Does SU import "3D faces"?

[pbacot]

Does SU import "3D faces"? What would be the method of import. We have a discussion in another forum concerning another software exporting to SU. I thought that only linework or 2d objects (in 3d space) can be imported. A developer wants to import topo data that will import into SU with faces (not needing Sandbox). Possible?

I thought that Sandbox was the only way to put faces on topo lines.

[Gaieus]

Hi Peter,

It all depends on the file format you are importing. But (just to be "picky") note that all faces are 2D only - when we are talking about 3D meshes, they are made up of (mostly triangulated) 2D faces.

[pbacot]

Thanks Gaieus. OK, but that's the term they used, I guess it is 2d faces with definition in 3d space. So what about dwg and dxf? They are trying to figure out how to create a file that would do this. But I had the impression that no file format would import this way.

They want to not have to use Sandbox. I told them it's simple to use Sandbox. Perhaps it is even better than importing a face. They are starting with topographic contours. Are they going to have to make TIN? Would that even give them faces automatically on import?)

[honoluludesktop]

"3dFace" is the autocad (and others) name for the entity described below. If you are talking about "3d" and "faces" in general, then the below is too specific.

In my experience, a dxf 3d face (3-4 sides) is a closed polyline that imports as a SU surface. I think that even in the case when the 3d face's polyline is not closed, SU's import function will close it. Every 3d face consist of a polyline, but polylines are not necessarily 3d faces.