Which 3D format?

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davecoventry
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Which 3D format?

Post by davecoventry »

I need to supply a customer with a model of a piece of equipment which can't be [easily] deconstructed.
Customer wrote:As discussed, please send us a STEP file of the equipment with the outer shell only, as mentioned, this will still protect your IP.
My client is concerned that the STEP files can be deconstructed into drawings of individual parts. I've tried to make a compound of the entire structure, created a "Simple Copy" and then export it as a STEP file. However, the Step file still contains the separate elements as "COMPOUND010, COMPOUND011, COMPOUND012", etc.

I know that NormandC has knowledge of STEP files; Is this possible?
~ Dave
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r-frank
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Re: Which 3D format?

Post by r-frank »

Hello Dave.
davecoventry wrote:Step file still contains the separate elements as "COMPOUND010, COMPOUND011, COMPOUND012", etc
Only Step AP 214 does that, Step AP 203 not ...

> FreeCAD, switch to complete workbench
> choose "Edit > preferences > Import-Export > Step"
> make sure, scheme is set to "AP 203"
> re-export model

Roland
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davecoventry
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Re: Which 3D format?

Post by davecoventry »

Great!

Thanks, Roland!
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davecoventry
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Re: Which 3D format?

Post by davecoventry »

Hi Roland,

The components can be separated to create manufacturing drawings which is obviously what we don't want.
Screenshot20170419223053.png
Screenshot20170419223053.png (143.37 KiB) Viewed 2367 times
Screenshot20170419223053.png
Screenshot20170419223053.png (143.37 KiB) Viewed 2367 times
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easyw-fc
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Re: Which 3D format?

Post by easyw-fc »

If your design is made of solids, you can try to make a union of as much parts as you can and then refine your model and export the result... This should not easily deconstructed.... at least if the fusion result is a single object when reloaded
EDIT
an other option is to select all and export your model as IGES (select Group of trimmed surfaces type144), then reopen the IGES select the object and export it as STEP...
your result would be a lot of shells not easily re-construct-able...
EDIT2
select all parts,
- Part Join Connect objects
- Convert to solid your connected part
- refine it
- export the final object as STEP
this should be a single solid object


Maurice
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davecoventry
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Re: Which 3D format?

Post by davecoventry »

The design is not entirely solids. I'm not sure why as I have made a conscious effort to base it on primitives. Some of the elements are lofted from rectangles: perhaps it is these? I also have pipework which comprises Sweeps, DWires and circles.

In any case, if I use the technique described in Edit One, the resulting STEP file does not have a graphical representation in the GUI and it appears to be empty, despite being (at 15Mb!) double the size of the STEP file created normally.

If I use EDIT2, I get an error message which says "Bad selection: 2 solids need to be selected first"
~ Dave
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r-frank
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Re: Which 3D format?

Post by r-frank »

davecoventry wrote:Some of the elements are lofted from rectangles: perhaps it is these?
Well, for whatever reason, some lofts do not produce solids.
Sweeps seem to be more reliable.

I think the problem is your "mixture". If it would be possible to fuse/compound everything and then exporting
as Step AP 203 i think everything would be fine.

The only solution i can think of at the Moment would be exporting everything as one single STL,
re-import und re-export as Step.
But i fear the file size will go skywards ...

Roland
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easyw-fc
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Re: Which 3D format?

Post by easyw-fc »

davecoventry wrote:The design is not entirely solids.
sorry, for your rework you need to start from the already exported STEP file...
(remember that to export the STEP file you need to select ONLY the final result of your operation
https://www.freecadweb.org/wiki/index.p ... _Filled_In )
if this STEP file is fine (all objects are solid and without geometry errors), then you can start to test from this file a way to export something more compact in terms of original geometry (with a single part for all the model)...

In your previous image
https://forum.freecadweb.org/download/file.php?id=36566
I see you have all solid objects... then you can start your reworking from that file and not from the original FC file.
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davecoventry
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Re: Which 3D format?

Post by davecoventry »

I did as you suggest, but most of the parts of the model have vanished.
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easyw-fc
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Re: Which 3D format?

Post by easyw-fc »

Difficult to help more without having the file ...
Anyway if fusion fails, you can try testing the other two methods:
IGES with surfaces or Connect your objects
M
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