Converting an assembly from step to native freecad

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Adouglas
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2016 9:37 pm

Converting an assembly from step to native freecad

Post by Adouglas »

We are having great difficulty getting a step file into native librecad, you can see the file here:http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/File: ... roup.fcstd

I remember when using solidworks I had an easy time modifying the step files, and step objects were not dumb vector graphics but had their own editable sketches, so the whole thing was still practical to modify. The parametric generation history and all dependencies was lost, but that is ok as adding them back is a lot easier than the current approach we are looking at resorting to.

Right now the only way we can see is to take the exported dxfs of all the parts which we had been using for cutting on a torch table, cut and paste the outline of each part into freecad, re extrude ( pad tool), then reassemble everything. There would still be no good restraints in the sketches, no dependencies, and my greatest concern is a collection of errors likely to sneak in.
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NormandC
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Re: Converting an assembly from step to native freecad

Post by NormandC »

Adouglas wrote:We are having great difficulty getting a step file into native librecad
Did you mean FreeCAD? LibreCAD is a 2D program which cannot open STEP files.
Adouglas wrote:I remember when using solidworks I had an easy time modifying the step files, and step objects were not dumb vector graphics but had their own editable sketches
I highly doubt that. While the STEP (ISO 10303) specification has a wide range of features, as far as I know most CAD software support only a small part of it (AP 203 and AP 214), mostly 3D models with sometimes some GD&T information. It does not contain editable sketches that would have been used to model it. For this reason a STEP is what we commonly call a "dumb" solid.

Maybe SW provides some wizard to reconstruct parametric features from a STEP solid, but again a STEP does not natively contain editable sketches.
Adouglas wrote:Right now the only way we can see is to take the exported dxfs of all the parts which we had been using for cutting on a torch table, cut and paste the outline of each part into freecad, re extrude ( pad tool), then reassemble everything.
From an imported solid you can extract 2D geometry with the Image Draft Shape2DView tool. Then you can convert the Shape2DView object into a Sketch using the Image Draft Draft2Sketch tool. But the resulting sketch will contain no constraint at all, not even point on point constraints. You will have to add them manually, or use the Validate sketch tool located in the PartDesign or Sketcher workbenches. All other constraints (geometric and dimensional) will have to be added manually.

Honestly, I think it would be faster to model the parts from scratch.
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