John,
I've had similar problems importing files from PADS. What I've had to do was get the file into acad and save as a .dwg file, then create a drawing in Pro/E and import the newly created acad .dwg file. Now that I've got the drawing in Pro/E, I've got lots of editing to do. It's very time consuming. I need to delete tons of stuff and play with layers to get anything useful... just like you. Most of the time I just need screw hole locations or "keep outs" and it's a slow process to say the least.
In Pro/E, once I've got the drawing to a point where I can use it, I export the drawing from Pro/E into IGES and then create a new part. Now I create a csys offset from three planes (default DTM planes) and then create a datum curve "From File" and select the IGES curve file just created and place it at the new, movable csys. Now I can create geometry based on the PC board file from PADS.
I'd be interested in knowing how to get around this issue also.
Later,
Bob
john wrote:
Wondering if anybody had problem with dxf files from PADS.
> I open dxf from ProE which generates a drw. It creates the board
> outline, pad geomtry,etc fine; but it also creates extraneous large
> filled pads all over the board area. Each filled pads is generated
> multi-times depending on number of layers. Tried deleting these, but
> because there hundreds of these, this takes up so much memory and it
> crashes. For some reason ProE imports all pad geometry into one layer
> called "0", even though other layers are there( pads_inner,
> pads_top,etc). Could not find any config options that helps to
resolve
this problem.
> Try importing PADS dxf into AutoCad and no problem. Various Pad
> geometry are correctly generated in assigned layers.
> Is there a special setup or configuration procedure in PADs that need
> to be done for ProE2001 import?
>
> John