Solidworks 2003 to AutoCad 2000 Question...Help!

Question #1
I have just started working for a company that requires me to export
my solid models to Acad 2000 so the drafting can be done. What is the
best way to export my 3d model to Solidworks so that Acad has a usable
2d representation?

Also, their Autocad does not have iges in capability. Would this have
been the best way?

Question #2
Is it possible to creat the drawings in Solidworks, export the .dwg
and have Autocad read them correctly? I have not had too much luck
with this.


Any help would be greatly appreciated - thanks in advance,

Corrine

 

Hi there,

I would say your best way is to create the views in Solidworks, and then
save as DWG. you can set up options for a mapping file which can set layers,
colours, linewieght etc for the DWG file. This can be found under 'options'
in the save as DWG box, then tick 'ustom map solidworks to DXF', and untick
the 'dont show mapping box'. Also you can save the AutoCAD version to save
out to.

i hope this helps!

Lee

 

#1) Save the model (part or assembly) As, ACIS .(sat). Works great if want
a 3D solid in acad. The detail in acad as needed.

#2) if possible forget about acad altogether and use pdf or eDrawing.

 

I have just started working for a company that requires me to export

Run Away As Fast As You Can. Do Not Look Back.
this company wants to kill you!!!

--
bob z.
p.s.

"people with less brain power than you are doing more difficult things
everyday"©

 

Hi Corrine,

Currently a goodly amount of the DWG export functionality in
SolidWorks 2003 is unfortunately broken.

1) If you utilize blocks in your SolidWorks drawing with text
attributes, then these will not be exported correctly. The alignment
of the attribute text will be different than the alignment of the
non-attribute text. This includes, unfortunately the blocks that
SolidWorks creates (weld symbols, etc). They are (and have been for
some time) aware of the problem, but no word has been given on when
they might fix this functionality.

2) The export process does not adhere to the options in the
SolidWorks export process. There are settings for SolidWorks to use
standard AutoCAD fonts (which works) and standard AutoCAD styles,
which doesn't. SolidWorks insists on creating styles of the form
SLDTEXTSTYLE1 which utilize the simplex.shx font. Depending on the
mode of export, more than one of these styles will be created.

3) There is a font mapping capability that unfortunately is only for
DWG import. Thus your AutoCAD DWG will had styles defined in the
txt.shx or simplex.shx font which are ever so attractive.

Items 2 and 3 can be handled fairly neatly using a script to redefine
the styles to something less unattractive. Unfortunately there aren't
any easy workarounds for Item 1. I also turn the USCIcon and blipmode
off in this script. It's a shame you can't define an export template
for to control all this for you.

So, The only efficient way to do what you want is to export just the
drawing, detail and dimensional information. You can dimension the
features and parts, but currently I wouldn't use any inserted blocks
with attribute text in my SolidWorks drawings. Currently I am also
having a problem getting GD&T symbols to display correctly in the
exported file. I'm not certain it's possible yet. So you might not
want to use any GD&T functionality in your SolidWorks drawing.

It almost seems as though SWx corp has purposely thrown these
roadblock in the way hoping to "eliminate" the need for AutoCAD
drawings. Maybe I'm just paranoid, but these problems certainly
present a problem for those of use who are required by our customers,
or our company's to provide DWG files. It adds a LOT of labor to the
process.

Good luck.

Chris

 

Maybe I am missing the whole point. Why would you have to go 2D in AC
when you have that right within SW. I mean the parametric
functionality is right there so you don thave to worry about what
changes were made. Are you trying to give yourself a headache...lol
....j/k. Seriously though, why not just make the 2D of it in SW and
then export it out like Lee Bazalgette was saying.

There is probably some functionality in AC that I dont know about,
granted, but if you have the drawings already done in SW, and then the
3D model changes, exporting it back into AC should not be a problem.

I am not sure if this function can work with 2D, but I rememebr
reading a post about someone importing a surface directly from Alias
that once brough into SW, their was an option so that if you went back
to Alias and changed the surface, the import in SW would take as well.
But like I said I am not sure if that can apply to 2D.

 

Thanks for all the replies.

I used ACIS Sat v2.0 (solid bodies converted only) and Autocad 2003
read it right in! Yay!!! My perceived competency (at work at
least) has risen to a new level ! Thanks!

I wish they would let me use Solidworks, but the group uses Pro/E as
well as Solidworks for modelling. We use Acad for detailing to remain
consistent with all of our legacy drawings and for compatability with
our UK counterparts.

-Corrine