Converting an Assembly to "dumb" solid

[jeblack]

I have a complex assembly with many surface models and subassemblies with up to 5000 part copy geometry making up a single part. For most of the simple stuff I can individually select them and insert them as a part copy. But I am not allowed to do this with this current job. I have to make the entire assembly a single part document. I have tried stp, igs, parasolid, etc. and they all fail. Is there anyway to make a dumb solid out of an assembly. I am wondering if Solid Edge has a tool like Pro/E shrinkwrap. I need this file for a space claim "pretty picture" type of model that the customer can use in there assembly as a single part file.

My Machine is 3ghz, 4 gb ram 1 gig video. Solid Edge is using about 1.6GB of memory with this assembly open and even more when I try to translate to igs, stp, parasolid. Please let me know something. Thanks.

 

[donyoung]

Hi,

there is no such tool in SE. You may try this:

- create a part with a single block (Protrusion) that must be
large enough to encompass the whole assembly

- now insert the assembly (may be that you can delete all parts
that are 'inside' the assembly and thus not visible at all
on a copy of course)

- then use the Boolean function 'Intersect' (the seldom used
rightmost button)


This should leave a single item -- nearly because it may happen that
some items a still visible as single items when converted to .stp.

If you can't select the inserted assembly then the assembly got a
'non-zero manifold body' during insert. When this happens you're
screwed ... (To check this insert the assembly into an empty par )


dy

 

[KENAT]

For most of the simple stuff I can individually select them and insert them as a part copy. But I am not allowed to do this with this current job.

By this you mean opening a new part and going to insert part copy and doing a copy of the relevant assembly? This works with 'simple' assemblies but not any complex geometry that creates b-spline edges etc. Also UGS don't recomend this.

What do you mean "but I am not allowed to do this with this current job" do you mean your manager wont let you or that Solid Edge wont do it?

Another way is to make it a simplified assembly, you then get the option to save this as a part, I've only done it once and can't remember the entire process but it's something like that. As I recal the file size was still fairly big though.

 

[jeblack]

I actually mean both. I just remember the old days when you brought in an iges file and it was just one dumb file with no features. I really just need to make a space claim feature of the whole assembly. I have tried the boolean but it doesn't seem to want to work. I think this part is a bunch of surfaces and not any solid features. It has over 3,000 part copy's and I can't get it to form anything. I just need to make a "pretty solid" I will keep trying but this is very frustrating.

I am going to try the make simplified subassembly now. I will let you know how it goes.

 

[KENAT]

Good luck with the simplified assy. Chances are that if insert part copy didn't work then saving the simplified assy as a part wont but it's worth a try.

Of course if you're keeping it in SE then just the simplified assy may be enough.

 

[EricatNordic]

I tried this with a large assembly here and it can be saved as a parasolid without any problems. If you only want a few of the parts from an assembly, hide everything else and check the "export displayed only" save as parasolid option

 

[HDS]

STL

 

[onefjef]

Please post if finally successful as I have a very similar need. Engine body translated from CATIA created solids but I just need a space holder for my design.

Jef