Translate MCAD files with defeaturing options - Intergraph Smart Interop Publisher - Help

Intergraph Smart Interop Publisher Help

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Intergraph Smart Interop Publisher
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Smart Interop Publisher Version
16.2

You can translate MCAD files and use the MCAD translation settings to defeature or simplify the graphics in the source files. This allows for a faster load time when opening the resulting Smart Models in target applications. You can defeature chamfers and blends in objects to display them as straight edges.

You can also remove holes of a pre-defined size from objects.

The following third-party software applications export MCAD source files:

  • CATIA (.CATPart, .CATProduct)

  • CREO Parametric (.prt, .prt.*, .asm, .asm.*)

  • NX (.prt)

  • SolidWorks (.sldprt, sldasm)

  • Parasolid (.x_t,.x_b,.xmt_txt,and .xmt_bin)

  • Inventor (.ipt, .iam)

  • Solid Edge (.par, .asm, .psm)

For a complete list of supported MCAD applications, see Supported 3D Model Formats: What source files can I use?.

Requirements or Considerations

  • You must have the MCAD module installed with Smart Interop Publisher for MCAD and defeaturing options to be available. Contact your Hexagon Asset Lifecycle Intelligence representative for more information on the MCAD module.

  • Review the graphics in your source files to determine the amount of defeaturing you require for blends and chamfers, and the number of holes to remove.

  • Smart Interop Publisher supports graphics color for files created with Inventor version 2012 and later. The graphics color in the translated Smart Model is gray if the source files were created with an earlier version of Inventor.

Custom Mapping (Optional)

Use a hyphen (-) instead of a colon (:) when you enter any custom property names that originally have a colon in front of the name. This is because Smart Interop Publisher removes a colon in the front of a property name during translation and replaces it with a hyphen. For example, if you enter :Status, the resulting translation displays -Status.

Translation

  1. Click the Smart Interop Publisher icon on your desktop .
    -OR-
    Click Start > All Programs > Intergraph Smart Interop Publisher.

  2. If you are not in the Projects View, click Projects.

  3. Select or create a project to use in the grid.

  4. Right-click the project, and then select Settings Menu > Project Settings Command.

  5. Use the default settings, or make any required changes.

  6. For Target Applications, select the Hexagon Asset Lifecycle Intelligence applications and third-party format to use. If you select a third-party format, verify that you have the required license. For example, you must have an IFC license to use the Industry Foundation Classes target.

    SHARED Tip Selecting only the target applications you require can produce a faster translation time. Smart Interop Publisher only generates files required for the selected target.

    (Optional) Right-click the project, and then select the Translation Settings Command. Smart Interop Publisher displays the Translation Settings Dialog.

  7. Click New in the Select or Create Settings Group list, and type the name to use.
    -OR-
    Edit the Default translation settings group.

    As an example, create a new Settings Group called MCAD.

  8. Click Mechanical CAD in the left pane to see the options to defeature blends, chamfers, and holes.

    In the figure below, Blends have been selected for defeaturing.

    See Mechanical CAD (MCAD) defeaturing options.

  9. Click Save when you have finished defining the required defeaturing options.

  10. Click Models to go back to the Models View.

  11. On the Source Files Grid, click Add , and then select the MCAD file to translate. The added file displays in the grid.

  12. Select the source file, and then click Translate .

  13. On the Translate Source File Dialog, type a name and location for the Smart Model.

  14. If you defined translation settings, select the Settings Group you defined earlier, or use the Default group. The example below shows MCAD as the Settings Group.

  15. Click Translate.
    -OR-
    To schedule the translation for a later time, click Schedule to open the Schedule Translate Dialog.

  16. Open the Smart Models you created in the Intergraph target applications: