Units of .xt files?

[emre_sahin9PU3F]

Hi,

After loading the x_t file from outside, Fusion measurements are opened in meters (m). There is no problem with other formats.Can you open the file yourself? What length will it open for you? I would like you to check it.

[HughesTooling]

This has come up before and apparently X_T files are in meters. That's what I found from a google search.

EDIT. Fusion will open the file in the units it was created in unless it's a unitless format. SAT, STP, IGS can be saved in any units but X_T can only be saved in meters.

[emre_sahin9PU3F]

Create a file in x_t format in Inventor or Solidworks program. Save this file as mm x_t. Open it as x_t in the fusion program. The meter (m) unit of measurement will be opened. This is not a normal situation. Think of it this way. I will open 100 tracks in x_t format from outside and create a camera program for them. Why do I need to convert the unit of measurement from meters to millimeters every time? This is not a logical situation. There is no such situation in any other cad-cam program. Only available in fusion. Don't you think this situation is abnormal?

[HughesTooling]

Fusion has no options to set defaults for imported files so I'm afraid you're stuck. If other programs open x_t files in units other than meters it's because there is a default setting for imports, not what the file itself is set to. 

[emre_sahin9PU3F]

So what can be done about this? Will you solve this issue? It is one of the very simple and basic topics.

[HughesTooling]

I don't work for AutoDesk so no I can't fix anything, just giving you the facts. There are a few file formats that don't carry unit info and there have been requests for import defaults but nothing has happened in the last 10 years so don't hold your breath hoping for a quick fix.

There's a post here from a few years ago where Inventor opens a file created in inches then reimports in meters. Don't know if Inventor now has a default to override to your chosen default units now but it does mean the import would only use your default, not like STP, SAT, IGS etc. that import using the file's setting.

@Phil.E Is there anything in development to allow default units for imported files? This has come up before mainly because of STL files that are unitless.

[emre_sahin9PU3F]

We will have to wait another 10 years for issues that have not been done and ignored for 10 years. I think important problems are not solved or are solved late. Sometimes improvements are made on issues that are not very important. I don't think Autodesk manages the priority of issues well. If you don't work for Autodesk, you don't need to answer me. I write saying there is a problem, but instead of finding a solution, you tell me the problem again. I also know how to convert a piece opened in meters in Fusion to millimeters later. You are having a hard time accepting the problem regarding this issue.

[laughingcreek]

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@emre_sahin9PU3F wrote:.. If you don't work for Autodesk, you don't need to answer me. ...

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This is a public user form where users help each other.  We only get AD employees here occasionally, usually after they've been directly tagged as @HughesTooling did in an earlier post.  if you want a direct answer from AD you can contact them directly, or you might try the fusion support forum. (I've not had much luck with the fusion support form, but YMMV) 

[Phil.E · Accepted solution]

Thanks for asking. Is the problem that the xt files are now 10x the size, or that the display units are set to meter?

About the import of "unitless" file types:

• Insert Mesh allows you to pick units for .obj and .stl
• There is an improvement ticket logged for this issue with .xt (FUS-133090 Read .xt file units)

Additionally I will add an improvement to select default import units in Preferences. (FUS-156856 Add default import units) 

Thanks for the feedback.

[emre_sahin9PU3F]

I like this platform very much. Everyone is trying to support me on things I can't do or don't know. I am pleased with this. I just can't understand this. There are flaws with Fusion, and they are significant ones. I am raising the issue regarding this. Someone else is answering me. But no answer is given to solve and understand the problem. It would be better for expert elite users to research whether other CAD-CAM programs have these problems and then respond.

[TrippyLighting]

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@emre_sahin9PU3F wrote:

...There are flaws with Fusion, and they are significant ones. I am raising the issue regarding this. ...

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You can and should raise this as an issue.

However, it is NOT significant! I have spent a lot of time on this Forum over the last 10 years and this is the first time I recall someone raising this issue. There are other issues that have a much, much higher priority.

Also, many of the EE's have decades of professional CAD and 3D modeling experience in other CAD systems!

In my case, that's over 3 decades.

[emre_sahin9PU3F]

Imagine you have an assembly drawn in SolidWorks. This format comes to you as x_t. You will make a cam program for these parts. Let's say you will make 100 parts of cam. Is it normal to see measurements in meters every time you open parts in x_t format? There is no problem with formats such as stp, iges... It is only available in x_t format. Isn't this situation abnormal?

[John_Wright · Accepted solution]

To mirror @Phil.E question. 

Are the models importing scaled? 

If yes - This is a huge issue

If No - This is not a problem, 1m = 1,000mm - they are the same size.

Just change it here?

I must be missing something if this is causing a larger issue than a minor inconvenience. 

John

[TrippyLighting]

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@emre_sahin9PU3F wrote:

Imagine you have an assembly drawn in SolidWorks. 

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I don't have to imagine that. I use SolidWorks at work (and have done so for over 20 years), albeit my main work horse for concept development is Fusion.

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@emre_sahin9PU3F wrote:

... Is it normal to see measurements in meters every time you open parts in x_t format? There is no problem with formats such as stp, iges... It is only available in x_t format. Isn't this situation abnormal?

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.x_t is the "native" format of the parasolid geometric modeling kernel, used by SolidWorks and other CAD systems. Yet another selection of CAD systems are based on the ACIS geometric modeling kernel. Autodesk's main CAD software packages Inventor and Fusion use ASM (Autodesk Shape Manager) which is based on an early fork of the ACIS kernel.

As such, the .x_t format is not native to CAD software based on the ACIS geometric modeling kernel. 

Also, .x_t is a very old CAD format. STEP is much newer and nowadays is used much more often to exchange CAD models.

You have not answered the question asked by @Phil.E . Do the .x_t files you import into Fusion have the wrong scale, or is it just the document measurement system is meters after import, but the geometry imports at the right scale?

I work with a lot of imported data and occasionally import .x_t files into Fusion. I have not come across .x_t files that import at the wrong scale! This would be the first instance I remember being posted here on the forum.

You get better feedback if you answer questions and share examples of files that exhibit problems.

[emre_sahin9PU3F]

Hi Phil,
The problem is that every piece in x_t format comes as meters in the fusion program.

[TrippyLighting · Accepted solution]

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@emre_sahin9PU3F wrote:

Hi Phil,
The problem is that every piece in x_t format comes as meters in the fusion program.

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You still did not EXACTLY answer the question. You still haven't shared an .x_t file with that particular problem.

[emre_sahin9PU3F]

Hi  @John_Wright,

There is no scale problem in pieces opened in x_t format. For example; The piece drawn at 1500mm opens as 1.5 meters. In other file formats, it opens as mm. I think this issue is a problem. From where? In some countries, the inch system is used. Imagine getting x_t 3D data from countries that use the metric system. In Fusion, you will have to convert the file you open from meters to inches each time. In the first settings made in Inventor or Solidworks, the parts are opened according to the unit of measurement that comes from outside or you use, right? In Fusion, these measurement units should not change unless I change them. Or give me a warning when opening the file. For example; I work in the metric system. When I open a piece in inches, it should give a warning that it is in inches. I am also a Mastercam expert. I use the metric system in the Mastercam program. Inch piece gives a warning when opening. (This piece is called inch system).

[emre_sahin9PU3F]

I am very sorry. I added the file.
Note: I drew the part in the Inventor program.

[TrippyLighting]

I tried to open the file in SolidWorks 2023 and received this:

Interesting!

I then uploaded it to Fusion. The default units of the imported part are indeed Meters.

The dimensions of he part can be seen i the bounding box, also in Meters.

I changed the units to mm and not the bounding box dimension are shown in mm. I believe these are dimensions you modeled the part with, so the part imports at the correct scale!

So, in essence, there is no bug or problem with the CAD software here whatsoever!

Change the units to mm or any other unit you prefer and you're good to go. 

[TrippyLighting]

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@emre_sahin9PU3F wrote:

Hi  @John_Wright,

There is no scale problem in pieces opened in x_t format. For example; The piece drawn at 1500mm opens as 1.5 meters. In other file formats, it opens as mm. I think this issue is a problem. From where? In some countries, the inch system is used. Imagine getting x_t 3D data from countries that use the metric system. In Fusion, you will have to convert the file you open from meters to inches each time. In the first settings made in Inventor or Solidworks, the parts are opened according to the unit of measurement that comes from outside or you use, right? In Fusion, these measurement units should not change unless I change them. Or give me a warning when opening the file. For example; I work in the metric system. When I open a piece in inches, it should give a warning that it is in inches. I am also a Mastercam expert. I use the metric system in the Mastercam program. Inch piece gives a warning when opening. (This piece is called inch system).

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The default unit of .x_t files are Meters. that is how they are exported. There isn't anything you can do about that.

If the parts imports at the correct scale, which it does, then there is no problem, at least not in Fusion!

I Fusion, whether you design or machine a part in Inches or mm makes no difference. It will create the same part.