Face Orientation Errors Inventor 2016

[Anonymous]

I tried importing a model I made in another program as an IGS file. I first tried importing it Stitched, but since there is a component which cuts through the model, that part was left as un-Stictched. I instead imported it as a Composite and Stitched everything together, then removed the unnecessary intersecting faces. When I finished that and tried stitching it again, it came up with a list of 69 errors, all of them labeled "Face Orientation (whatever # it was)". I tried messing around with the Heal Errors tool and changed the value for the Allowable Change, as well as the other tools, but nothing is working. The smallest Allowable Change value I tried so far is 0.0000625 in. I would like to get this model printed to do testing on for my Science Fair project (if not this year, then maybe next year). I've had similar errors with other IGS models from the other program, but they were all easily fixable. I've never seen the "Face Orientation" error before. How can I fix this error?

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! In Inventor Repair environment or Construction environment, you could try flipping the normal of faces using Face Normal command. Here is a link to the explanation of common errors on imported bodies.

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/inventor-products/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2015...

Do you what CAD system exported this IGES file?

Many thanks!

[Anonymous]

The program I used is not actually a CAD program, I don't believe. It's a program called OpenVSP; it's a NASA program that's used for aircraft design. Here's the link to the OpenVSP website: http://www.openvsp.org/. I've used it for my other models this year, and haven't had too many issues with it before. Of course, I learned the hard way that, in order to 3-D print them, I had to repair the models so they were stitched together. This is the first time I received this error from a model; I'm thinking it may be because I had so much overlapping geometry. I don't believe there's a way that allows me to smoothly integrate parts into each other in OpenVSP, so I'm practically forced to do it in Inventor.

I'm actually going to switch this model over to the 2017 version of Inventor. I just got the 2017 version of Inventor loaded onto my school laptop, so I'll try fixing the model in that and update this post once I try fixing it in there.

Update: I tried using the Reverse Normal tool like you suggested. It came up with four more errors (Modeling Uncertanties - I was able to fix those), but was still unable to repair the Face Orientation errors, plus it is now showing that I have 73 Face Orientation errors that could not be healed with the Heal Errors tool.

[Mark.Lancaster]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I'm actually going to switch this model over to the 2017 version of Inventor. I just got the 2017 version of Inventor loaded onto my school laptop, so I'll try fixing the model in that and update this post once I try fixing it in there.

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Is this a class project/homework?  If not you can't use a student license of Inventor to modify data such as this.  Educational license are for learning only.

[Anonymous]

Yeah. This is for my Science Fair project, though I may or may not use this particular model until next year. I want to learn now if there are any modifications I need to make to my other models for next year. This way I will have time to work on it and know what to do if I run into this problem again.

[Anonymous]

I just saw there was an update to OpenVSP, and part of it included "[cleaning] up [the] logic in STEP/IGES export – may help some importers" (http://openvsp.org/blogs/announcements/2017/08/28/openvsp-3-13-2-released). I asked my school's IT dept. to put the OpenVSP on my laptop as well for my Science Fair project, which they put on at the same time as Inventor. I opened the model in that and exported it again as an IGS, hoping there might be a difference. After finishing the repairs, there were still Face Orientation errors, 32 of them, and none of the tools worked to fix them.

[Anonymous]

I just tried importing other files, but it seems like IGES is the only one that works. Here are the available options to export as:

- AutoCAD (.dxf)
- Blade Element (.bem)
- Cart3D (.tri)
- Gmsh (.msh)
- IGES (.igs)
- NASCART (.dat)
- PLOT3D (.p3d)
- POVRAY (.pov)
- STEP (.stp)
- Stereolith (.stl)
- SVG (.svg)
- X Sec (.hrm)
- X3D (.x3d)
- Xpatch (.facet)

I tried AutoCAD, Cart3D, STEP and Stereolith, but I could only open (and edit) the STEP file. However, the STEP file wouldn't let me remove the geometry I wanted to remove, plus it came up with a whole new list of errors. Additionally, when I zoomed in on the file parts of it were off. Is there another file from the list above I should try?

[JDMather]

IGES or STEP
Can you attach one of these here?

[JDMather · Accepted solution]

Assuming that you have a watertight boundary- Sculpt might be you ticket.

[Anonymous]

Here's the models and their parent files. I'll make an additional post with the remaining file.

I'll see if I can use the Sculpt tool, but I'm not sure how well it will work where the models are still composites rather than solids.

[Anonymous]

OK, it won't let me insert the IGES file as a stand-alone, so I put all the files in the .zip file.

[JDMather · Accepted solution]

You have holes all over your model.

And iProperties indicates you are using 2017, not 2016?

Once I patched the 3 holes - Sculpt formed a solid body.

[Anonymous]

The Sculpt kind of worked. The errors are negligible, for lack of better word, but I lost parts of the engine block (the intake and outtake).

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I switched versions so I could work on the model on my student laptop. As for the holes, the larger one is the engine block intake/outtake, while the smaller one is representing a nozzle like a pitot tube.

And yes, this is for my school Science Fair project.

[Anonymous]

For the model to accurately represent how it would fly, I need to keep the "holes". I know for a fact that the engine block isn't a perfect circle all the way through, so I know can't make a rail then extrude/loft along it. Is there some way I can "cut" them back into the model if I patch them?

  

[Anonymous]

The Sculpt tool mostly worked. Although I now have one solid body, when I deleted the patched faces, I lost the inside part of the engine block. How can I get that part back?

[I_Forge_KC]

Can you use the delete face option and then use the thicken/offset tool to build the surface into a hollow form?

[Anonymous]

I tried using the Delete Face tool. If you look at the image I included in one of my above posts (I included it below for reference), you'll see what the engine component is supposed to look like. I keep losing the part that is inside the body of the aircraft when I use the Delete Face tool. However, if I don't use the Patch tool and instead use the Sculpt, I can keep that inside portion of the engine but lose the intake and outtake. I included the two Inventor parts I took the second image from.