Does anyone know hot to export a fully parametric file into CATIA

Discussion in 'CATIA' started by cad123, May 25, 2005.

  1. cad123

    cad123 Guest

    I have a number of customers who require CATIA models that are fully
    parametric and history based. The problem I'm running into is that my
    translator can export a part or assembly into CATIA from SolidWorks but
    they are single feature parts that are not parametric or feature based.
    Is there any way short of buying CATIA I can do this?
     
    cad123, May 25, 2005
    #1
  2. cad123

    matt Guest

    There are some translators, but I don't believe any of them will rebuild
    a Catia history, and even if they do, I wouldn't bet my job on it
    working well.

    This is the Holy Grail of CAD interoperability. It sounds like a
    rebuild in Catia to me.

    Good luck,

    Matt
     
    matt, May 25, 2005
    #2
  3. cad123

    haulin79 Guest

    It's not a translator, but www.impactxoft.com can be had for about the
    same price as SolidWorks. ImpactXoft uses the Catia V5 kernel and thus
    saves as native Catia files.
     
    haulin79, May 25, 2005
    #3
  4. cad123

    MM Guest

    haulin,

    But with "NO" history. The kernal only deals with topology, and their
    definitions. Methods for creating features are propriatery with all
    modelers. This is what makes feature/history translation difficult.

    Regards

    Mark
     
    MM, May 25, 2005
    #4
  5. cad123

    Jeff Howard Guest

    But with "NO" history. The kernal only deals with topology, and their
    Thank you. "Methods for defining / creating topology" might be a little
    more precise?

    Curiosity question: There are a few very pricey (a seat of Catia would be
    less expensive) feature translators being advertised here and there. (I
    was thinking that one or two support Solidworks?) Has anyone had any
    exposure, real world experience, etc. with them? I wonder if one can get a
    list of supported feature types; e.g. what source system features will be
    translated to what target system features?
     
    Jeff Howard, May 25, 2005
    #5
  6. cad123

    awtltd Guest

    You would think there would be a simple one click translator with Catia
    and SWX both coming from the same stable wouldn't you?

    I'm sure it would give DS more selling flexibilty - you know buy X
    seats of Catia for the Big boys and Y seats of SWX for the rest.

    I think thats what happens with UG ans Solid Edge isn't it??


    Kev
     
    awtltd, May 25, 2005
    #6
  7. cad123

    Cliff Guest

    It's not actually possible to "rebuild history".
    It has to be captured as it happens.

    There are often millions + of ways to get to a
    given historyless model. Which one captures
    the design intent?

    More of why jb's such a total joke if you recall his posts
    on such matters <G>.

    You would have to get Catia and do the work from
    scratch IN Catia.
     
    Cliff, May 26, 2005
    #7
  8. cad123

    Jeff Howard Guest

    ... It's not actually possible to "rebuild history".
    Is that true or is the history stored in the native file database,
    readable, possibly re-creatable, ...?
     
    Jeff Howard, May 26, 2005
    #8
  9. cad123

    Jeff Howard Guest

    ... I think thats what happens with UG ans Solid Edge isn't it??

    I don't believe it's a bi-directional (or even unidirectional) feature -
    enabled interoperability. I've gathered (no first hand experience) that
    there is some ability to read various "attributes" in addition to the
    topology. It would be interesting to know how extensive it is or is
    intended to be in the future.

    I believe the only way that you could get the sort of thing you are
    envisioning is if one system is simply a subset of a more extensive system;
    e.g. all SW or SE feature creation routines, database structures, etc. are
    available in Catia or UG. Don't know, just speculation. It's kind of
    interesting to speculate on; all three of the "high end" systems have a
    "little brother" (though PTC's doesn't have much of a following at present)
    ....
     
    Jeff Howard, May 26, 2005
    #9
  10. cad123

    haulin79 Guest

    If you are doing work for clients that use Catia and they require you
    to give them parametric Catia files, then they should either:
    1. Lend you a seat of Catia or
    2. Pay you more for you to justify buying Catia yourself.
    You may be able to use it to open up a lot more new business.
     
    haulin79, May 26, 2005
    #10
  11. cad123

    Cliff Guest

    That's what was created as it was captured. In theory,
    some of it might be translated to the format of a history
    database for another system but what happens when
    a construction method differs between the two systems?
    There's no direct one to one mappiing as it could not
    have been done that way on one of the two systems.

    Example: One system only allows you to create evenly spaced
    points on a curve but the other will allow you to select a location
    based on the length along a curve and yet a third will use the
    midpoint of the line as the "origin" of the line.
    The user had a line and created geometry using it's midpoint ....
    in the history file is this to a point created as 3 points on the
    line, to it's midpoiint directly, to some distance along the line?
    If things are altered, such as by elongating the line, and then
    "regenerated" based on the history, you would get three
    different results, right?

    Parent ==> child but what's the relationship? Is it
    supported on both systems & for all possible construction
    methods?
     
    Cliff, May 26, 2005
    #11
  12. cad123

    haulin79 Guest

    haulin79, May 26, 2005
    #12
  13. cad123

    haulin79 Guest

    I will call them tomorrow to confirm...it's been a while since I did a
    walk through with their application's engineer. I looked at the video
    again and I did not see the part history specifically, only the
    assembly tree. Sorry.

    BTW, Dassault is an owner of ImpactXoft.
     
    haulin79, May 26, 2005
    #13
  14. cad123

    Jeff Howard Guest

    I don't think that many evolved from a common code base.
    That's actually the case for all of them; independantly developed
    aquisitions.

    UGS is pushing the interop angle. Did find an article on their site that
    describes some of the aspects; no "feature recognition", associative entity
    referencing (SE extrude to NX face, NX face changes, SE extrusion updates
    type stuff), a few more odds and ends (just did a quick scan thru the
    article). No idea where it's going, but there are interesting
    possibilities that come to mind.
     
    Jeff Howard, May 26, 2005
    #14
  15. cad123

    RodT Guest

    Our Current Solidworks Var (Shounco Design Studios) has shown us two
    different software packages that provide a full history conversion.
    They also had an option to do a file at a time as a service instead of
    having to fork out the money software. I think their website is
    www.shounco.com
     
    RodT, May 26, 2005
    #15
  16. cad123

    haulin79 Guest

    Mark,
    I just got off the phone with ImpactXoft tech support and he said that
    the ImpactXoft files when opened in Catia contain a fully editable
    feature tree.
    I'm not sure if he was a Dassault guy but he had a French accent! :)
     
    haulin79, May 26, 2005
    #16
  17. cad123

    MM Guest

    Haulin,

    Well that's a first. The programs must share more than just the kernal then.
    One would almost have to be a subset of the other.

    Regards

    Mark
     
    MM, May 28, 2005
    #17
  18. cad123

    haulin79 Guest

    Mark,
    You are right, it is much more than just sharing the kernel, I never
    really thought of it that way. Since Dassault is a part owner of
    ImpactXoft, it wouldn't surprise me if DS gave IX a major portion of
    their Catia program. It seems that IX merely added a few extra modeling
    functions and took out others.

    http://www.caddigest.com/subjects/CATIA/select/cadcamnet_catiav5.htm
    The article mentions that IX's "Molded Part Design Workbench" is
    included in Catia V5 R12. Now that's closer collaboration than I have
    heard between Catia and SolidWorks!
     
    haulin79, May 28, 2005
    #18
  19. cad123

    Jeff Howard Guest

    http://www.acuityinc.com/Software/ImpactXoft/index.htm
    http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/30901
    http://products.engineering.com/mechanical/software/p01393/prodover.htm

    Some interesting looking stuff (though a lot of vague language without any
    specifics inflames the ol' BS CAD jaundiced eye), but nowhere do I see the
    words "feature" or "edit". In fact ...

    "You can share model updates that encapsulate
    design behaviors with interested project participants
    who can then merge the updates into their working
    model without recreating design rules and behaviors."

    .... make it sound like native features are irrelevant to the process
    (ala SE <> NX, Pro/D <> Pro/E)?

    T'would be interesting to hear from someone that's used it in conjunction
    with Catia.

    (All I saw re price were indications of a Think3-ish rental scheme?)
     
    Jeff Howard, May 28, 2005
    #19
  20. cad123

    Cliff Guest

    "Included in" probably just means that it's an API program
    and that Catia V5 (NOTE: NOT V4) is also active.
    This probably applies to other things as well ... many
    systems vendors will sell a "hidden" version to be used
    underneath another single-purpose application at a
    reasonable cost. It takes nothing away from their own
    market and may add to it down the road -- about all that
    can be done with it is that single purpose application.

    Just look at banquercadcam & Etch-A-Sketch. Someone
    may later purchase the FULL version of Etch-A-Sketch
    instead of MagnaDoodle so as to be able to do more with
    the lines (as it may not be interopearble with MagnaDoodle).
     
    Cliff, May 28, 2005
    #20
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