Any videos in english on how to import step files

[foxint]

OS: Windows 10
Word size of OS: 64-bit
Word size of FreeCAD: 64-bit
Version: 0.18.16110 (Git)
Build type: Release
Branch: (HEAD detached at upstream/releases/FreeCAD-0-18)
Hash: f7dccfaa909e5b9da26bf50c4a22ccca9bb10c40
Python version: 3.6.6
Qt version: 5.6.2
Coin version: 4.0.0a
OCC version: 7.3.0
Locale: English/Australia (en_AU)

Hi guys....It is a great place and you are all very helpful. Thank you.

I did the search and I could not find anything...I have no problem (yet) as I have not been able to import the file. I am so sorry as this is a question asked a million times...I have googled and the closest thing I got was in German. I was given some great help from an Aussie and a German. I hope I have not stretched the friendship.

Hoping to find a video...with all the steps...

The file I am working on is a watch box, but the Chinese guy (who is very good), is a little busy to help on such a tiny project. So, I thought I would have a go...I have had some success with flat panels, but that is the extend of my abilities.

For an experience guy this will be easy for me…it is like…. rally hard. It is Saturday night and my life is trying to do CAD…ha-ha.

Any help would be great.

Dan – Aussie bush.

[easyw-fc]

1) is your file available to download or small enough to be uploaded here?
2) if you enable Report Panel (on View menu) which errors do you get importing your file?
3) are you able to see your file in an other CAD (i.e. CAD Assistant)?

[foxint]

Mate – thank you.

I seem to remember that there were a lot of steps rather than open new project and import???

1. I will try and upload the stp file
2. The report panel is blank
3. I have no other programme.

The issue is: I am trying to get the box made and the price is far too much. So my thinking is to simplify it: Remove the hinge; replace this with 2 more screws; and instead of CNC, slice it horizontally and get it laser cut.

FYI: the CNC place (locally) found the file far too complex to work on. The local laser place was far too expensive and was not willing to assist in modifying the file. My Chinese CAD man has gone quiet….

Love the bush, unless you want to join the 21st century. My old 1996 Volvo 960 was considered exotic…so pain in the bottom sometimes…..

Dan
PS stp file too large
I have added the FreeCad file...but I think I did it wrong. I am novice and not used to working on 3D files. So it could be my own incompetence.

[chrisb]

Your descriptions are not very clear what you intend to do; e.g. I cannot see any hinge in the model, so there is nothng to be removed. My guess is , that you want to slice COMPOUND so that the holes go just through one of the slices. Please note that this will still leave you with the chamfers, which probably cannot be lasered.

- For the slice I took the depth of the narrowest pocket of 8mm. So I created in Sketcher workbench a sketch in XY plane with an offset of -8mm.
- The Sketch contains a rectangle generously covering the whole box.
- Select Part workbench
- Select the sketch and execute Menu->Part->Make face from wire
- Select COMPOUND
- Add the face to the selection
- Slice apart

The ExplodedSlice now contains the two components, I have made only one of them visible to show what happened. The full file was too large so I removed the objects not being relevant here.

[foxint]

Hi Chris

Great – Thank you.

Because I could not open the box (to see inside), I attached the wrong file…I think I can work with this…

The hinge is in the box as a small slot running the width of the box.

I will download it and have a go…I am not good at this, but dealing with people who suddenly stop returning emails, makes life hard...

Thanks again. I am assuming I can use open this in FreeCad?

Thank you

You have lost me:

Select the sketch and execute Menu->Part->Make face from wire
- Select COMPOUND
- Add the face to the selection
- Slice apart

“Select the sketch and execute Menu->Part->Make face from wire”

This is what I am doing:

• Select the part in the middle of the screen.
• Go to top menu ribbon and find Part (OK)
• Make Face from wires
• Compound -? Make Compound? Explode Compound or Compound Filter

I did something wrong and the face will not delete….

I am completely lost.

If I can get the dimensions, I can make it in 2D – that is where I am at. I think I will have to use the pdf and make the slices in 2D and hope for the best.

Perhaps I can pay someone nice bloke to help???

Dan

[chrisb]

This is what I am doing:

• Select the part in the middle of the screen.
• Go to top menu ribbon and find Part (OK)
• Make Face from wire

Wll done so far. The next step is to be found in Menu->Part->Split->Slice apart. There is an icon as well in the drop down menu from the icon looking similar to the boolean fusion.

[foxint]

Hi Chris - thank you

you are very patient....but I have lost it. Here is a screen capture.

I google... import/export dxf...I google import/export stp....nothing with comprehensive instructions...I keep going back to the same pages and then there are the German videos...that I am sure are great...but I am a heathen and only speak english. Plus all you good guys are at the other side of the world...

I am getting quite depressed about the whole. Thing and tempted to just start and draw it on a flat piece of paper from the pdf I attached....but something tells me there is an easy way...surely there are some videos....like bloody windows networking. ahhhh

[kisolre]

Your import of STP is Ok.

Two part box - glue the pieces together:

WatchBox_2parts.JPG (84.86 KiB) Viewed 1207 times

.
I noticed some differences between the drawing pdf dimensions and the STEP dimensions. The single slot is 140mm in the drawing but 120mm in STEP. The two equal holes are 35mm instead of 45. Those are that I noticed.

The attached FreeCAD file is the model in the image above completely modeled in FreeCAD based on the imported STEP geometry in your file Box-2019-04-16-V1.0.FCStd. The box is modeled in two parts that can be easily CNC-ed separately and then glued together.

[chrisb]

Hi Chris - thank you

you are very patient....but I have lost it. Here is a screen capture.

I don't understand what you wanted to do before you got the message shown in your image. I'm sorry, I don't know of any videos explaining the "Step in - DXF out" procedure.

[easyw-fc]

Unfortunately it was not clear since the beginning what was the final target for the OP...
may be that was the request: to export a STEP file outline to DXF...
In that case this file may help:

-

box-projected.png (117.18 KiB) Viewed 1180 times