importing triangles

I have a program whose output data is an ascii file of 3d coordinates for
the vertices of triangles. The triangles have already been procesed into a
Delaunay triangulation, and I would like to play with the resulting "mesh",
although mesh is not the right word.

Does anyone know of a way to import ascii coded coordinates into SW05 as
either triangle lines, or as triangular faces?

thanks

Bill Chernoff

 

Should be File>Open then change the file type to ASCII

Corey

 

I must be misunderstanding. I don't have ASCII as a file type option. Also,
how would SW know what to do with the list of points? I was hoping for a
file-converter or a macro or something.

Bill (newby)

 

in a new part, insert, curve, curve thru xyz points ...

 

I don't think I want a curve, just straight lines joining the points.
Also, there are hundreds even thousands of triangles, so I don't want to key
in the coordinates by hand.

I see I can give a filename for the xyz curve points. Does anybody know the
file format?

Bill

 

I don't think I want a curve, just straight lines joining the points.

oh, i missed that. you will most likely need a 3rd party app or a service
bureau. even then, i'm not sure you will get separate prismatic shapes or
linear geometry. these xyz point files are usually referred to as a "point
cloud". try searching google groups.

..sldcrv & ascii (text). when you browse there is a drop down box for
changing the file type. you can use excel to save as text file (.txt).
works ok for curves. look in help for more info.

if your program could export/save as to some type of neutral format
(step/iges) that would solve your dilemma. good luck.

 

If your data is well organised, you can convert it to stl by writing a
simple program. Open the converted stl file in swx. Solidworks treats
it as graphic data and you can use it as a reference to create
cross-section sketch by tracing the reference plane and graphic data
intersection.
Here is the format for stl.

solid part3
facet normal -1.000000e+000 0.000000e+000 0.000000e+000
outer loop
vertex 2.500000e-005 3.656387e+001 2.500000e-005
vertex 2.500000e-005 6.500000e-002 2.500000e-005
vertex 2.500000e-005 3.656387e+001 4.740003e+001
endloop
endfacet
..
..
..
..
..
..
facet normal 4.335439e-002 -7.085773e-001 -7.043000e-001
outer loop
vertex 1.284132e+001 2.829544e-001 1.849804e+001
vertex 1.250191e+001 3.983333e-001 1.834621e+001
vertex 1.284132e+001 3.983333e-001 1.837591e+001
endloop
endfacet

 

If your data is well organised, you can convert it to stl by writing a
simple program. Open the converted stl file in swx. Solidworks treats
it as graphic data and you can use it as a reference to create
cross-section sketch by tracing the reference plane and graphic data
intersection.
Here is the format for stl.

solid part3
facet normal -1.000000e+000 0.000000e+000 0.000000e+000
outer loop
vertex 2.500000e-005 3.656387e+001 2.500000e-005
vertex 2.500000e-005 6.500000e-002 2.500000e-005
vertex 2.500000e-005 3.656387e+001 4.740003e+001
endloop
endfacet
..
..
..
..
..
..
facet normal 4.335439e-002 -7.085773e-001 -7.043000e-001
outer loop
vertex 1.284132e+001 2.829544e-001 1.849804e+001
vertex 1.250191e+001 3.983333e-001 1.834621e+001
vertex 1.284132e+001 3.983333e-001 1.837591e+001
endloop
endfacet

 

Thanks, I'm going to try that.

 

Hi,
I don't know if this will help you or not, but Accutrans
(http://www.micromouse.ca/index.html) can import/export ascii files
(as well as others). It costs $20, but there is a 30 free trial.
Polytrans (my choice, but expensive - www.okino.com) does this as
well. You can export the mesh created to Lightwave 3D (www.newtek.com)
LWO format, or obj. Depending on what you want to "do" to the mesh,
maybe SW isn't the best choice. Have you looked at Rhino
(http://www.rhino3d.com/). This has a free trial as well (25 saves).
Honestly, I have never used Rhino for anything, but I know of people
that love it. I use Lightwave for manipulating polygon meshes (I
usually go the other way though, SW to a poly mesh into Lightwave). I
think that there are other poly mesh programs out there that might be
better at manipulating a mesh than SW.

 

It you can format it like an STL file you might have a chance.