Importing assembly in sat format

[euphnut65]

Importing assembly in sat format

I have an assembly I created in TurboCAD (nonparametric) that I can save in sat format. The assembly has 60 or so parts. When I import into Alibre, the assembly is just one big part.

Any ideas as to how to separate the parts? I don't mind tracing over the faces and recreating the solid parts, but I'm concerned my file may get too large.

Thanks for any advice.

Eric

PS. The file bogs down Alibre too much to do any sketching on faces, etc.

 

[marm37co]

SAT Version And Step

Hi.

I think that STEP is better. I do not know if TurbCAD export in STEP Format. The STEP format work assemblies with parts.

Other thing is the SAT Version. I can to be in a error but the SAT Version 10 can define the assemblies with various parts. Please verify.

Best Regards,

Miguel

 

[euphnut65]

No STEP export in V9

Miguel,

The version I have of TurboCAD (9.2 Pro) does not have the ability to export in STEP format.

I am trying to find out if the current version of TurboCAD (10.5) can.

Thanks,
Eric

 

[W. Wagelaar]

I use TurboCad v.10.5 for 2D and rendering and it has import and export facilities for SAT (version 1.6 - version 11) and step. It wonderfully imports SAT as well as step files from Alibre in separated parts. Works OK. The other way around, from TC to Alibre is an other matter. When you import SAT files in Alibre (assemblies) it is imported as one clutter of parts which you cannot separate. I also tried to import step files from TC. Most of the time it works OK and you can handle the assembly parts separately. But from time to time some parts are not converted well. I don´t know what the reason is. Perhaps it is the complexity of the shape.

 

[euphnut65]

Thanks

Thanks for your response W Wagelaar.

I am now looking into buying the upgrade to TurboCAD now so that I can export previous work to Alibre.

Eric

 

[moyesboy]

The import of SAT to alibre combines component parts into one lump.
If you have a very complex assembly you can actually use this as a way to produce an alternative (non associative though) lump of some of your parts by exportig to sat and importing again.

SAT from alibre to another system (such as Solidworks), or back into Alibre reproduces only one level of assembly. The sub assemblies come as constituent parts in the top level assy. Also you get reproduction of identical parts as separate files.

STEP exports from alibre and imports to alibre from SW, pro/E, inventor8, solidedge reproduce the assembly/sub assembly structure and all parts are placed correctly but no mates applied.
Only Solidworks it seems does not import Alibre step assemblies correctly but misplaces the parts at 0,0,0. (Solidedge works so its not the parasolid kernel to blame). I built up quite a list of helpful users for other CAD systems now and SW is the only one with a problem for importing step 203/214 assemlby from alibre.

IGES in alibre works only for one part at a time.

The message from the most clued up SW user I know is that assembly imports are extremely unreliable and only really work when they are parasolid (SW own native file so its not really an import). Thats disappointing for a "market leader". It has been raised with SW who are showing negligable response.

Alibre beats Solidworks assembly importing hands down I guess.

Its always possible that an assembly import of SAT will fail into alibre as it is combined into one part. There are many geometries possible with touching component parts that the ACIS kernel may not like to create. (line contact zero thickness solid as an example) and that may not be possible to model in alibre without an error popping up.