Opening SLDPRT 3D Scan Data With Alibre

[cutterguy]

Had this somewhat complicated part we needed built so got it 3D scanned because I figured that would make the design a breeze. The company that did the scan wanted to send it in a SLDPRT format and I've worked with that format before and not had a huge problem so figured why not.

But I can't open it. They sent me two files (66 MB and 339 MB) of the same scan in the event my program would have trouble or slow with the first one. But it won't open either of them. I tried going with no face processing but that made no difference.
The enclosed photo shows my screen including the error message "Object reference not set to an instance of an object" that opens when I check the status of the part.

So my question is this
Is there something I can do different so it works?
What file format do you get your 3D scans in?

 

[Lew_Merrick]

Cutterguy -- You need to understand that scanned data is merely an array of 3D Points filling up space (usually with "gaps" surrounding them) and not geometry that can be analyzed mathematically. If you can get the data as (if you will) "sequentially aligned" point sets then you can turn them into "curve entities" that (often) can be Lofted into a semblance of usable geometry. Personally I prefer to get the underlying equations and then generate said volumes myself. -- Lew

 

[cutterguy]

Cutterguy -- You need to understand that scanned data is merely an array of 3D Points filling up space (usually with "gaps" surrounding them) and not geometry that can be analyzed mathematically. If you can get the data as (if you will) "sequentially aligned" point sets then you can turn them into "curve entities" that (often) can be Lofted into a semblance of usable geometry. Personally I prefer to get the underlying equations and then generate said volumes myself. -- Lew

Yeah I get that about 3D points but are you saying that SLDPRT files are 3D points as well? Because every other SLDPRT part I've got I've been able to open. Now I'm having difficulty opening one that started as a scan.

 

[bigseb]

SW parts are not point clouds, that's not what Lew said. I suspect the scan people imported it into SW (guessing now, don't know if SW can do that) and simply exported it as a SW file. SW has far better surfacing capabilities that AD so chances are its down to that.

Ask them to give you an igs file, that you can import in the surfacing tab and stitch to solid.