Importing CAD meshes into Robot

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I've an issue with importing CAD geometry into Robot.

When trying to import CAD geometry into Robot (i.e. bars as lines and panels as closed polylines or meshes) I use the following commands: File / Open Project / Select the dxf or dwg file. After this, whatever setting I choose, I'm always able to import lines as bars but NEVER able to import polylines or meshes as panels.
So, basically, I cannot import meshes into Robot!! This is very limiting as complex geometries cannot be recreated into Robot or however it would take too much time.

Could you please help me with this too?

Thank you very much,
Davide

[Artur.Kosakowski · Accepted solution]

Please check:

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/robot-structural-analysis/autocad-dwg-files-import/m-p/3181550

and

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/robot-structural-analysis/import-autocad-meshes-in-arsa/m-p/4746821

If you find your post answered press the Accept as Solution button please. This will help other users to find solutions much faster. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Hi Arthur,

thank you very much for your reply: I understood what's the issue and i'd like to share it with others.

When trying to import a mesh in Robot you may do that in two ways:

1 - either import the mesh itself. In this case, if you're using non autodesk CAD software (i.e. Rhino), make sure to save it in .dwg, open it in Autocad, explode all meshes and then save again in .dwg. Then the import process into Robot goes straightforward. If you miss the Autocad step Robot will miss all the mesh-related geometry. This is what was happening to me;

2 - or extract the mesh net as lines (_ExtractMeshEdges in Rhino), save that as .dwg with whatever CAD software you like, import it in Robot and create a panel by selecting the lines defining the mesh.

[Anonymous]

Hi Arthur,

that would be very useful if you could reply also to my other posts about Geometrically non-linear analysis, in which I ask how to obtain the load deflection diagram of control points and the collapse factor from a P-Delta non linear analysis in Robot.

This would be very useful as I'm working with very deformable structures.

Thank you again,

Davide Tonelli