Problem:

I have some IGES files, each containing dozens of lines in 3D. When I import these files into Solidworks, a separate 3D sketch is created to contain each line. I would prefer all of the lines to be on the same 3D sketch.

Where did these files come from?

Currently I am writing a program to calculate these lines, and export an IGES file containing them. The lines are exported using Line Entities (Type 110) and the Associativity Instance Entity (Type 402). My ultimate goal is to be able to transfer these calculated lines from my program into Solidworks.

I have also tested this using Solidworks. I created a new part, then created a 3D sketch within it. In that 3D sketch, I drew several disconnected lines. I exported the part as an IGES file, and re-imported it. Again, each line was contained within its own 3D sketch, rather than all being in the same sketch. Please find this file attached to this question.

Questions:

How can I import lines from an IGES file into a single 3D sketch in Solidworks?

Is there an option I can change in Solidworks?

Is there something I can change about the way I am generating the IGES file? Perhaps a different Entity Type?

Is there another file format which is better for importing 3D line information into a single 3D sketch?