STEP export from Ideas

[pamakela]

Hi,

I need to export a rather large assembly from Ideas to NX. I see that the STEP format is my best option here (?).

After exporting from Ideas I noticed that there are a bunch of separate .stp files and their location in 3D space is not the original one, ie. some parts are ovelapping etc. Also importing these separate files is time consuming. Is there a method to import all Step files at once? Also, should I use Step to begin with.. ?


Thanks!

 

[JohnRBaker]

If you're moving data from Ideas to NX why are you not using the CMM process?

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

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

 

[pamakela]

Thanks again for your prompt reply! Could you please elaborate on what the CMM process is exactly?

 

[rothers]

If you've made the switch from I-Deas to UG then you'll have (or are entitled to) CMM. As John says use it as it includes the capability of transferring parts/assys with associative drawings from I-Deas to UG.

If you've not made the switch then you won't have CMM. Instead use .xpk packagefiles, they will bring your I-Deas assys and parts into UG much cleaner than STEP etc. .xpk doesn't support drawings.

 

[SDETERS]

What version of I-Deas are your running? Are still using the TDM or are you on teamcenter?

 

[pamakela]

This version of Ideas is 6.3. I tried exporting .xpk and Ideas seems to have crashed.. It did produce a .xpk of several hundred MB in size, but NX failed to open the file (corrupted file I guess). We are using TeamCenter.

 

[JurgenKreisel]

I came from Ideas to UG several years ago. Tried the I-Deas TC route back in 2005 but at the time TDM was much better so we dropped TC.
I currently still have TC 9.1.2.10 running on an old server and I am working on pulling out the I-Deas data into package files. I also have I-Deas running in TDM mode.

Took a while to get the CMM software and license (it is free but you need to ask and Siemens wants you to take training). I only run CMM in solo mode since I do not want to bring I-Deas data into TC (no training required).

CMM works really well and hats off to the team that made this software. I have found an issue with the NX8 version where sometimes on large assemblies parts get messed up and it also does not bring over the custom attributes which the 7.5 version did. GTAC knows about it.

Creating package files from TDM is very easy but creating them from TC (at least 9.1.2.10) took some configuration and only works when logging in as infodba.

If I read in a .xpk file I always run NX in stand alone mode first then after I am satisfied with the results I then import it into TC.
The really nice part about the CMM software is that you can select a single part or assembly and do not need to convert the entire package file. It also supports drawings and even the assembly configurations come across.

Regards
Jurgen
NX 8, 8.5 and 9
TC 8.3.2
Win 7 64 bit.

 

[SDETERS]

Have you looked into using JT files? you can use JT files from I-Deas to view your assembly in NX.

 

[pamakela]

As I need to use Wave linker and also perform other surface based things (like Synchro. Modeling), will a JT model suffice?

 

[SDETERS]

No a JT file will not work to do surfacing and changes on for what you are wanting to do.

If you were looking at just reviewing the assembly, you could open the assembly and view just the JT files associated with that assembly in NX. (assume that you make correct version of JT files from I-Deas upon checkin.) You need to do CMM. But to get this, you have to go Siemens to get training on this software, before they give it to you. The CMM process works well but, there is a lot of cleanup after this CMM process is done with your parts. Non supported History tree steps ETC. If you need something quick, XPK should work for you. You may need to break up your assembly into smaller subassemblies and then re assemble into NX. The CMM should be your first Choice. But there is all kinds of permissions and settings you need to look at before you go off and start converting I-Deas data to NX. You need to review information on PLM world. Larry Carpenter has some real good info on how this should be setup and ran to avoid causing a huge mess inside of your teamcenter database.

 

[pamakela]

Yes, I thought JT will not work here, although I checked that JT can contain more than just facet data.

Today as I tried various options the .xpk route seemed the most practical. The problem for me was that the assembly was probably too large and Ideas crashed. But smaller assy's come through just fine.

 

[IdeasNative]

I've seen similar issues where I-deas will crash when exporting large xpk files.
The fix for me was to adjust the memory autosetting value in the param file.

Try changing it to 1 or 2

Memory.Autosetting: 1

You can find the location of your ideas_param17.dat by running STAT_IDM in dmadmin.
(This will change the setting for the entire site).

 

[pamakela]

I have solved my problem by reverting back to STEP export. This time, I selected the top level assembly so that Ideas produces only 1 single .stp file. In my previous STEP export attempt, I managed to export to multiple (that is, 100+) separate .stp files which were misplaced in 3-space when imported into NX one by one..

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions.