Data migration from Ideas to Solidworks 2

[ChristopheMazeaud]

Hi all.

Does anyboy know about any tool for migrating ideas files (3D, 2D, etc...) to Solidworks?
If so have you got experience with such a tool? best practices? documentation?

Thanks in advance.
Chris.

 

[ewh]

You might get better response here: forum559

Believe it if you need it or leave it if you dare. - [small]Robert Hunter[/small]

 

[drawoh]

ChristopheMazeaud,

Have your people learned to use SolidWorks yet?

Reading the Ideas drawings and modeling the parts in SolidWorks is an excellent training exercise.

JHG

 

[Cockroach]

SolidWorks, absolutely love it! A picture perfect parametric model and FEA package with thermal analysis if required. Be sure to join your SW community and participate with the various local meetings! A good resource for ideas, problem solving and tips.

Kenneth J Hueston, PEng
Principal
Sturni-Hueston Engineering Inc
Edmonton, Alberta Canada

 

[ChristopheMazeaud]

Hi All.

A migration tool is required as too much data as to be moved from Ideas to SW.
Someone has heard of such a tool?

Regards.
Chris

 

[Ataloss]

Hi Christophe,
There are several companies that offer both feature based and non-featured based, automated 3D model translation software or services. The problem you may run into is that very few people offer support for native Ideas files. There's something about that software that has scares these companies off. The good news is that you may be able to convert the Ideas files to UG files and then use some of the automated solutions, or convert your Ideas files to STEP files and then use the automated solutions. I'm sure the companies will be able to offer more suggestions.

Some companies/products you may want to look at are:
Anark Core -

http://www.anark.com

- Automated translation software - this is more geared towards ongoing translation (ex. you need to translate a Catia assebmly into Pro-E twice a week for two years) than a one time migration
Proficiency -

http://www.proficiency.com

- Automated feature based translation software
Transmagic -

http://www.transmagic.com

- Automated non-feature based translation software
CADFix -

http://www.transcendata.com

- Automated non-feature based translation software

As for 2D, I don't know of any automated solutions. The easiest way I've moved 2D from Ideas to Catia was to create CGM files in Ideas and import them into a Catia drawing. I'm sure you could do the same for Solidworks. This is time intensive and the drawing is not linked to the 2D but I don't think you're going to get much better. I don't know of any methods of translation that will create a fully updateable drawing that is linked to 3D.

I haven't used any of the programs I've mentioned above but did evaluate some of them for translating from Catia to Ideas. For the number of translations we were looking at (maybe 50 a year for 1 year) it made more sense for us to use STEP files for the 3D, and a combination of CGM and HPGL for the 2D.

Also, for both the 2D and 3D, talk to Solidworks. I'd be surprised if they were not able to at least offer some suggestions for migrating data to their software.

Hope this helps,
Bob

 

[ChristopheMazeaud]

Hi Ataloss

Thanks a lot for your complete post.
Your right, it seems complicated from Ideas native files. A batch (onsite) feature-based translation for 3D and 2D was expected but seems now completly impossible :-(

We are in contact with some Solidworks vendors, but they say they haven't got sucg tools... I will try to contact directly to Solidworks (Dassault).

I will have a look to the link you point to.
Thanks again

 

[rb1957]

i don't use Ideas, but can't use create a model in Ideas ? then you should be able to export the FEM into solidworks, maybe using NASTRAN dbf as a medium ?

 

[handleman]

rb,
SolidWorks and Ideas are both CAD systems. It's easy to import model geometry. Having usable, editable, manipulable, native CAD files is the challenging end goal.

-handleman, CSWP (The new, easy test)