leica cyclone 3d scan into solid works

[swrookie]

how can i open or import a leica 3d scan from their cyclone software?
leica says it can export a 3d dxf model, which solid works can import.
any ideas?
thanks,
swrookie

 

[KirbyWan]

I'm not sure about the cyclone software. I know we've imported point clouds from our Leica scanner and done the data massaging to create the surfaces, but that is a huge pain in the buttocks. I've imported STEP and IGES files and they usually have some serious problems with surfaces that are obviously wrong. In general I'm not that impressed with solidworks importing abilities, but it may be that no CAD program does a good job of importing data well.

-Kirby

Kirby Wilkerson

Remember, first define the problem, then solve it.

 

[rfus]

First post in a while.

SolidWorks Imports Parametric 3d cad data just fine Kirby.

SolidWorks is not really a reverse engineering solution to import point cloud or polygon data. SolidWorks did create the Scanto3d module to work with point and polygon data. You need Premium to enable this add in. If you have that, use it. If not, you may want to do some research on reverse engineering.

If you do not have this add in, I ask you, what do you want to do with this scan data or polygon model? Create a nurbs model from it? Use it as reference geometry? If you are planning on going from points, to polys, to nurbs, you have some work ahead of you.

Also, a 3d dxf is the worst choice of file format for SolidWorks. You will have a tough time gettting this in. If you have poly's you'll want to import STL, but you can't import more than 100K triangles, and the data is heavy and cumbersome on the package, so it's not of much use. SolidWorks is not a polygon modeler. You can import IGES polys, or points as sketch entities. That may be your best format.

You can also convert your data into tab delim and use this import macro

http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=183201

That is probably your best bet to start.

rfus