file geometry read
Allows you to import CAD geometry (CatiaV4, CatiaV5, CatiaV6, Inventor, Acis, PROE, Solidworks, Unigraphics, VDA, IGES, STEP or Parasolid). See
Manage Geometry Options for more information.
Format:
file geometry read |
|---|
type_of_geometry = | geometry_file_type |
file_name = | string |
option_file_name = | string |
part_name = | an existing part |
model_name = | an existing model |
geometry_type = | iges_geometry_type |
blanked_entities = | boolean |
level = | integer |
create_geometry = | geom_create_type |
scale = | real |
mesh_density = | integer |
tolerance = | real |
single_shell = | shell_opt |
location = | location |
orientation = | orientation |
relative_to = | an existing model, part or marker |
clean_on_import = | boolean |
assembly_retain = | boolean |
display_summary = | boolean |
Ignore_densiy = | boolean |
Example:
file geometry read & |
|---|
type_of_geometry = | igs & |
file_name = | "c:\data.igs" & |
part_name = | part_2 & |
mesh_density = | 10 & |
relative_to = | ground & |
blanked_entities = | yes & |
tolerance = | 0.001 |
Description:
Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|
type_of_geometry | Geometry_file_type | Specifies the type of geometry that is to have its rendering mode modified. |
file_name | String | Specifies the name of the file that is to be read, written, or executed. |
option_file_name | String | Specifies the name of the file that contains translation options specific to the geometry format under consideration. Note the options file is specific to either the import or the export operation and to the designated geometry format. |
part_name | An Existing Part | Specifies the name of the part with which you want to associate the imported geometry. |
model_name | An existing model | This parameter is mutually exclusive to the 'part_name' parameter and is valid only for Interop based translations. When this parameter is specified, all individual parts in the native assembly being imported are translated as separate Adams View parts under the model. |
geometry_type | Iges_geometry_type | Specifies the type of geometric entities to be translated from the IGES file to View. |
blanked_entities | Boolean | Specifies if invisible geometry is to be converted. |
level | Integer | Note: This argument has been deprecated and no longer has any influence. |
create_geometry | Geom_create_type | Note: This argument has been deprecated and no longer has any influence. |
scale | Real | Enter the factor by which you want to scale the size of the geometry created. |
mesh_density | Integer | Note: This argument has been deprecated and no longer has any influence. |
tolerance | Real | Note: This argument has been deprecated and no longer has any influence. |
single_shell | Shell_opt | Values are: yes, no, and wireframe_only. Note: This parameter is valid only when importing the geometry under a part. If the geometry is being imported under a model, then this parameter will be ignored. |
location | Location | Specifies the translational position where the geometry in the CAD file is to be located, relative to the MSC. part coordinate system. |
orientation | Orientation | Specifies the angular position where the geometry in the CAD file is to be oriented, relative to the MSC. part coordinate system. |
relative_to | An Existing Model, Part Or Marker | Specifies the coordinate system relative to which the location coordinates and orientation angles exist. |
clean_on_import(optional) | yes/no | Enables an automatic geometry scanner and cleaner behind-the-scenes during import of parasolid files. This process looks for small imperfections in the geometry that would render in not "watertight" and therefore cause problems with mass property calculations based on geometry and density/material. In some cases, this may slow down import speed of certain geometry. If disabling this option, be sure to verify that the volume Adams View calculates is still sufficiently accurate enough. Yes is the default. |
assembly_retain | Boolean | When specified to true, the import operation will create sub-models as necessary, in order to maintain the hierarchy in the input CAD model.
Note that the parameter is only supported in Adams Modeler. If specified in traditional Adams, the parameter will be ignored. |
display_summary | Boolean | Values: Yes or no Specifies a yes, will turn logging ON, otherwise no log file of the translation operation will be generated. |
ref_markers | global/local | Upon import Adams creates reference markers to correspond with each piece of geometry created in the Adams model. These markers are typically automatically named with the prefix PSMAR. These reference markers are usually located and oriented at the origin of the Adams model. However, sometimes the geometry in the CAD file was created in such a way in the CAD system that it has a location/orientation transformation value relative to the CAD assembly/part origin.
For example, the geometry was created via a copy/paste/move action performed on an original piece of geometry, or an assembly is composed of a number of parts/sub-assemblies re-located relative to the origins about which they were originally modelled.
In these scenarios, setting the option Reference Markers to “Local” will locate/orient the Adams-created reference markers by applying the same location/orientation transformation value used in construction in the CAD system to the marker relative to the Adams model origin. Setting the option Reference Markers to “Global” will locate/orient all reference markers at the origin of the Adams model. Note: This ref_markers argument is ignored if the “type_of_geometry” argument is set to “igs” or “stp” and a warning to this effect will be issued. The default is "Global". |
ignore_density | Boolean | If yes, any density values in the file will be ignored and not applied to the corresponding part(s). More information about using CAD-resident density values is available here. |
Extended Definition:
1. The type_of_geometry parameter acts as a filter to decide which of the selected geometry objects will have their rendering mode modified. The possible values are: arc, box, frustum, springdamper, outline, or all. The arc setting includes both arc and circle geometry. The frustum setting includes both frustum and cylinder geometry.
Values are: igs, stp.
2. The proper extension of the file is the default, but you can override it by supplying a different extension.
It is not necessary to enclose the file name in quotes if it only contains alphanumeric characters and starts with a letter. If you want to include other characters, such as a '.' for an extension or '/' or '[]' for directory paths, you must enclose the file name in quotes.
3. The options file contains all translation options for that specific geometry format and the specific operation (either import or export but not both). The options file is an easier way of specifying a complete set of translation options at once during an operation. The file can be generated beforehand, using the 'Manage Geometry Translation Options' dialog box, accessible from the main menu (Settings → Geometry Translation).
4. You can specify any combination of these values for the geometry_type parameter:
■Point - Only include vertices of geometric entities
■Wireframe - Include lines, arcs, curves, and splines
■Surface - Include surfaces. The IGES translator supports all the standard surfaces. In the case of trimmed and bounded surfaces, the untrimmed surfaces and the associated model space trimming curves are processed, but no trimming is performed.
■Text - Include annotation entities including leader lines, arrows, dimensions, and alphanumeric characters. The entire annotation data is stroked, so the relative size of most fonts is represented accurately. Stroked text is translated to View as polylines, allowing for a more accurate representation of the size of the text in the IGES file, but requires more memory than translating all text to one font. Large amounts of text may adversely affect performance of the IGES translator and View.
■All - Include all entities.
Example: The following command translates surfaces and text from the IGES file to View:
file iges read file | | | |
"cylinder.igs" & = | geometry_type = | surface,text part_name | .mod1.ground |
5. Any IGES entity encountered in the IGES file can be blanked by the program that created the IGES file. This is similar to View visibility.
If you specify No for the blanked_entities parameter, the blanked entities are not translated to View. If you specify Yes, the blanked entities are translated to View and are made invisible.
The IGES entities that are blanked are typically construction entities that are used in the definition of another geometric entity. For example, a line may be used as the center of rotation of another line in the definition of a cylinder. The center line, and the sweep line rotated about the center line, would both be blanked because they are temporary entities used in the construction of the cylinder.
Once you translated blanked entities to View, there is no distinction between construction entities and other geometry. You can use the display_attributes command to turn on the visibility of the blanked entities.
Values are: yes and no.
6. Levels let you associate geometry into a group. These groups can be manipulated as a single entity for purposes of visibility and color. The CAD program that generated the CAD file defines the levels and are labeled with integers greater than or equal to 0. Levels are typically used to organize data for viewing and are similar to layers. If you do not specify the levels you want translated, Exchange reads all levels.
You can specify a single level or a range of levels. Separate the range with a comma (,). For example, enter 10, 15 to translate levels 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15.
7. You can convert a subset of the geometric entities read by the IGES translator to outlines and markers in View.
If you specify the create_geometry parameter with the value outline, the entities listed below will be translated into View outlines with a marker created at each vertex. These markers will have an orientation parallel to the lprf of the part selected in the part_name parameter.
If you specify this parameter with the value polyline, the above-mentioned entities will be translated into View polylines. No markers are created when polylines are generated.
Generating outlines has the advantage of having markers created at each vertex. These markers are standard View markers that may be used for the definition of constraints, forces, mass properties, and other View geometry. The outlines and markers may also be written to an /Solver dataset file. The disadvantage of using outlines is the increased memory requirements. Geometry translated to polylines will not have markers and requires about one third of the memory to store the equivalent outline. Polylines are not written to an /Solver dataset file.
Values are: solid and polyline.
8. The default scale factor is 1.0, meaning that the geometry in Exchange will be the same size as the geometry in the CAD file. A scale factor less than 1.0 reduces the size of geometry and a scale factor greater than 1.0 increases the size of the geometry.
For example, if you specify a scale factor of 0.5, Exchange translates a cylinder of length 2 meters and diameter of .5 meters to a length of 1 meter and diameter of .25 meters. Exchange also scales the distance from the geometry to the coordinate system specified in the Relative To text box according to the scale value. If the cylinder was located at 3, 2, 0 in the file, it would be located at 1.5, 1, 0 after it is translated to MSC.. The orientation of the geometry is not effected by scale value.
9. The minimum mesh is a 2 X 2 that will display only the boundaries of the surface.
If you do not specify the mesh_density parameter, the iges translator calculates the mesh values based on the tolerance specified with the tolerance parameter, and polygonizes the surface.
For polygonalization, the surface is sampled at several U/V rulings based on the surface type. The ruling that generates the most points at the specified tolerance in the U and V direction determines the polygon density for the surface.
For certain surface types (for example, NURBS) a maximum sample is used to reduce the approximation time for polygonalizing high-order surfaces. This maximum is currently being set to 4 in each U/V direction.
Note that specifying a mesh requires less computation than letting the translator default to a polygonalization (i.e. not setting the mesh_density parameter), but the polylines generated for a mesh may not be shaded in View. The polylines generated for a polygonalization are closed (polygons) and therefore may be shaded in View.
10. The tolerance value is the measure of the midpoint chordal distance from the approximated curve/surface to the true curve/surface.
11. The coordinates specified by the location parameter can be relative to any other coordinate system defined in the model.
By default, you enter Cartesian (x,y,z) coordinates. You can change the convention for entering translational positions.
12. The orientation coordinates can be relative to any other coordinate system defined in the model.
View orients the coordinate system starting from the initial coordinate system and applying three successive rotations. By default, you supply body-fixed 313 angles. You can change the convention for entering orientation angles.
13. If you do not specify the ‘relative_to’ parameter, View uses the default coordinate system. The default coordinate system is initially your model, that is. the global coordinate system. You can change the default coordinate system using the default coordinate_system command.
14. When specified to true, the import operation will create sub-models as necessary, in order to maintain the hierarchy in the input CAD model. So, if the CAD model contains 2 sub-assemblies under the main assembly, then one can expect 2 sub-models under the specified model after import. Note that the parameter is only supported in Adams Modeler. If specified in traditional Adams, the parameter will be ignored.
Cautions:
■Be careful when specifying the tolerance. You should have advanced knowledge of the units and size of the geometry in the CAD file before setting the tolerance. If you do not know the size of the geometry in the file, Exchange may translate the geometry so it is too coarse, or too fine. A tolerance that is too fine can potentially cause Exchange to use excessive computing power and memory.