hello group members

Hello everybody, I am new to this group and doing masters in mechanical engineering. I have a question regarding solid works, Can I open the 3D auto cad file in solid works ? Can I work with it in solid works? Please any one of you help me to get answer? when I tried to open the auto cad file(*.dwg) in solid works It is showing that 3D file in 2D . I need to transfer a 3D drawing from autocad to solid works. what shall I do ?

Reply to
lavanya
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Hello everybody, I am new to this group and doing masters in mechanical engineering. I have a question regarding solid works, Can I open the 3D auto cad file in solid works ? Can I work with it in solid works?Can I edit that 3D file? Please any one of you help me to get answer? when I tried to open the auto cad file(*.dwg) in solid works It is showing that 3D file in

2D . I need to transfer a 3D drawing from autocad to solid works. what shall I do ?
Reply to
lavanya

You need to export the 3D data from AutoCAD using the ACISOUT command. This will generate a ".SAT" file that can be imported into Solidworks.

Reply to
johnmhill

Not necessarily so!! Some 3D DWG files import directly into SolidWorks, albeit often not without errors. There are, of course, a number of file formats available under File > Open, and one of them is DWG. If the DWG file is 3D SolidWorks will probably prompt you that the model may be AutoSolid, and ask you whether you want to open it without 3D faces. Choose "Yes" and your next choice will be regarding HOW you want to import it. Choose the option "Import to a new part". You'll then get to choose the layers you want to import, and you can even preview the model in wireframe (with rotation and zoom, etc.). After that you'll be able to choose a number of options such as the units (inches, millimeters,etc.), adding constraints, merging endpoints (within a gap tolerance). You may want to try the option to import "as 3D curves model" as opposed "to a 2D sketch". That depends on what kind of geometry you've got in the 3D model. Lastly you'll be able to choose a SolidWorks Part template file to import into. If you're lucky your result may be a perfectly usable but "dumb" solid.

'Sporky'

Reply to
Sporkman

"lavanya" wrote in news:1131653573.959414.75710 @f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

Is the AutoCad model a 3D solid? or is it a 2D flat - orthographic projection. You did say "3d drawing". One of my clients (who has been building machines for years) dosen't know the difference between the two to talk about it) Or, still yet, is it a 3D wire frame or 3D surface?

No offense to you but there is a very big difference. An it follows that the differences will affect both the method of import and the results.

If the model is a solid, it was most likely created with Mechanical desktop as the 3D solids, 3D surface, and 3D wireframe capability of AutoCad (vanilla flavour - that's plain AutoCad) are extremely primitive (by today's standards).

Is that the case with your file?

If I recall, regardless of your model (if you have trouble determining what it is you have), try to export via Iges translator It handles Solids flats all in one quite neatly. (resulting file extension is "igs" Then import to SolidWorks. Just watch your prompts and check the appropriate options along the way. you want to end up with a 3D solid or surface. Same thing when you open the Iges with SolidWorks

Might make a difference if your using paperspace (I think they call it "Layout" now a days) My guess is that you might be.

More info from you would help me to better understand your situation.

SW

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SWalker

Reply to
lavanya

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