We create step files to send to suppliers. Recently, one of our step files exported without the drafts included. We discovered this while reviewing the tool design. On this particular part, we do not get an accurate step file. It is able to export a good parasolid file. (We checked by opening the step file and looking at it compared to the original model. There were obvious surface differences. It is a solid part with one body.)
We are using SolidWorks 2016. We have verification on rebuild turned on.
Have you ever seen something like this?
Do you check your step files after you create them to make sure they are accurate? If so, how do you do this?
We currently save our step files with a macro.
Thanks,
Carrie
Turns out the problem was partially user error. The draft surfaces were missing from STEP because they were not in the SLDPRT. We had the split line in the SLDPRT but hadn't added the drafts we were sure where there.
If there is a split line on a surface but other than that, it would be one surface, the STEP export does not have the split line. So, if we had compared the geometry of the step to our SLDPRT, we would have found that difference in the surfaces. This would have lead to us noticing that the draft wasn't included. (The split line was there but the drafts to each side of it weren't.)
I have written a macro for the compare. We have a save as STEP macro that saves to a particular file location with the revision information. The compare macro starts with an open SLDPRT file. It uses that file to find the STEP file that has the same revision. It saves the STEP file to a temporary SLDPRT. I used the help example on comparing geometry and have it compare my original SLDPRT with my temporary SLDPRT that was STEP. The results of the volume and face check get stored in a report that can be reviewed.
Things of note:
I used LoadFile4 to open the step file.
A successful compare (volume or faces) is not the same thing as identical parts. I changed the message window to let the user know that.