When I import a surface model as a rule it has multipul "imported surfaces" to it. After I run the import diagnostics and heal all the surfaces that I can I exit the diagnostics menu and then attempt to fix the remaining surfaces. However now all faces are part of one surface rather than seperate surfaces that can be deleted or replaced. Is there a setting that I am missing to allow the surfaces to stay seperate?
TIA
Jim
Jim,
I suspect that when you attempt to heal the surfaces that it automatically knits them together if it succeeds, assuming that you are trying to build a good solid from the not-so-good surfaces.I don't know of any setting that would change that behavior.
You should still be able to delete faces if they are causing trouble.
Do your imported parts always come in as separate faces? If that is the case, perhaps you should try some different options on your import. When importing IGES, STEP or ACIS files, I normally have "Try forming solid(s)" selected. If I knew it was not a solid, I would probably select "Knit surfaces". I also have "Merge Entities" checked, as well as "Perform full entity check and repair errors" and "Automatically run Import diagnostics (Healing)".
Jerry Steiger
Jerry,
It usually, but not always, brings things in as seperate surfaces but after the diagnostics function I would think you are right and it knits everything together. The problem is that during the heal faces operation i have been having to remove some faces that extend into other faces. It then appears to allow some faces to continue to extend past the desired edge and that is where the problem begins. Once the faces are all knit together I am having problems selecting one surface to trim another surface when they are all one surface. Thus I am having problems repairing the removed faces when I am done.
Maybe due to my newness and lack of knowledge with surfacing i am approaching things wrong. But it would seem that the part would be easier to manipulate if the faces could be selected and manipulated seperately.
Jim,
Try making new surfaces by Offset 0 for the ones you need to trim. If the trimming works out, then delete original faces and knit the new surfaces to rest of the body.
I don't think it is just your newness to surfaces. Sometimes surfaces are just a pain to work with.
Jerry Steiger
Jerry,
Once I exit the heal surfaces menu I am unable to select different faces to delete, it becomes an all or nothing type of thing. The tree only shows one imported surface rather than several imported faces or features. If I do not choose to heal the surfaces I have numerious faces in the tree but they become one once the gaps are healed. Maybe it is the knitting of the surface that accomplishes this, I don't know. I should mention that I am running 2010 if things have changed. It is possible that Alan's suggestion of leaving some faces not healed would be the trick but would all surfaces be available then, or only those not knit together? So many questions, and I thought engineers were susposed to answer questions, not create them.
Jim, you can actually delete individual faces of a surface body. Use the delete face command, not the delete body command. It is in the Surface toolbar, or if you RMB on a face and expand the menu you will see it.
Thanks, Alin. I forgot that the delete faces command is not as easy as deleting a body. (It always cracked me up that the way to delete a face was Insert/Face/Delete.)
Jerry Steiger
Message was edited by: Jerry Steiger
Actually is as easy as RMB on a face. Of course, faces are not listed in a folder, but other than that it is still an icon.
Unfortunately it isn't that easy here for some reason. If I select a face and use the delete face button from the surfacing toolbar I get the above error. The following shot is what happens to the tree when I use the heal surfaces feature and that is what causes the faces to not be available for change. The last screen shot is what I get if I don't use the heal faces feature and then the faces can be selected as you suggest and deleted. Unfortunately some of these models are comming in with 75 or more faces that need fixing and that is very tedious to delete and fix one at a time. I have to go home now and will not be in again until monday so a lack of responce does not mean i don't appreciate your attempts to help me. Your help is greately appreciated!
Jim,
Bummer. I've never seen that error message before. It would seem to indicate that your imported part is really badly broken. (Not to say that the exporting software was bad, although it could be, just that SolidWorks is completely unable to make heads or tails of it.)
I take it that your having multiple faces selected was because deleting one at a time failed first? You may be able to make headway by finding one face that you can delete, then work your way through the rest of the bad ones. This will involve a lot of trial and error.
Another possibility, also very painful, is to use the imported part as a skeleton and build a SW part over the top of it. This may or may not work, depending on the degree of accuracy you need.
Jerry Steiger
In this case, during the Import Diagnostic, do not heal all the face in bulk. Right click on each face from the list and select zoom to selection. You can heal it individually if needed. You might want to leave some faces or gaps unhealed and work on them later on (delete faces, untrim, delete hole, fill, etc.).
Jim,
Bummer. I've never seen that error message before. It would seem to indicate that your imported part is really badly broken. (Not to say that the exporting software was bad, although it could be, just that SolidWorks is completely unable to make heads or tails of it.)
I take it that your having multiple faces selected was because deleting one at a time failed first? You may be able to make headway by finding one face that you can delete, then work your way through the rest of the bad ones. This will involve a lot of trial and error.
Another possibility, also very painful, is to use the imported part as a skeleton and build a SW part over the top of it. This may or may not work, depending on the degree of accuracy you need.
Jerry Steiger