I have a request for a 3D model but I don't want the user to take it apart or measure most of it.
How can I save it for them to use but not figure out how it is built. Outside dimensions ok...
I have a request for a 3D model but I don't want the user to take it apart or measure most of it.
How can I save it for them to use but not figure out how it is built. Outside dimensions ok...
As Christian Chu said
Edrawings with no measure set 
I have to do this regularly and while there is no such thing as a sure bet, its probably the quickest way to provide a model that you can play around with :-)
Save as Part, select external surfaces only. You have to verify file, holes can expose internal geometry. Then open and export (save as) as desired export file type. Save as STL file will make it a really dumb file, but there still are workarounds to duplicate geometry.
If everything in the 3d model are native Solidworks features you might want to see if 'defeature' can help. With it you should be able to easily hide any internals and save it as a part with only those entities that you specifically want.
E.g.: no holes, only vital outside elements left over. This would mean that the one receiving it could put it in his assemble and check for conflicts or room needed without being to reverse engineer it.
I for one would prefer getting that kind of thing anyways. I have no need to see every cooling fin on a motor, or seeing each and every bolt and nut on a machine nor the exact curve of a handle. It only eats memory.
Peter, Is there a check box that I need to hit to make it one solid part? When I defeatured the assembly I can open without the tree but still suppress items and measure the viewed items to re-engineer.
Shawndra Products - It doesn't matter how you save the file, upload it here and someone will be able to copy it completely.
The "Only" way I would do something like this is to make my own "Dumb File" that is just simple extrudes and the only precise dimension that I would supply is the mounting and clearance information.
One way to do this is add the Assembly into a "New" Assembly and do Insert/New Component and save the part file as the same file name, then I would do a .00" Surface Offset on the outer visual shell, then Knit the Surface as a Solid.. Now you have a quick and dirty way of supplying your potential customer of a file that has all the viable information that they need and there is no way that they can extract anything from the center, cause ain't nottin there...
Shawndra,
I don't have much experience with it myself because the times that I would love to use it are those times that the only that I have are ASM's or PRT's that are converted from a non-native Solidworks file.
There isn't a 1 button solution, it will take some effort by you to bring it down to the most basic of parts.
There's no way to make something that they can insert into their assembly but that they can't measure certaining things.
The best you can do is defeature it so much that, as said, there's only the outer shell and those elements that are vital but without most of the details and any or all internal features.
Christian Chu or Neville Williams, How do I use the E-Drawings file. It is only usable (full 3d) with-in E-Drawings as far as I can tell. The customer wants to place in an assembly for fit.
Jason Edelman, I save as part file then as a Step file but the file turns white, which isn't the best thing to send to my customer. Any suggestions to make it a solid block that they can place?
Shawndra Products wrote:
Christian Chu or Neville Williams, How do I use the E-Drawings file. It is only usable (full 3d) with-in E-Drawings as far as I can tell. The customer wants to place in an assembly for fit.
Jason Edelman, I save as part file then as a Step file but the file turns white, which isn't the best thing to send to my customer. Any suggestions to make it a solid block that they can place?
If you don't want to send them the Part file try saving it as Parasolid instead of Step.
As a side question, I can see 2 ways to make an eDrawings file from an assembly:
What are the pros and cons of the 2 methods?
SW2019, SP3
John
I'm afraid I'm not the one to answer that. I haven't saved a file as an eDrawing in years. All mine get saved as pdf's.
SAVE AS PART, EXTERNAL SURFACES ONLY, THEN SAVE THE part as an igs, or step file.
David Matula wrote:
SAVE AS PART, EXTERNAL SURFACES ONLY, THEN SAVE THE part as an igs, or step file.
Doing it that way will save external faces of all parts, easy to copy, easy to measure
darn back when i would send models out i would just get the exterior of the assembly.
if I was that worried about customer stealing my products i would just send them an over all drawing to make a solid.
I hate dealing with vendors like that, missing dims, ect.
#1 if your buying stuff from me, you see the value of the product, and if you need it in your assembly, i would rather have my name all over it like the RoseMont parts that I download. Feature intensive as they are with surfaces, and text, and, missing faces, our customers are impressed when we give them an over view of what we put together.
Save it as a part, open part and again save it as a step file
or save it as eDrawing with no measure option