Imported Geometry / Assy Mates ?

Question

Is there a trick to assembling parts and sub-assemblies from imported geometry?

I have a project done in MDT back in 2001 that's being ressurected, I've managed to get a majority of the parts and assemblies opened in SWX using both Feature Recognition and Geometry recognition. For whatever reason the top level assembly would not convert so I'm trying to re-create it using the sub-assy's, but SWX won't Mate the sub-assy's as it normally does.

If I try to mate plane to plane it'll tell me they're "paralle but

11.562" apart" and can't do it, I get this message on the most basic mating efforts and am getting nothing but cherries...

The first sub-assy went in OK and I mated it to the Assy planes just fine, and subsequent parts, don't work.

Am I missing something, or just stupid?

MM · Accepted Answer

WC,Not really any tricks to it, a plane is a plane.  Planes are not part of theimported geometry. Solidworks creates them relative to the world coordinatesystem of the imported part. I'ts very strange that your having problemsmating them. Some times imported geometry will have flat faces that aren'ttruly planar (IDEAS and Catia data comes to mind). Sounds like datacorruption of some sort.What format are you importing with, SAT or IGES ?? SAT is more accurate inmost cases.RegardsMark

MM · Answer

Correction,,The imported part is "placed" in an empty part document, which alreadycontains the default planes, relative to it's world coordinate system. SWdoesn't create them, they're already there.Are you sure your not talking about "faces" ?? IGES can produce non-planerfaces in some systems.RegardsMark

j · Answer

There has been some instances where this has happened. A lot of time suppressing the mate and then dragging the part closer to where it's supposed to be and then unsuppressing the mate will correct it. What version and SP are you on. Not sure when or why it does this but it's a pain at times.

WC · Answer

2006sp4.1, I simply opened the .DWG parts/assemblies (Mechanical Desktop4, maybe5) in SWX and let it roll.

I restarted the SWX assembly from scratch, beginning with smaller subs and working my way up, rather than using the two "large" assemblies that survived the conversion, so far mating seems to be working more as it does with 'native' parts.

I'll try the suppress and drag method on the next 'snag'

Thanks

j wrote:

WC · Answer

Could be that's what was happening sometimes, but if I mate FaceA-FaceA it'll work, then I'll mate FaceB-FaceB...'does not compute'. If I suppress the previous FaceA mate, it'll solve the FaceB mate...until I unsuppress the FaceA mate...then cherries. I seem to be having some luck rebuilding it from smaller subs, but ...

Thanks for the replies

MM wrote:

Jerry Steiger · Answer

SnipI don't believe this has anything to do with the geometry being imported, it's just SW having its head up its ass. I think this is a SW2006 problem, but it could have come in earlier. (We never used 2005, but I don't remember seeing it in 2004.)Others have given you the basic workarounds. One thing to remember after you suppress a mate, move the part, and then unsuppress, is to try swapping directions on one or the other of the mates if you get cherries.Jerry SteigerTripod Data Systems"take the garbage out, dear"

Imported Geometry / Assy Mates ?

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