What's the latest and greatest I-DEAS to Solidworks converters?

[bjlasota]

Are there currently any good programs that will translate an I-DEAS file into one usable by Solidworks without actually owning I-DEAS? I'm pulling data from a customers old system and putting all the information into Solidworks. I'd rather not have to re-draw anything, and noticed they had some old I-DEAS files. I can't say exactly which version the files were created with, but there is data, and wondering how I could get that to open within Solidworks.

 

[rothers]

Are you talking about 3D models ? If so Tetra 4D Converter has a pretty good I-Deas import (up to NX I-Deas 6 I think). Then export to Parasolid for Solidworks.

 

[bjlasota]

Yeah, 3D. I'll check it out. Thank you!

 

[SDETERS]

You could also try

https://www.elysium-global.com/en/solution/translation/

I think Siemens use these guys as a third party for some of their Cad translations also.

Are the I-Deas model files or actual Models? Is the extension MF1, MF2?

Thank

Shane

 

[CADPat]

Hi @bjlasota!

As far as I know (after using I-deas for 35 years), there are no translators from either Siemens or 3rd parties, that can pull data from I-deas files directly (i.e. without owning I-deas).

The reason is that I-deas files do not store "geometry" in many cases. Some of the data is stored as a "recipe" so an active I-deas session needs to open the files then turn around and Export to some other format (IGES, STEP, JT, Parasolid, etc...) to be used (notice in @rothers reply the solution mentions "...then Export".

I have had customers and 3rd parties in the past insist they, or some other tool, could do this, but when I've looked at them, they rely on running a headless I-deas session in the background and using the Open I-deas API's to first Import then Export the result.

Even Siemen's own Content Migration Manager (CMM) to move the data to NX works because we have embedded the required I-deas code inside of it to Open the I-deas files internally and Export the data out as NX files.

If you have Model Files (I-deas "session files") as Shane asks, then you definitely need to run an I-deas interactive session to open those files and Export as some other format.

If you have TDM files (PKG, PRT, ASM, MDF, etc...) then you might be able to get the data out to CMM without running I-deas interactively. CMM is available to active NX users.

If you no longer have I-deas around, but are an active NX user, contact your sales channel and/or GTAC. You are eligible to get I-deas and can run it with your existing NX license. This will allow you to get to old, legacy data that you may still need (this is the boat that most I-deas are in - they use it only when accessing old stuff, as needed, which could go on for decades longer).

GTAC will have the request will be routed to me (Product Manger) and I'll have to ship you install media.