Pipe Profile Inputing Co-ordinates

[Flatmate]

Is there a way to generate a profile of a pipe using co-ordinates.

I have the co-ordinates taken from 24 locations around the circumference of the pipe and over a set distance.

Is there a way of inputing this data into SolidWorks to generate a 3D image of the pipe?

 

[MartinShane]

So just to make sure we're on the same page, you have 24 sets of X,Y,Z coordinates total? or multiple sets of 24, each taken at a different point down the length of the pipe?

 

[Flatmate]

multiple sets of 24, each taken at a different point down the length of the pipe...

the way I have discovered so far is to generate the 24 points at one position in the pipe on a plane, copy the sketch onto 5 new planes representing the pipe length and created a surface-loft.

This works, but there are 1118 data points for this particular example. Is there a way of using an excel spreadsheet to input the data?

 

[MartinShane]

Thats along the lines of what first came to mind.

If you want it automated, There are macros for importing the points as a 3D sketch -
These might be useful: GrabCad Text Macro GrabCad Excel Macro

But I suppose you would still have to create curves through the points and generate a loft, so it wouldnt be fully automated.

a step in the right direction perhaps?

 

[MartinShane]

Self Edit - realized that the second link isn't what you want... its going from SW to excel, not the other way around, Though the text file import goes the right way.