Convert imported surfaces to Solids

[WSEast]

Hi There,

I have imported a model from GrabCAD and found that it came in as surfaces in fusion (link below). Can anyone tell me how I can easily convert the suface model into a solid model?

Thanks

https://myhub.autodesk360.com/ue29c33b9/shares/public/SHabee1QT1a327cf2b7a52f7fd2b94cdf7ea

[prabakarm]

What format was the source model in?  Can you share that with us?

Thanks,

Prabakar.

[jakefowler · Accepted solution]

Hi WSEast,

The Stitch tool (inside the Patch workspace, Modify toolbar menu) is designed to do this kind of job. For this model, if you open the Stitch tool, then window-select the entire set of surfaces, you will be able to stitch these surfaces into a single solid body (the default tolerance should work fine). Does this give you what you were after?

Was this originally imported from an IGES file? I've seen similar results with IGES data before (i.e. the model coming in as a set of surfaces rather than solid bodies). Where available, I'd definitely recommend importing the native data from the original modelling application, or exporting & importing using STEP - this will tend to do a better job of translating information about solid components. If this data is available for the GrabCAD model you found, would be good to know if that works any better for you.

Many thanks for posting this one, and get in touch if you have any further questions,

Jake

[WSEast]

Thanks for your replies. I usually avoid IGES at all costs but it looks like all the files were created based off of iges files. The ones I downloaded were .ipt part files but they still imported as surfaces. I tried the stitch tool but did not have much sucess with it at all.

I have attached one of the original ipt files which I imported into Fusion with the imported result being a surface model.

Below is a link to the stiched version.

https://myhub.autodesk360.com/ue29c33b9/shares/public/SHabee1QT1a327cf2b7a52f7fd2b94cdf7ea

[jakefowler]

Many thanks for posting the file. You're right, it looks like this Inventor file actually originated from IGES data, which itself was exported from SolidWorks. So if there is a SolidWorks file availble for the model, perhaps that will be the native data?

But irrespective of this, the Stitch tool should be able to form a solid for this model. I was able to stitch this model successfully, just by opening the Stitch tool and selecting the whole set of surfaces. What happened when you tried it? I can put together a video tomorrow showing what I did if that would help.

Many thanks,

Jake

[gregorio.grasselli]

It works! I just had to set a bigger tolerance until the red edges turned all green.