Fusion 360 solid becomes surface in ANSYS DM

[Anonymous]

Hello, i am having a problem with my geometry. i exported the model created in Fusion 360 in .STEP file format and then imported it to ANSYS. However, ANSYS doesn't read the model as solid but rather as surfaces only. Attached are some pictures for visualization. Here's how it looks like in ANSYS Mechanical and design modeler, followed by some screencaps from fusion360 of the same model

I already tried doing it for both .STEP and .IGS file formats but they are both read by ANSYS as surfaces. Please help me Thank you. I attached the .f3d model in case it's needed. Thanks in advance

[John_Holtz · Accepted solution]

Hi @Anonymous 

I exported your model to a STEP file and imported it into Inventor and Simulation Mechanical. Both programs imported the STEP file as a solid.

I suggest that you contact ANSYS and ask them why it is shown as a "surface". I have no experience with ANSYS, but these are some possible answers:

• There is a problem with ANSYS DM. (If there is a solution, ANSYS should be able to tell you how to do it.)
• There is a problem with the STEP file. (ANSYS should be able to indicate what the problem is since the file works in other programs.)
• There is no problem. (Did it fail to mesh? "Solid" models are not shown as solid in Simulation Mechanical because they are not solid! A solid model is a surface that gets filled with solid elements. What do other solid models look like in DM?)

[TrippyLighting · Accepted solution]

Same here. I exported the STEP from Fusion 360 and it imported into a solid in ZW3D 2020 and SolidWorks 2017.

[Anonymous]

@John_HoltzHello thanks for the information. I think the quick answer to my concern is the third bullet. I tried to import other geometries and they all appeared as surface (that eventually get filled up with solid elements after meshing). Im only a beginner in simulations and modeling which is why I didn't know about this nuance until now. Thank you for the short lecture. Cheers