How do I create a single "dumb" part from an assembly.

[bri...@starsys.com]

My end goal is to create STEP or IGES file that I can place on my
company's website that potential customers can download, convert to
their respective CAD format. The one problem I have is that whenever
create the IGES or Step file and I test the IGES -> Solidworks
conversion the resulting "part" is made up of a bunch of "dumb" solids
which the customer could disect and glean information on the parts
that go into our design. There are IP as well as ITAR issues then.

What I would like to have is a single "dumb" solid in the single part
that represents my assembly.

I should state that I used both the process of creating a part from an
assembly via the "join" feature as well as the simpler method of using
the "Save As" a part from the assembly stage.

Thanks for any help in advance.

[TOP]

Both join or save as part from assembly are the way to go. If you save
as you have three options. The one you want is the shell with just the
outer boundaries.

If you use join you could apply a scale feature to it or create a
"block" of material inside to obscure inner detail.

TOP

[fcsuper]

Save the .sldasm as a .sldprt, using options to specify external
surfaces only. Then open the new .sldprt up and export to iges.

Matt Lorono
http://sw.fcsuper.com
http://www.fcsuper.com/swblog

[bri...@starsys.com]

Top,

Thanks for the feedback.

I tried the shell option; I assume you are describing the exterior
surfaces option. That does decrease the ability to see what is going
on but instead of having X "dumb" solids in the part I have X 'dumb"
surfaces. Its better but I not exactly what i was looking for.

My join option does not have the ability to apply a scale factor.
Maybe it's because we are still using 2007. As for the creating a
block inside, I can do that on piece parts, which I have already done
on some of the parts, but that still gives the customer a BOM of the
assembly.

It might not be possible to get a single "dumb" solid in the part.

[fcsuper]

On Jun 12, 2:17 pm, bri...@starsys.com wrote:

Looks like the fourms are acting up again. Anyway, just in case the
post didn't go thru, here's whatcha do: Save the Assembly as a part,
making sure you pick the option to only save as external surfaces.
Then open the part and save as iges or whatever.

Matthew Lorono
http://sw.fcsuper.com
http://www.fcsuper.com/swblog

[TOP]

Depending on how much you want to obfuscate the innards I would go with
join and then scale of external surfaces.

Join does not scale in and of itself of course. But since a join feature
resides in a newly created part there is no reason you cannot add a
scale feature after the join. You can also use delete face to remove any
features that you think are not needed by the recipient.

I believe delete face will work with the exported external surfaces. I
have had trouble with external surfaces capturing everything correctly
so I don't often use it.

Sometimes when looking forward to when I need to give a model to a
customer for interface purposes I will create a simple interface model
that I use in the assembly as an envelope part. I can give this model to
anyone interfacing with my assembly and know that we are both working of
the same music.

TOP

[castleb...@att.net]

<bri...@starsys.com> wrote in message
news:b61b6e84-282f-4b61...@d1g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...

I have no clue what you want the potential customer to be able to do with
the file. Would a pdf file serve just as well?

Bob

[Unknown]

Sometimes when working on a collaborated project one of the partners
wishes to claim real estate in the project for their components
without giving details.

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[bri...@starsys.com]

Thanks everybody for the feedback. I should be able to put something
together that serves my needs based on your help.

Bob at att.net, Phil at tagaerospace.com is correct. My company
provides small mechanisms (latches, release mechanisms, hinges, etc.)
to larger companies building a spacecraft (Lockheed, NGST, JPL, etc.)
During the design phase of the program, the designer enigneers at
these larger companies opt to purchase small mechanisms from other
companies due to cost, schedule, and heritage reasons. Since "real
estate" on these S/C is in high dermand it is nice for them to be able
to drop in a high fidelity CAD model of the mechanism they plan to
baseline in their overall design.

Thanks again!