treddie
Computer
- Dec 17, 2005
- 417
Hello.
I am sort of new to the process I am using in W4 right now and have run into a strange problem that I am hoping someone can help me with.
Basically what I am doing is exporting out a mesh file from w4, then taking that back in so I can thicken it (it is a very free-form object and does not do well when trying to thicken or offset the boundary blends). But since it is a mesh at this point and ProE does not offer any mesh to solid conversions, I export out the file from w4 as an .stl file. I take THAT into CADFix to get the conversion from mesh to a solid .sat file. Finally, I bring the .sat file into ProE so I can cut it, attach other features to it, and so on.
The problem is this: When I import it into w4, I can cut it and do any other solid operations on it and it does just fine. However, if I go into setup and change its accuracy or units, it loses its solidity because holes get punched into it (some of the triangular facets that make up its surface disappear). Also, I get GeomCheck errors that say it now has self intersecting surfaces. If I try to change back to the old accuracy or units (undo is not available at this point), it gets worse...spikes show up all over the place that jut out into space; extra surface facets that get created for "no" reason at all.
What am I doing wrong here? CADFix has no problem importing the .stl file and exporting the .sat file, and no manual fixes are required. And as said above, its initial import back into ProE works fine.
I get the feeling that when any scaling or accuracy changes are made, the facet edges lose attachment, and once that happens it can't go back, because there is no Undo record for the changes.
Is it also possible that even though it is a solid object, that it is tenuous at best because maybe none of the edges of the solid are aligned, and are therefore free-floating edges with no tight references?
Thanks for any help.
I am sort of new to the process I am using in W4 right now and have run into a strange problem that I am hoping someone can help me with.
Basically what I am doing is exporting out a mesh file from w4, then taking that back in so I can thicken it (it is a very free-form object and does not do well when trying to thicken or offset the boundary blends). But since it is a mesh at this point and ProE does not offer any mesh to solid conversions, I export out the file from w4 as an .stl file. I take THAT into CADFix to get the conversion from mesh to a solid .sat file. Finally, I bring the .sat file into ProE so I can cut it, attach other features to it, and so on.
The problem is this: When I import it into w4, I can cut it and do any other solid operations on it and it does just fine. However, if I go into setup and change its accuracy or units, it loses its solidity because holes get punched into it (some of the triangular facets that make up its surface disappear). Also, I get GeomCheck errors that say it now has self intersecting surfaces. If I try to change back to the old accuracy or units (undo is not available at this point), it gets worse...spikes show up all over the place that jut out into space; extra surface facets that get created for "no" reason at all.
What am I doing wrong here? CADFix has no problem importing the .stl file and exporting the .sat file, and no manual fixes are required. And as said above, its initial import back into ProE works fine.
I get the feeling that when any scaling or accuracy changes are made, the facet edges lose attachment, and once that happens it can't go back, because there is no Undo record for the changes.
Is it also possible that even though it is a solid object, that it is tenuous at best because maybe none of the edges of the solid are aligned, and are therefore free-floating edges with no tight references?
Thanks for any help.