model of an off-road heavy duty mining truck tire

Where can I find one? Anything similar will do.
Alternatively, can I convert a .3ds file to something SW can read?

 

SAT file?

Bob

 

solidworks can import directly 3ds

 

which version?

 

2008
(but you have lot of work after!)

 

Not sure, Sycode makes a 3ds import addin for solidworks, at 195 EUR.

other than that, I would google for a converter.. I came up with this if
it helps

<quote>
To convert a .3DS to inventor ipt/iam file you will need to open
autocad. Import the .3ds into an empty autocad file. Then export/save
the file into an iges file. The iges file can then be imported into
inventor (file>open then change the filetype visibility to show all
files. when you see your iges file, click on it. you can either open it
up or click the options button in the browser and choose other settings
such as units etc.)
</quote>

 

To convert a .3DS to inventor ipt/iam file you will need to open autocad.
Plain Autocad cannot export iges without an extra add-on, but lucky me
I have MD5 on my work pc, so it worked okay. The 3ds file came with a
TGA file, which I deduced was for textures, so I was able to discover
where to put it so Autocad could find it. The iges when imported into
SW had some "damaged"? faces, but was easy enough to put right. I then
selected and deleted the faces for the "hub" of the tire I had found,
and got what I needed - some off-road truck tires at various angles to
hang on the side of a tugboat model.