large assembly model question (advanced assemblies)

[bonczyk]

what is the best way for me answer the following.

You have a large assembly model created in Unigraphics and need to export an envelope model to CATIA for use by a customer. The customer has a file size limit that is much smaller than your model file size. How would you prepare this file for export to the customer? Explain the steps that you would take to get your customer this information.

 

[Cargeke]

Do they have an FTP site you could post to? That's how I have to get large files.

 

[hudson888]

Firstly you could simplify either the assembly or the components to remove the internal detail. It would help if for a one off export of the geometry that you simply used dumb solids as the parameters add to the file size. In that way going via Step or parasolid in inself may produce smaller files. It would seem that this is appropriate if your intent is just to provide a packaging envelope because you would use a translator between UG and Catia anyway.

As for file sizes purely in the sense of the amount of data being transmitted. Many methods exist that will work with fairly large file sizes whether by e-mail or FTP. Firstly we use Winrar to create archives it is cheap or shareware and can create an encrypted file with hidden contents or split archives easily into several smaller files of any given size. Then if you still want to work with larger files there is

http://www.yousendit.com

where you can send 100Mb files for free or on a trial basis. I usually encrypt files for any transmission and for e-mail unless you work via hotmail, or one of the other http mailers you need to downsize your expectations due to mime formatting so that 10Mb limit becomes approximately 7Mb and 5Mb becomes 3.5Mb.

 

[JohnRBaker]

If you have the Advanced Assembly module, I would first try using the 'Wrap Assembly' function since it's the easiest and you can set it up so that it updates as the assembly is changed. Note that if you use the 'Splitting Planes' function you can refine the shape so that it more closely represents the actual shape of the assembly.

If you require an 'exact' representation, try using 'Linked Exterior' or 'Simplify Assembly'.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
NX Design
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[MCGNX]

In my experience, linked exterior works far better than simplify assembly. Simplify assembly takes a loooong time to create and it makes a file that has a massive file size.

Linked exteriors however will only give you the outer surfaces (as surfaces), but it is an almost instant process and a very small file size.

Both can create links to the original assy if needed, however if you add components, you will need to redefine them.

 

[hudson888]

It is going to another CAD system so that it is likely that parameters will be largely sacrified but it may be that case that the user intends to create a layout expected to be reused to update his Catia using collegues with some data from his large assembly. In either case be wary of live links with changing designs if you don't later wish to be stuck with interminable waits for it to fail to update because the design has fundamentally changed. In either case the linked exterior or wrapped geometry can be the quicker way to go.

Cheers

Hudson