5 Replies Latest reply on Mar 29, 2013 11:02 AM by Kelvin Lamport

Importing an assembly from Autodesk Inventor 2013

hajime hajime Mar 29, 2013 8:57 AM

Hi, I am using SolidWorks 2012. I have an assembly created by somebody else in Inventor. I exported it as STP under Inventor 2013. When I imported to Solidworks, it took half a day. After the import, some of the objects became a big sphere. Know what is going on? I then saved a sub-assembly from Inventor and imported to Solidworks. I tried to use Feature Recognition. However, SW reported that "FeatureWorks. Part contains overlapping solids. FeatureWorks can not proceed further." In the tree on the left, I see a list of Imported objects. I cannot even edit those objects. Can anybody please help? What is the best way to import design created in Inventor to SolidWorks anyway?

Re: Importing an assembly from Autodesk Inventor 2013

Kelvin Lamport Mar 29, 2013 9:18 AM (in response to hajime hajime)

Do you have Inventor or Inventor View installed on the same computer as SolidWorks?
If you do, SW should be able to open the native Inventor files without the need for Feature Recognition. Features that SW cannot recognise will also not be recognised by FeatureWorks and will be shown as solid bodies.

http://help.solidworks.com/2013/English/solidworks/sldworks/t_autodesk_inventor_files.htm

The "Direct Editing" (i.e. Move Face) function will have to be used on the unrecognised solid bodies.
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- Re: Importing an assembly from Autodesk Inventor 2013
  
  hajime hajime Mar 29, 2013 9:54 AM (in response to Kelvin Lamport)
  
  I have Inventor Professional 2013 Student Version installed on the same computer as SolidWorks. When I opened the Inventor file, the parts/assemblies got scrattered all over the screen. Some parts are also missing or not shown.
  
  When I exported the assemblies as STP and loaded into SolidWorks, it took more than half a day to import. Some parts became large spheres. As for the main assembly, the sub-assemblies are not connected. Dragging a sub-assembly (e.g. mp_body, the big box-like body on the screen) separates it from the main assembly (disconnects it from the arms and legs). Under 'What's is wrong, I see a list of "...has rebuild errors".
  
  scrattered.PNG 74.1 KB
  
  bigspheres.PNG 119.3 KB
  
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  - Re: Importing an assembly from Autodesk Inventor 2013
    
    Kelvin Lamport Mar 29, 2013 10:32 AM (in response to hajime hajime)
    
    Were the original Inventor files created on a student version?
    
    The student version of Inventor may be 'hobbled' to prevent files being transferred for commercial use with other applications.
    
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    - Re: Importing an assembly from Autodesk Inventor 2013
      
      hajime hajime Mar 29, 2013 10:43 AM (in response to Kelvin Lamport)
      
      I do not know then. I thought the only difference between the student and commercial versions of Inventor is that one has a watermark or something like that? I have not seen the watermark on the screen.
      
      I am using SolidWorks Education Edition 2012-2013/2012 SP5.0
      
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      - Re: Importing an assembly from Autodesk Inventor 2013
        
        Kelvin Lamport Mar 29, 2013 11:02 AM (in response to hajime hajime)
        
        Can you ZIP & post a small Inventor assy, complete with it's parts, for testing on other machines?
        
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