Importing a Solidworks ****. into Inventor

[michael.ruddy]

Hi,

I need to import a Solidworks 2011 ****. file into Inventor 2010. I used the .step file format and when I opened it in Inventor all the mates were gone. Also all the colours of the different parts had gone.

Can anyone suggest a file format to use where most importantly the mates won't be lost and also where the colours won't be lost.

Regards,

Mike.

[michael.ruddy]

**** = Assembly. It didn't come up for some reason.

[MariaManuela]

Hi...you never will get the assembly constraints when you import other cad data.  That's the hard side when we work with different applications. When we import STEP, Catia, ProE, Solidworks...bla bla bla.... we always will get by default a dead body... Without model features.

But....the colors must be the same as the original file.... even in STEP format.

Soooo.....STEP its the best choice to your case.

I think that only Inventor 2012 can open Solidworks 2011 native data.

[michael.ruddy]

Thanks for that. Yes you are right one can only open a solidworks model in Inventor software that is a year ahead of the solidworks the models was last saved in. (prehaps also the same year as the SW although I am not sure.)

[MariaManuela]

To be sure....e went to my Inventor 2012 Help ....witch says:

Open and change models created in SolidWorks (versions 2003 - 2010). Autodesk Inventor translates assembly and part files, solids, multi-solids, surfaces, and more. After the import operation is complete, you have a base feature or features which match the geometry and topology of the original file. Use Autodesk Inventor commands to adjust the base features and add new features to the feature tree.

These types of SolidWorks files can be imported:

• *.prt, *.sldprt (part)
• *.asm, *.sldasm (assembly)

[michael.ruddy]

Thanks for that. I am new to Inventor and trying to fumble through it. It seems to be awkard to move and rotate the part. It is not intitutive at all. Is the best way of moving the part using the orbit steering wheel or is there a better way?

I have no spaceball at the moment is it worh getting one?

[JDMather]

You can use Shift Wheel

or

beter yet,
get a 3D Connexion device.

[michael.ruddy]

is shift wheel the wheel that is in Inventor at the right hand side?

[JDMather]

Hold down the Shift key on the keyboard and at the same time hold down the mouse wheel (similar to SWx).

or

you might try F4.

[MariaManuela]

You will enjoy the Inventor, is very friendly application. Trust me.

If you need to rotate a component, you can do it with F4 or Shift+ mouse wheel button (as AutoCAD do) or..... the best option is undoubtedly is to use a space mouse...I have the Space Traveler (www.3dconnexion.com/)  and not live without it...its almost my best friend 😄

[michael.ruddy]

Thanks for that......I hope it is as friendly as you say 🙂

[patrick.miller]

Service Pack 1 for Inventor 2012 added support for importing native SolidWorks 2011 files. It is still true that they are base solid like STEP, IGES, etc but it saves you the step of exporting to another format.

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/index?siteID=123112&id=2334435&linkID=9242019

Happy Inventing!

[pachecom_eng]

Ola Maria Manuela. Sou o Pacheco e me encontro no Brasil.
Estou tentando importar arquivos do Solid Works e até consegui porém as peças perdem sua arvore original e portanto não consigo editar porque elas vem em forma de bloco. Vc pode me auxiliar?

[MariaManuela]

Olá Pacheco,

Tudo o que está a fazer está correctissimo, é mesmo assim.

Quando se abre ficheiros de outros softwares parametricos (caso Solisworks, CATIA, Creo, Unigraphics....etc...) o histórico é perdido.

Isto funciona assim em todos os softwares, daí se chamar "corpos mortos" a estes modelos importados.

Contudo, a Autodesk tem uma aplicação (gratuita apenas para clientes com subscrição) cuja se chama Feature Recognition a qual serve exactamente para que o Inventor faça reconhecimento das operações (Holes, Extrudes, Revolves..etc). Esta aplicação funciona muito bem e não é exclusiva para modelos de Solidworks, mas sim para a maior parte dos modelos paranetricos não Inventor.

Espero ter ajudado.

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