Export cad file from FDS layout as part file, correct orientation and colors

[SveinnIngi]

Hi,

I want to convert from Factory Layout Assembly file to a 3rd party Part file (SolidWorks) with colors, in as few steps and as much automated as possible with iLogic. I have Factory Design Suite 2016, but my company will upgrade to FDU 2019 soon.

For some reason (I've never actually understood, but anyway...) the Factory environment does not have the same orientation as a standard inventor part or assembly (Z axis is upside down). When exporting any CAD format from a factory layout, the layout is on the side when it's opened in CAD software (Inventor or others).

-Is there an easy way to rotate the view in the export process?

-Is it possible to do this with some export settings in Inventor or Import setting in SolidWorks?

-I tried sat and that opens as part, but with no colors.

-Is there a better suited CAD format to achieve what I wish for?

-If not, should I create a Shrinkwrap of the Assembly first and is there a simple way to do that with iLogic.

Anybody have any ideas?

Best regards,

[XuesongBai]

Hi there,

I was trying to make a single body of shrinkwrap part from the factory layout in Inventor and then export it as STEP or x_t.

By the way, factory layout assembly don't have a big different from Inventor normal assembly. All of factory assets are placed on the floor aka  XY plane. So I don't think that you can change the orientation when do the export.

Thanks,

-Xuesong

[liqinomickey]

Hi Sveinn,

For the orientation issue. Factory Layout use XY plane as floor in Inventor to align with AutoCAD, whose default drawing plane is xy. But if you export model to Inventor and find the floor is hanging like a wall, you can use function in context menu of the view box at top-right corner - "Set Current View as Top/Front".

Mickey

Autodesk Factory Design Utilities Team

[SveinnIngi]

Hi Xuesong,

Thanks a lot for the help and quick response.  I'm creating and defining a process that will be repeated quite frequently and I was hoping that I could solve this with a rule, sort of like "one click" solutions since I also want to export other data (BOM and possibly price related), but I agree that a Shrinkwrap and x_t/step export is the simplest for now at least.

B.t.w. I want to start out by demoting some assets of a big factory layout to new sub assembly 

So would this be the simplest workflow you see?:

1. Create a Factory Layout

2. Demote a section to new sub assembly

3. "Un-ground" the first part and re-constraint planes in correct orientation

4. Make Shrinkwrap of new Assembly

5. Export new part file as x_t/step

Thank's again for your help.

Best regards,

Sveinn

[SveinnIngi]

Hi Mickey,

Thanks for the quick response and the explanations. Ah, of course! That makes sense, with AutoCAD. I've just tried to stay in 3D so I hadn't really thought about that 🙂

Yes, I've used the "Set Current View as Front/Top" a lot, but in this case I prefer to correct the origin before exporting the 3rd party file so it will always "land on it's feet" when opened in whatever software. 🙂

Thank's

Best regards,

Sveinn

[SveinnIngi]

Although step 3 doesn't make sense I guess, since it will flip the sub-assembly in the original layout... So alternative step would be to place the sub-assembly in a new assembly and mate planes in a way that the orientation is corrected. Does that make sense? Or do you see a potentially simpler workflow?

Regards,

Sveinn

[XuesongBai]

For the step 2-3, I guess that you want to change the orientation of the factory layout.

I am curious that why you must change the orientation. The XY  plane as positioning plane is not working in Solidworks?

Thanks,

-Xuesong