How best to convert Solid Edge files to Solidworks?

[Marty10]

I have been faced with this type of problem on more than one occasion and there seem to always be a variety of ways to tackle it. Ideally what I would like is a way to convert parts within assemblies with all the history of how that part has been created; i.e. with all the extruded bosses and cuts etc that made that part so that it can be fully editable within solidworks. For example it turns out that this is entirely possible between solid Edge and inventor using and older file type. So far I have used the conversion software built into solidworks premium which isn't ideal and tried using the stl iges, step and parasolid files, however all these only give me blocks. There is also the function of move face within solid works is there any alternative to this?

 

[JMirisola]

Have you used FeatureWorks as well?

Jeff Mirisola, CSWP
Design Manager/Senior Designer
M9 Defense
My Blog

 

[PatCouture]

As you know you will never have native solid edge files opening in solidworks with the feature tree intact especially if they are built for the synchronous environment. So the problem stand on how solidworks is able to retrieve feature information from the geometry with FeatureWorks or any other type of feature recognition software.

Still the best neutral format for the two software is parasolid since they are both built on it.

Patrick

 

[rollupswx]

Why do you need the entire feature tree?
Are the parts from your source wrong on all features?
I run feature recognition on only features I need to edit. (I don't use the automatic feature recognition.)

 

[Marty10]

Yes I have used featureworks, some of the problems I am having with this are that I want to scale up or down complex parts which featureworks doesn't recognise either by the automatic method or manual. I am also finding that the method for adding the build characteristics such as the sketch for a boss say isn't ideal. For example I tried importing a circular rail system and it used straight dimensions from two planes to fix all points instead of using a radiused method from the centrepoint, and the planes are all over the place. As I need to resize the rails I might as well redraw the whole thing in solidworks. This is ok but I need to resize an entire platform that sits on the rails also, which is a lot more work than I was expecting. I was hoping there would be a better way.

 

[PatCouture]

I assume using Solid Edge is out of your options?

Patrick

 

[looslib]

Let's start at the ground floor.
WHY do you need to convert files from SE to SW? What process is driving that?

Like Patrick said, Can you use SE for your work?


"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."

Ben Loosli

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Ideally what I would like is a way to convert parts within assemblies with all the history of how that part has been created; i.e. with all the extruded bosses and cuts etc that made that part so that it can be fully editable within solidworks.

That would be an ideal situation ... but it ain't gonna happen.

it turns out that this is entirely possible between solid Edge and inventor using and older file type.

Have you actually seen proof of this, or just been told that was possible. I highly doubt, it but would love to be proven wrong.

Feature recognition (FeatureWorks) and Direct Edit remain the only viable options, unless you opt for a bespoke third party service.