DWG Import to Robot

[conor_coburn]

I have a Dwg that was an export from Sketchup, Its a sphere, I opened it up in Autocad, cleaned it up, exploded it into lines and then opened it up as a file in Robot. The Sphere is constructed with Hexigons, and it looks that way in Autocad. But when i open it in Robot, Robot conversion instead breaks the hexigons into there component triangles. I don't want this to happen i just want the Hexigons. Is there a way to insure this?

[Krzysztof_Wasik]

Hi @conor_coburn 

Select all lines in DWG and move it apart from sphere geometry then save dwg and import it to Robot

It seems that there are some ghost objects in DWG

[conor_coburn]

I found a work around, by importing into Advanced steel, converting to members and then exporting to a SDNF, changing the suffix to sdf and importing to Robot. But i have needed up with another problem. The members will be plate about 2mm x200mm, i need the 200mm depth to be Perpendicular to the perceived surface of the sphere.  This has not happened. Any thoughts. See image, I could not attached the RTD file as this communication app was giving me an error. 

[Krzysztof_Wasik]

Hi @conor_coburn 

Zip RTD file before sharing

[conor_coburn]

See attached

[Krzysztof_Wasik]

Hi @conor_coburn 

You have to define correct gamma angle for bars (gamma defines rotation around bar axis)

Align bar local Z axes to sphere center

Follow the steps.

Define node in the sphere center

Select bars on sphere surface which should be rotated

Open Geometry >Properties >Gamma angle

Set Special value to nodes

Type in node (defined in sphere center) number in NUmber field

Apply.

[Rafacascudo]

Just create a node in the sphere center and then on Geometry/Properties/gamma angle , select "node" and set all bars to have the gamma angle referencing to this created node at sphere center .

Maybe after this is done ,you will need to rotate them 90 degrees using the same tool. Or Maybe not

[conor_coburn]

O.K, that sounds like it will work, this sounds like a stupid question, but how did you determine the coordinates of the centre node. Given it came in from sketchup via Advance steel and I did not model it in sketchup likley its not 0,0,0? 

[Krzysztof_Wasik · Accepted solution]

Hi @conor_coburn 

I have used structural axes definition (picking extremal points in XY, XZ and YZ projections)

Then I have defined member along diagonal of the cube (formed by axes) and defined node in this bar center.