Advance Steel to Solidworks?

[Drawtech]

Hi All,

Further to yesterday's post re the empty DXF files, it turns out that my client's supplier (Parker Steel) cannot read them anyway - they use Solidworks as an interface to their tube laser cutting machine.

Does anyone know how to get Advance Steel parts or a whole model into Solidworks?

We have tried STP files via the PSS and CIS/2 exports.  Also we have tried exploding the model into AutoCAD solids and using the AutoCAD export to IGS and STL.

None of the files can be read successfully - all blank or the imported objects are not solids or will not import at all.

The STL came closest but is imported as one object in Solidworks so cannot be split into the parts.

Surely there must be a way to do this?

Cheers,

Dave

[Sebastian_Eiche]

Hi,

as I know Solidworks could import: IGES, STEP; ACIS.
So if you want to have single object, you need to export them as single files and then import them. So they should be single object in Solidworks. 

But I have not used it, so this is only a suggestion. But if the behavior is similar to Inventor this should  work.

[Drawtech]

Thanks Sebastian.
We did not have any success with the STP files created from Advance Steel via the PSS and CIS/2 exports. I could not see any export option actually called STEP.
The IGES only seems possible by exploding to AutoCAD solids and using the AutoCAD export, but this was also unreadable. Even if it were, there is no option to select objects, so would require splitting the model up into one file per part before exporting - that would be a lot of faff!
Had not tried ACIS (*.sat) so have now sent a file to see if they can read it.

[Sebastian_Eiche]

the stp files which are created by using CIS/" or PSS are not STEP files 😃 --> same file extension, different files.

stp files from CIS/2 or PSS have a different file sheme than step. I'm not sure why they use the same extension, but they are different. STEP are solids, the other format could be imported as and then AS create beams, plates and so on. this is used from other steel detailing software like tekla, bocad or prosteel. strucutral software could sometimes import this files too, for example RStab

AutoCAD itself could not export STEP files, only ACIS.

[Anonymous]

Hi Dave,

if you find a way to to do this, I am really interested to know how.

In the meanwhile, did you consider to skip your clients supplier software, and generate .nc (.dstv) oldskool machining files?

It depends on how complex the operations on the pieces are....

Kind regards,

Willem

[Drawtech]

Hi Willem,
We tried the usual NC output first, but the supplier's tube laser cutting machine is only controlled from Solidworks.

[Sebastian_Eiche]

tube lasers often need step files, because nc files for laser cutters for profiles uses surfaces like flange or web. this is not defined for tube. So the most need 3D solid often by importing step. 
Step files have different versions (AP203,AP214, AP242) and so the cutters don't read them all. for this some customer use another software to create the files which the cutter "want"

[Drawtech · Accepted solution]

Thanks to all for your input.

After trying many different things and almost giving up, I found the solution was a Plugin from "Man and Machine".

Demo here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkfDNS2xKXY&feature=youtu.be

It's a great add on, reasonably priced and solved my problem in a very user friendly way.

Hopefully Autodesk will look to add this to the main AS package!

[Masibanda-CE]

Glad you found a solution! I came across this a bit late but was going to ask you to send me your model exploded to ACIS objects and then I'd run it through Bricscad and export it from there. I use it a lot for similar "transformations" and most often it works. I use this workflow to create IFC files because AS usually crashes when directly trying to export to IFC. I think it has to do with the large number of Special Parts we use. I can import any MCAD type of file into Bricscad and save as DWG, and below is an export comparison:

[Drawtech]

Thanks for the thought anyway! 😊

[Drawtech · Accepted solution]

We also found that exploding to AutoCAD solids and using the AutoCAD export to “Other Formats” and using the ACIS (*.SAT) option was successfully imported into Solidworks as solids.

…the other options like IGS did not work.