How to create one clean surface 1

[DuckyB]

I'm looking for help creating one large clean surface either from many surfaces or a solid with many faces.

What I'm working with.
I'm working with a Catia model with a geometric set of surfaces and we'd like to make one large surface out of them to use as a cutting tool in another CAD application (Mastercam) for making a sheet metal form tool.

I've had no luck creating one surface or thickening all the surfaces in Catia So, export as a step and import to SolidWorks still not getting anywhere with this. Also, the surfaces in blue are the most in need being joined.

CATIA V5 6R2017
SOLIDWORKS 2019

Any ideas?
Thank you

Ducky B Bronson

 

[LWolf]

what CATIA release?

regards,
LWolf

 

[DuckyB]

LWolf, I using V5 6R2017.

Ducky B Bronson

 

[itsmyjob]

do you have access to the V4 model where maybe the surface where done? Could you also share ?

Eric N.
indocti discant et ament meminisse periti ​

 

[DuckyB]

itsmyjob, yes we do. I'm looking at it now.

I have it open and yes I see a large surfaces but when I export they break up is there something we're missing?

Ducky B Bronson

 

[itsmyjob]

You not missing anything, I've seen that before.

But I was just trying to find a fast way to sort all surfaces... because in V5 they all have the same color and layer I hoped that maybe full V4 import will help us sorting surfaces.

If smart surface sorting is not available we'll have to go hard way. Then recreate V4 surfaces in V5 from curve extract/rebuild from V4 surfaces..... unless you have FSS and you can concatenate surface

Eric N.
indocti discant et ament meminisse periti ​

 

[DuckyB]

The V4.model displace the surfaces as one which is exactly what we're looking for but, when four to V5 translation takes place they're all broke up. Now, we do have curves and we can probably recreate the surfaces but, there has to be a way to export whole surfaces from V4. Does anybody have any idea how this would work

Ducky B Bronson

 

[rickyt]

The v4 model is probably what they called a "skin", similar to a join (V5).
You should be able to disassemble the surfaces in V5 if needed, then join the needed ones.
Might need to bump up the tolerance on the join. The join might not offset due to tangency problems or small gaps.

 

[DuckyB]

rickyt, thank you for your help.

Ducky B Bronson

 

[jzecha]

Can you upload the v4 model to look at?
I opened the v5 file and there is one surface that disassembles into 991 pieces.

What exactly are you looking at doing?
Do you just need one of the surfaces smoothed out?
I see three different surfaces in the file and and EOP as well.

 

[rickyt]

Ducky B,
I disassembled and then joined surfaces, see attached.
This may not come through mastercam as one surface although.
The surface has a few areas that need clean-up (tangency or gaps) before it can be thickened.

 

[DuckyB]

Rickyt, first I want to say, thank you for taking time out of your day to help me out; It didn't go unnoticed.

Today at work I was critically busy and only had about 5 minutes to open your file and Catia and exported the joined surfaces as an IGES and STEP but sadly, both exported as individual surfaces.

While at work Saturday I exported the catpart as step ISO 10303 then opened It in MasterCam and was greeted with sheet solids that I thickened to make true solids. These new solids we're good enough for me to overbend to account for spring back and use as tools in a Boolean operation to design the punch and die we needed.

Even though those solids worked they had many faces and I would have loved to eliminate them and form one smooth continuous surface.

Maybe the problem is this; I'm searching for a magic bullet that doesn't exist. If CAD was easy then everybody would be doing it and salaries would fall; I hope that never happens! As CAD professionals, we often have to roll up our sleeves and build a surface no matter how much of a grind the processes is.

Ducky B Bronson

 

[DuckyB]

jzecha, I might be able to upload the v4 file. I'll look in to it

Ducky B Bronson