Solidworks export into SketchUp?
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Does anyone have an eliquent way to export Solidworks models to SketchUp? Or import Solidworks into SketchUp?
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Have you got a list of formats SW can export to? i cant find it/remeber it.
From my very vague recollection there isnt a way of doing this directly, so you'll have to import in to another app first then export as something SU can import (3ds etc.)
A couple of programs come to mind for doing the convesion. Firstly theres deep exploration, its pretty expensive but its file conversions are pretty solid. The second option that comes to mign is MoI, its a small NURBS app thats reasonably cheap ($200 if i remeber correctly) and has a particularly good NURBS to poly conversion.
If you dont have to do this too often theres a 30 day trial of MoI.
deep exploration: http://www.righthemisphere.com/Products/dexp/
MoI: http://moi3d.com/
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SW export options:.prt
.cgr
.xaml
.3dxml
.u3d
.eprt
.stl
.wrl
.vda
.sat
.step
.igs
.x_b
.x_t
.sldftp
.prtdot
.sldprt -
I think didier bur has a plugin that can import .stl files, so itd be worth trying that out before you splsh out any cash on other programs.
su2stl.rb: http://www.crai.archi.fr/RubyLibraryDepot/Ruby/em_fil_page.htm
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Remus, I don't think that does import to SU, just export from SU.
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@unknownuser said:
Exports/imports selection or whole model to/from STL format external file, units support.
To quote the description on didiers site.
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Guilty as charged... Seems to be one route worth exploring then.
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I think I figured it out. I was not having much luck with that plugin but after messing with the .stl Solidworks settings I think I have it. I needed to set the Solidworks stl output options to ascii. The resultant model needs cleaning up due to the trangulation of stl but it works.
Thanks to all... -
Yes, that plug-in does work, but the triangulation of stl is a real pain in the...
I modeled a simple airfoil in Solidworks and stl converted it into hundreds of triangles which is not very user friendly. I guess I will seach for a 'cleaner' solution to import curved surfaces. -
@dangre said:
Yes, that plug-in does work, but the triangulation of stl is a real pain in the...
I modeled a simple airfoil in Solidworks and stl converted it into hundreds of triangles which is not very user friendly. I guess I will seach for a 'cleaner' solution to import curved surfaces.sure, STL means triangulation of facettes, simply needed because SU - as a mesh based surface modeler - cannot handle exact NURB spline based surfaces (and volumes neither).
give ViaCAD 3D (OSX/Win) and it's ACIS .SAT filter a try: dynamic, feature-based NURBS surface and volume modeling with histroy tree and many vector-based CAD filters as IGES, STEP, DXF/DWG (which often need to be purchased w/ other products) for 99 U$ only... and does have a SU as well a Rhino import too
Norbert
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If you have a copy of SolidWorks, you should have a copy of DWGEditor, their AutoCAD clone (it's a repackaged version of Intellicad). In SolidWorks export your file to an ACIS file. Open DWGEditor. Import the ACIS dile and save as a DWG. Open SketchUP and import the DWG. I find this works more reliably than Didier's STL importer.
Let me know if you need further info.
chris
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Had a chance to look at this again. I am able to open with DWGeditor. Let me have a look at the file and see if I can edit it as I would like. Thanks for the tip!!!!!
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Well, the SW to ACIS to DWGeditor to DWG to SketchUp worked but the geometry has a few 'holes' as it imports to SketchUp. The DWG file seems to be correct. I would attach the DWG file but I guess I can not attach DWG files here... I will play with the original geometry to see what is happening between SW and SU.
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Of course transform nurbs in polygons is a little task
Moi is perfect for that! as Remus said above (one of the best converter nurbs / OBJ)
Import : 3dm, igs, iges, Sat, stp, step, ai, eps, pdf
Export : 3dm, igs, iges, Sat, stp, step, stl, obj,3ds,lwo,fbx, SKP -
Dear Dangre,
Try the following:
Export from SolidWorks as a .sat file
Import into your AutoCAD clone and scale x100
Export as a .dwg file and import into SU
Scale the imported model x0.01SU doesn't like small features and so the scaling is important. Use Soften Edges to make the model more visually pleasing. I find that the above works well with Inventor. I do not know what the industry standard is but Inventor exports .sat models with 40 sided circles, giving holes a smooth appearance.
Hope this helps.
Bob -
Hi folks.
To correct the problem with triangulation after importing a STL file into SU, I tried this procedure:
1 - Export the SU model as a DWG file.
2 - In a new instance of SU, Import the DWG file with the option to merge coplanar faces set to on. This should eliminate unnecessary triangulation.
Just ideas.
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@unknownuser said:
Of course transform nurbs in polygons is a little task
Moi is perfect for that! as Remus said above (one of the best converter nurbs / OBJ)
Import : 3dm, igs, iges, Sat, stp, step, ai, eps, pdf
Export : 3dm, igs, iges, Sat, stp, step, stl, obj,3ds,lwo,fbx, SKPis this still a current list of i/o formats or has it changed for ver2? i couldn't find a list on the moi3d site. also do you know whether or not if you buy 1 now you get ver.2 retail when its released?
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i know MoI v2 can export .skp, not sure about other formats though.
And i last time i checked, it was $100 for v1 then $100 to upgrade to v2 or $200 to just buy v2, so no price difference. From that id extrapolate that you wont get a free upgrade to v2 if you buy v1 now.
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i thought ver1 was $195?
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sorry, thatll be $195 for v1 and $295 for v2 then, and $100 to upgrade from v1 to v2.
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