMather
in reply to: treecatt

There are two different STEP formats AP 203 and AP214

Have them set Options when saving to AP214 to carry color information.AP214.png


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Message 3 of 23
treecatt
in reply to: JDMather

Thank you for the info. Generally, the STEP files I import are downloaded from a manufacturer's website so I probably won't be able to do anything about which STEP format they are in. Do you know why I would experience the same problem with a native Solidworks file? Opening the Solidworks file in their viewer program displays the device with correct color assignments so the color info is definitely in the Solidworks file.

 

Daniel Schuman

Emerson Excitation Systems

 

Message 4 of 23
KevinLi-Autodesk
in reply to: treecatt

Hi treecatt,

 

Appreciate your report firstly and I follow up your workflow and validate it at my side, but don't reproduce it in my Inventor Professional 2012. Can you attach the STEP file or native SolidWorks file that has this problem for me to double check ? or you can send it via my email: Hongyuan.LiATautodeskDOTcom.

 

Thanks for your support and help.

 

 

 

Regards,

Kevin Li

SQA Engineer

Autodesk, Inc.

Kevin-Hongyuan Li
Software Quality Assurance Engineer
Design, Lifecycle and Simulation Product Group
Direct: +86 21 2039 6025
Email: Hongyuan.Li@autodesk.com
Autodesk, Inc.
NO. 130, Lane 91, E Shan Rd
Building 12, Floor 6,
Shanghai 200127, PRC
www.autodesk.com
Message 5 of 23
aeisenberg
in reply to: treecatt

did you ever get a solution to your problem?  i have the same issue - i have a SolidWorks 2011 STEPAP214 file.  When I import into ACAD 2012, it's all 1 color.  I used to perform this process without any issues in ACAD 2000i.

Message 6 of 23
JDMather
in reply to: aeisenberg

Can you attach the original SWx sldprt file and the STEP file here?


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Message 7 of 23
aeisenberg
in reply to: JDMather

it's a SolidWorks assembly - too large to post.  it occurs though on small assemblies also

Message 8 of 23
JDMather
in reply to: aeisenberg


@aeisenberg wrote:

... it occurs though on small assemblies also


Uhmm, then post the small assembly that exhibits this behavior.
(You might roll up the feature tree in SWx to make even smaller before zipping.)


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Message 9 of 23
aeisenberg
in reply to: JDMather

the forum won't allowyou to post anything over 1.5MB - just 1 part in my small assembly is larger than that.  can i email directly to you?

Message 10 of 23
JDMather
in reply to: aeisenberg


@aeisenberg wrote:

the forum won't allowyou to post anything over 1.5MB - just 1 part in my small assembly is larger than that.  can i email directly to you?


I find that hard to believe.
Did you roll up the feature tree to hide all features before zipping?
This file is 1.9MB before rolling up the EOP, only 913KB after rolling up the EOP and zipping.

You can zip a file by right clicking on the filename and selecting Send To>Compressed (zipped) Folder.

 

jmather_at_pct_dot_edu

 

Feature Tree.png


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Message 11 of 23
aeisenberg
in reply to: JDMather

it's an assembly, not a part - i did a pack & go in SW explorer. i haven't checked separate parts as step files

Message 12 of 23
JDMather
in reply to: aeisenberg


@aeisenberg wrote:

it's an assembly, not a part - i did a pack & go in SW explorer. i haven't checked separate parts as step files


Can you roll up the EOP in the parts of the assembly and attach all?

You said the smallest part?  Why not start from there?

 

Solid colors are converted fairly close, but transparent colors are changed to solid colors.

 

AP214.png


 


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Message 13 of 23
aeisenberg
in reply to: JDMather

i'm not familiar with the process you mention (EOP or rolling up)- i'm not a designer - just checking step imports for 1 customer

 

thanks!

Message 14 of 23
JDMather
in reply to: aeisenberg

Check to see what Options the customer is using on opening the STEP file (make sure they aren't opening as composite surface bodies).

 

Here is a SWx assembly saved as STEP A214 and then opened in Inventor.

 

CB.png


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Message 15 of 23
aeisenberg
in reply to: JDMather

i don't see an option to choose in ACAD 2012 when importing step files.  it may import the colors in inventor, but we don't have that, nor does my customer.  so it needs to work in ACAD 2012.

 

according to my latest discussions with an autodesk dealer, that's how it works now - they tell me you would need a custom routine or macro written to accomplish that.

 

Message 16 of 23
JDMather
in reply to: aeisenberg


@aeisenberg wrote:

... but we don't have that, nor does my customer.   

....according to my latest discussions with an autodesk dealer,  



If you don't have Inventor why are you posting here?
There is an AutoCAD 2012 forum over here

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-2012/bd-p/529

 

You should get a new dealer - you can import into AutoCAD 2012

 

AutoCAD Import.png

 

or

simply use free Inventor Fusion and save as dwg.

 

 


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Message 17 of 23
JDMather
in reply to: JDMather

I just imported this STEP directly into AutoCAD.

AutoCAD didn't translate the color information - so I did have to change color.

 

AutoCAD STEP.png


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Message 18 of 23
rdyson
in reply to: JDMather

JD, Vanilla Acad USED to not have iges or step importers. They were available, but at additional cost.

I have no idea if the translators are included now or not.

Mechanical has always (best I remember) had them, though, so you might well think they are included in all versions of Acad.

Just FYI

Doesn't explain why he's postin in a group for software he doesn't have, though



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Message 19 of 23
JDMather
in reply to: rdyson

Uhmmm, poster indicated they ARE using AutoCAD 2012.

I indicated the translators ARE included in AutoCAD 2012 (even posted a screen capture of the Import dialog box).

 vanilla AutoCAD 2012 imports a whole host of filetypes including SolidWorks, Pro/E, Catia, IGES, STEP....

 

 

Didn't realize any discussion of the history before 2012 was needed to answer the question.

 

>i don't see an option to choose in ACAD 2012 when importing step files. 

>it needs to work in ACAD 2012.


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Message 20 of 23
rdyson
in reply to: JDMather

As I said, your version of Acad is the Mechanical version, unless you also have an independant install of Acad.

The Mechanical version has the translators

Acad only, without any of the verticals may or may not have the translators included.



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