Converting IGES Mesh and/or STP Graphics to a Surface

[Phebotalus]

Hi, everyone.

I have an IGES file of a CFD mesh containing many lines and points, and a STP file containing the outer graphics created by their boundary. I was wondering if there was anyway in SolidWorks to either:

a) From the imported IGES file with all the lines and points, extract the boundary of all of them as a surface, such that I can edit it in SolidWorks (i.e. make cuts, extrudes, etc.).

b) From the imported STP graphics file, create a surface that can be edited in SolidWorks, as currently it cannot be.

Thanks for all your help!

 

[KevinDeSmet]

This is never easy.

First thing you could try is, go to open the file and in the open dialog box, choose IGES as filetype, select your file, then click on "options".

There you can mess around with some controls.

Second thing, if you have Solidworks Premium, you can use "ScanTo3D" that does a fair job of making surfaces out of your mesh data, and eventually into a watertight solid in the end.

CSWP-Surf

 

[Phebotalus]

I'll try changing the import options, thanks.

My heart jumped when I saw ScanTo3D in SolidWorks! However, it gave me an error saying that no surfaces exist? Is there something else I need to do, did I choose the wrong Scanto3D option, or can I not use this function?

 

[Phebotalus]

Sorry for the thread title I should have written ...or STEP Graphics..., i.e. a .stl file.

 

[KevinDeSmet]

I would try fiddling with the import options some more, it has to be just right.

CSWP-Surf

 

[Phebotalus]

It seems no matter what import options I choose, SolidWorks always imports the data as curves. i.e. for other .igs files, I can import surfaces and bodies, but this only shows up as many imported curves.

Also, I usually get a message before importing that, "This file contains free curves/points which are not desired according to the import options. Do you wish to import them anyway?". Clicking yes leads to all the curves. Clicking no imports nothing.

 

[Chaabain]

Did you try to do that with Geomagic if you have it?

 

[rollupswx]

SolidWorks always imports the data as curves...

Perhaps wireframe is all that is in the file. Can you zip and attach the iges file here and I can check in some other programs.

 

[Phebotalus]

I was (I believe) able to convert from iges wireframe to an iges surface. However, it is around 100Mb, and whenever I try to import it into SolidWorks as a graphics, surface, or solid body, SolidWorks tries to convert it for an hour, then Windows says that it has performed an illegal operation and must shut down.

Anyone have any good ideas on importing, or software that translates iges to SolidWorks somehow?