Open 3D dxf in Pro/E

Hi

Is it true that I cannot open a 3D dxf file in pro/e or is it just me?

Tried both WF2 & WF3.

Best regards

Klaus

Reply to
klaus.sabroe
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Far as I know, yes, you can't. On the rare occaisions I have been asked to import dxf I do it into drawing mode, re-export igs, and import that as a 2d sketch into part or assembly mode.

Pro likes CGM for drawings, and tolerates igs for models.

Reply to
John Wade

Yes, no, maybe so.

Help Data Exchange Pro/ENGINEER Interface Working with Data Exchange Formats DXF and DWG Importing DXF Files with 3D Data

Reply to
Jeff Howard

Hi Thanks for the guiding. After some testing I realized that the 3D dxf has to be made in AutoCAD R12.

Best regards

Klaus

Reply to
klaus.sabroe

Glad you got it going. I need to read thru the Help myself when I get some spare time or have the need. I was a bit curious because rolling that far back (r12) might cause some data lose. I don't think r12 (pre r14?) supported splines, Nurbs, Acis bodies, etc. I tried a single ACIS solid object (lists as

3DSolid) saved as r2000 dxf and found that I have to let Pro/E read it in as an assembly (with a single part) or it fails. Go figure...
Reply to
Jeff Howard

Hi,

I found a link that may help you with your dxf question:

goto

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Good luck

snipped-for-privacy@> Hi

Reply to
cadengineer

This just reiterates a solution already posted.

Reply to
John Wade

Um, guys, since this is not a common question, please, what is 3D DXF? A 3D drawing? a 3D drawing translated into a model? an ACAD, 80s-style wireframe pretending to be 3D? Some crap out of Mechanical Desktop? Anyone know what klaus is talking about? Jeff, anyone? I HATE to be on the outside of a discussion, a mere observer. And there seems so little need for it except assumptions, cultish shortcuts and laziness. I miss the charm in any of this. You want help here!?! Educate us, tell us what you know and we'll tell you what WE know. A rather simple formula. Seems fair to me!! You tell us nothing, you don't educate us, you make no effort whatsoever, we're just looking like fools lamely guessing..... well... hey guy, RIGHT BACK AT YA!!! (Maybe Jeff got it right... good goin' Jeff, but it sure wasn't to Brother Sabroe's credit that you did, Jeff, is all I'm sayin'. And maybe I'm just [maybe most of the rest of us are just] not that good a guesser.)

HTH

David Janes

Reply to
David Janes

I am very sorry David for not explaining myself.

I hope my English writing is good enough, I know my English vocabulary is not big.

In AutoCad (and maybe other programs) is it a possibility to make 3D solids. You know, 3 dimensions. In AutoCad this can be saved as a dxf and this is what I refer to as a 3D dxf.

Hopes this helps.

Best regards

Brother Sabroe

Reply to
klaus.sabroe

Nuthin wrong with that. `;^)

I'd have to do some digging to make sure but guess the (Autodesk) Data eXchange Format can support any kind of geometry representation AutoCAD is capable of creating or supporting; curves, polygon mesh surface reps, analytic (or NURBS - can't be created but are supported via ACIS library functions necessary for analytic / primitive support) surfaced solid b-reps. All Mechanical Desktop adds is the ability to create NURBS surface reps and data structures; parametric / relational model history, assembly hierarchy, etc. which DXF does not support. It's all kinda confusing but you have to remember AutoCAD has a "2D Solid" entity (think FEM plate element?).

DXF would probably be long dead were it not the only "broad spectrum" data exchange medium available to AutoCAD users without having to purchase either a vertical (*Desktop) product or Data Exchange option to get IGES or STEP xlators. (One or two releases of Acad shipped with an IGES xlator? Can't remember.)

Then, again, maybe not. It's probably much easier and cheaper to program than IGES or STEP and good enough for really simple data exchange requirements (?).

Reply to
Jeff Howard

If that's what you are dealing with you can also export an ACIS neutral (commnd ACISOUT) and import the resulting *.sat (using Pro/E 2001 and subsequent?).

Reply to
Jeff Howard

Hi Jeff Thanks, but our system needs dxfs.

Best regards Klaus

Reply to
klaus.sabroe

The only way that I have been able to handle 3D dxf's was to import them into Cadkey, convert the wireframe to a solid, and then step it out to Pro/E.

Reply to
Brooke

That's one way of doing it, probably a good way, but it may not always be necessary (I've learned more about DXF import, by just experimenting the last few days, than I ever wanted to know about it). The trick in most cases is to open (or, maybe, import) as an assembly. If it's set up the way Pro/E likes it (there's a fair description in Help) each "solid" body comes in as a part and curves come into a single part (maybe more if they reside on different layers?). Facet reps seem to be a little more "iffy"; I got a wireframe rep instead of facet faces on the one sample I tried.

I'm curious about "convert the wireframe to a solid". Is it actually curve data being exported or solid? One of the reasons I wonder is Klaus' comment about exporting as r12 (Save As r12 DXF). That will trash any "solid" info and just export the edge curves. Saving as r14 (? not sure, maybe higher) should preserve the solid info and it can be imported into Pro/E.

Regarding data translations in general, one thing I've learned over the years is: if I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be getting (or exporting, for that matter) it's best to import into at least two programs and compare results. Most program developers, especially the low to mid range developers, implement translators as a balance of serving customer needs and cost vs. implementing the whole ball of wax so you're often not sure you get what the sender intended as they intended even disregarding the "snafu's". A DXF out of AutoCAD containing solids, meshes and curves, for instance, looks different after imported into Pro/E than it does in Rhino (my option for a second opinion) and neither looks like what was exported from acad or imported back into acad (which, of course, looks like the original). A "3D Solid" (as Listed in acad) can be read by Pro/E via DXF, but if you Explode that to a "Body" (again, as Listed) Pro/E won't recognize it (tho' it's probably still an ACIS Body entity).

Oh, well. Volumes have been written, much of it in error by folks like us muddling our way thru it, trying to comprehend it. I don't think many of the people programming the functions "really" understand a lot. I am curious where (what programs) most of the DXF's people get are coming from and why DXF?

Reply to
Jeff Howard

Are we supposed to understand what it means that "our system needs dxfs"? Well, I don't have a clue what you're talking about. But, I react with so why not give "your system" dxfs and give Pro/e iges or sat files? I'm just guessing. Was that a good answer? Once again, guessing games just leave me confused and powerless to help, not a very uplifting position to be in.

David Janes

Reply to
David Janes

Invensys (.com) seems to do automation and process controls so maybe it's a programming exercise or something like ->

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... guessing games just leave

Overall, not an especially rewarding proposition, huh? I think there're a few things at play here (in a general sense; not specific to this discussion)... 1) One has to know enough about what they be doin' to ask the relevent questions. You're right about questions. A simple statement of intent would be preferable but ... 2) No one likes to appear to be ignorant in public so they be brief and, of course, vague. If you press for details it intimidates the self concious and the vain which is a shame and a real impediment to learning. 3) People are often just looking for the name of a button to push. When it becomes apparent that it's going to require more than that interest vanishes.

Reply to
Jeff Howard

Hi

First of all, I have no intent in being arrogant or ignorant. Not writing much in first question was just to answer simple. After testing in SolidWorks and Inventor where there was no trouble in opening the 3D dxf I wondered if Pro/E does not read those files. I am not an AutoCad man but knew 3D solids in Acad and therefore, my mistake; I took for granted that cad people also know them.

"our system", we have an internally software which demands a dxf as it is easy to edit without cad, you can open it in notepad. The reason I wrote "our system" was an answer to Jeff who made a suggestion about acisout. That works fine but not in this case.

Best regards

Klaus

Reply to
klaus.sabroe

It was not my intent to indicate ~you~ were, more a general observation re a common "type" of post. Apologies if you took it to mean otherwise. I'll cop to both on occasion, fwiw. I have no shame and, sometimes, an attitude. What can I say?

Curious to know if you got your solid object import to work without rolling back to r12 DXF which doesn't seem to be necessary or to preserve the solid object.

Reply to
Jeff Howard

Hi Jeff.

None taken, it is true that the best answer come if questions are asked with an explanation. But I was surprised that I could not open it in Pro/e.

No, as you say, Acad brakes the solid and what I got in Pro/E was useless. For some reason Acad jumps fra R12 til 2000 in Save as. I seem to remember there also was a R14. I tried to import a acad 2000 solid in an assembly but it did not work. So the job is not over yet.

Best regards Klaus

Reply to
klaus.sabroe

Ya, that is strange. I've a copy of Acad2002 and it has 12, 13, 14, 2000 DXF Save As types. If you want to persue it and have a data set in DWG that I can open and you want to email it to me (reply to sender) I'll see how it works on my end using WF2 (M010). Otherwise about all I can suggest is to make sure the object(s) list as "3D Solid" as Pro/E will ignore if Exploded to sub-entities; Body, Region, etc. May also (don't know, haven't tried) ignore if they are wrapped into higher level entities like Blocks or any of the vertical *Desktop product entities.

Reply to
Jeff Howard

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