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Bringing in Iges file, need to 'Stitch' surfaces

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diamondcat

Automotive
Aug 21, 2002
238
Hi,
I have a customer that had his Solidworks file altered in another software (Surfcam). When he brings the file into Solidworks now, imported iges, all he gets is surfaces. He is asking me to help him and the Surfcam guys said that all I have to do is "bring the IGES into Solidworks and then stitch all the surfaces together to create a solid".
Is he just talking about the import diagnostics area? or is there really a stitch command. I searched the Solidworks help for stitch and didn't find anything.

Also, the search on this site doesn't seem to be working for me either. I tested it by searching for a word that I KNOW is there and it still says nothing found.

Thanks for any help you can give me.
 
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You can try the diagnostic. if this does not work you may need to see if there is a gap in the surfaces, if so you will need to either fill that area or you will need to replace the surface area with a new one and stitch to form am solid.

CJ Goodrich
Product Design Engineer
Leatherman Tool Group
Portland, Oregon
 
I think he means in SW terms KNit the surfaces into a solid. You can run the import Diagnostics, but if that doesn't not fix the problem you will have to manually fix the solid.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP [pc2]
"If it's not broke, Don't fix it!"
faq731-376
 
Thanks.
The diagnostics left some bad faces still so I will try the knit command and see where that takes me.
 
This can be a tricky mess. Are you familiar with building/patching/filling surfaces? Check those terms in the Help files. I often use a split line to mark out an area I want to delete. I'll then do a Fill or Patch to put in an improved surface where I can control tangency, etc.

This can be quite laborious, depending on the complexity of the surface and how "bad" it is when you import it.



Jeff Mowry
Reason trumps all. And awe transcends reason.
 
Jeff is right... if you still have problems after the import diagnositcs then you are going to have to manually fix the problem like mentioned above.


Scott Baugh, CSWP [pc2]
"If it's not broke, Don't fix it!"
faq731-376
 
Sometimes it helps to deliberately import the file without sewing into solid (see options when you are opening the IGES file in SW). Then run diagnostics. I don't know why, but sometimes this helps.

[bat]Honesty may be the best policy, but insanity is a better defense.[bat]
-SolidWorks API VB programming help
 
I've heard them referered to as "I guess" files, due to their unpredictable nature.

Try a STEP translation.
 
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