Does anyone know if there is a difference between STEP files generated in Inventor 2013 and Inventor 2014?
Typical workflow: Open Assembly > I > Export > CAD Format > STEP
I recently transitioned from 2013 to 2014 and have not encountered any issues with the software untill now. I am making STEP files of assemblies and importing them into CAM software, but the Inventor 2014 STEP files (of assemblies, not single parts) are causing crashes. Single part STEP files cannot be batch imported into our CAM software, hence the need for STEP files of assemblies.
2013 & 2014 single part STEP files work fine.
2013 assembly STEP files work fine.
2014 assembly STEP files cause a crash.
I just tried a 73 part assembly with sub-assemblies (about 1.7 Meg) and it worked fine.
Can you attach a small assembly here that exhibits the behavior you are seeing?
The CADWhisperer YouTube Channel
Hi nbatchelder,
Appreciate your reporting here !!!
Since STEP file is text format and you can use some diff tool to compare them, for example, Araxis Merge.
If possible you can also try workflow Inventor2014 -> STEP -> Inventor2013/2014 or other 3D CAD Apps, if all of them can open the exported STEP file successfully, we suppose it is healthy.
Also you can try both 203 and 214 in STEP export dialog box, both of them are crash in your CAM ?
Is this a model specific case or a common issue ? If you just create a very simple assembly file in Inventor2014, export to STEP, import it to CAM, always crash ?
Regards,
Kevin Li
Quality Assurance Team
Autodesk, Inc.
@nbatchelder wrote:... importing them into CAM software, but the Inventor 2014 STEP files (of assemblies, not single parts) are causing crashes.
I might have mis-read this problem statement.
Are you saying Inventor 2014 is crashing, or is it your CAM software that is crashing?
If it is your CAM software - wouldn't the brand be important information in the problem description?
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Here are some of the test files that exibit the behavior I described in my original post.
The zip contains four STEP files:
Inventor 2014: 214
Inventor 2014: 203
Inventor 2013: 214
Inventor 2013: 203
Thanks for looking into this for me.
-Niles
Hi Kevin,
I tried the workflow of opening up the STEP files in Inventor 2014, and everything came in ok so I assume the file is healthy.
This morning I attempted both 203 and 214 STEP formats for Inventor 2013 & 2014 and I got the same results as outlined in my original post: both 2013 tests do not crash the CAM software, both 2014 tests do crash the software.
I have tried several models and have had the same result, so I believe this is a common issue. I have tried multi-part assemblies and single-part assemblies for at least three different types of parts. So far every import from an Inventor 2014 STEP file has caused a crash, and every identical STEP file generated in Inventor 2013 has not caused a crash.
Another oddity to reiterate is that single-part STEP files (not single-part assembly STEP files) do import into the CAM software without crashing it.
Hi JD,
Just to clarify, this is an issue that is causing CAM software to crash, not Inventor.
The CAM software I am currently using is written by camProx. The specific program that is crashing is called cadXtract.
@nbatchelder wrote:
Another oddity to reiterate is that single-part STEP files (not single-part assembly STEP files) do import into the CAM software without crashing it.
That might give a clue on a temporary "fix".
I opened your STEP files in Notepad and there are differences between the 2013 and 2014 files.
But I don't know enough about STEP to figure out what specifically is causing the problem with your CAM software.
If you open a part and a single part (same part) assembly STEP file in Notepad you might be able to figure out what you could edit in Notepad to make the assembly STEP file work.
You should also contact the publisher for the CAM software with this issue.
I assume they know a lot more about translating STEP into their program.
The CADWhisperer YouTube Channel
Appreciate nbatchelder and JD's reply and suggestions !!!
I try to open all your attached STEP files in Inventor 2013/2014, ProE and NX app, all of them can open those STEP files correctly, so I suppose the crash problem is caused by cadXtract STEP import translator.
Anyway this suppose need to be confirmed by cadXtract and we can do further investigation if necessary based on their feedback.
Thanks,
Kevin-Hongyuan Li
Quality Assurance Team
Autodesk, Inc.
Hey there,
we have also experienced some issues with the 2014 assembly step files. The behavior is the same as nbatchandler describes it, concerning the different file versions. The differnce is, we are not using his CAM-Tool, instead the problems occur while opening the assembly files with a step-viewer (tried two different tools, same problems). Opening the files in Inventor works...Strange behavior?
Hmm.
If this message appears, then you're trying to open a file with Inventor 2012, that's been previously saved out of Inventor 2014. That's no STEP file, but is ending supposedly as .IPT or .IAM.
No fix is possible.
Walter
Walter Holzwarth
@ak_staib wrote:
.... When opening with Inventor 2012 I get an error message, that the STEP file is too new!!!
Please Fix
If you attach the file here - I will fix it for you.
The CADWhisperer YouTube Channel
Hi,
I tried the same, opening a Step-File in Inventor 2012 previously saved in Inventor 2014. No problem here.
But the problem, regarding opening the Step-File in, for example, CadFaster Quickstep 2010, still occurs. As previously explained, it only happens with assembly files saved as step. Part files work fine.
A customer of us has the same problem, when he tried to import a Step File, he received by us. Unfortunatly, I don't know which CAD Tool he uses.
I hoped this problem would be solved with one of the latest updates, unfortunatly, it didn't.
here is the file exported from inventor 2014. Can't open it with 2012
edit:Upload error message not shown with chrome??
edit2: Cant upload Step files
Here an Assembly export "Baugruppe1". Can't open it in Inventor 2012 / QuickStep2010 / STP Viewer
No issue here.
No issue here as well.