Drafting in autocad?

[phudge]

Hey guys, i come from a backgroud using solid edge and i basically need to take a model from solid works, take it into autocad and then create lots of techincle drawings of the model dimensioning all the features ect.

does anybody have any ideas/tutorials on how to do this?

Cheers

 

[TCARPENTER1]

Hi phudge,

I've done lots of this.

From Solidworks:
[ul]
[li]Select the Save As option[/li]
[li]Under the filetypes, select ACIS.[/li]
[li]Click the options button.[/li]
[li]Change the ACIS version from it's latest and greatest to 7 (might be 4) - sorry I'm trying to do this all from memory.[/li]
[li]Then create the ACIS file.[/li]
[/ul]

In AutoCAD:
[ul]
[li]At the command line: type in "ACISIN" (no quotes)[/li]
[li]Select the ACIS file you created in SolidWorks <<filename>>.sat[/li]
[li]They usually come in at 0,0,0 - so zoom out or in to see your imported model.[/li]
[/ul]

If the model you're importing lots of rounds, you may want run the SolidEdit command and then select the "clean" option to help get rid of excess lines.

HTH
Todd

 

[phudge]

Hi TCARPENTER1 thanks alot for your reply, iv managed to get the model into autocad now, but how do you actually go about getting diffrent views of this object (top left bottom and 3d views of it ect) and take it dimensions off given edges?

iv search the help but couldnt find anything for "drafting" is it called somthing else in autocad?

Cheers

 

[TCARPENTER1]

Hi phudge,

You'll want to search the help files for paper space, and mview. Both of these are what you'll use to set up your views. Then search the dim command, this will explain how to set up your dimensioning to do your take offs.

HTH
Todd

 

[chicopee]

You have to create those views with ACAD. ACAD will not do that for you automatically.

If your solid works are in 3 "D" ,then in model space create let's say four viewports and the drawing will show up in those viewports the same position. Each drawing can then be rotated in the view that you want another word top, front,right side, etc.... With a little bit of manipulation creating reference lines, you can align these views as you would have in a typical drawing.
You can also do oblique views, cutaways but you would need the additional commands from solid editing found in the modify pull down menu.

If solid works is in 2"D" and no additional views were not already done, then you will need to draw them out separately however no viewport will be need in model space.

 

[ohiocad]

Just adding to what chicopee stated, under some circumstances, solview and soldraw will create some of the views for you, but it can be finicky, and takes a little bit of getting used to.

But, still worth looking into (as long as your model is a solid in autocad, not surfaces.... If it's surfaces Acad loses a lot of functionality gizmos)