Measure tool in Solidworks/EDrawings (point to point, possible?)

Discussion in 'SolidWorks' started by Ted Trafton, Apr 12, 2004.

  1. Ted Trafton

    Ted Trafton Guest

    I've used a reverse engineering software package to generate an .igs
    file which I would like to measure in Solidworks or preferably
    EDrawings. I cannot do this with my current file but I can with files
    I've designed in Solidworks. What I really want to do is click on one
    point and then on another and get the linear measurement between the
    two points (the way I can in Geomagic.)
    If it helps, the file I want to measure has no straight lines, its a
    bone.
     
    Ted Trafton, Apr 12, 2004
    #1
  2. Ted Trafton

    MM Guest

    Ted,

    You can measure between any two selectable objects, end point, vertex, point
    and curve, surface and point etc.

    Just select the objects, and click the measure tool. (it looks like a little
    ruler)


    Regards

    Mark
     
    MM, Apr 13, 2004
    #2
  3. Ted Trafton

    Sporkman Guest

    Ted, reading your message I wonder whether the other Mark misunderstood
    your question -- because you aren't very clear on a point. That point
    is whether or not you've been successful importing that file into
    SolidWorks and if so what kind of result you got. eDrawings obviously
    won't open IGES files directly and it's quite possible for you to import
    an IGES only to find that it is Surfaces only (no Solids), that you
    can't knit it into a Solid, and that there are no vertexes to grab for
    measurement. In such a case it is likely that you can create a 3D
    sketch (a single line) and constrain the endpoints to be coincident with
    specific surfaces, thus you can get an approximation of measurements.
    You should also be able to constrain the 3D line to be parallel with
    planes and/or to be a specific distance from a plane. You will likely
    have to use a parallel constraint first before you can create a distance
    constraint.

    Hope that helps,

    Mark 'Sporky' Stapleton
    Watermark Design, LLC
    http://www.h2omarkdesign.com
     
    Sporkman, Apr 13, 2004
    #3
  4. Ted Trafton

    Ted Trafton Guest

    Ted Trafton, Apr 13, 2004
    #4
  5. Ted Trafton

    MM Guest

    Ted,

    I think I get it,

    You don't have the IGES or SW file ? All you have is the edrawing ?

    I think the capability of an edrawing is dependant on the level of the
    publisher that was used to generate it. I think a file has to be generated
    with the professional version in order for the measure tool to be active. I
    could be wrong though, I don't use edrawings much myself.

    If you plan on doing any real work with th data, you need the real geometry.

    Regards

    Mark
     
    MM, Apr 13, 2004
    #5

  6. I don't use edrawings either, but I'm almost positive that you have to use
    the professional version and you also have to choose to allow measurements
    to be made on the model.

    Jerry Steiger
    Tripod Data Systems
    "take the garbage out, dear"
     
    Jerry Steiger, Apr 14, 2004
    #6
  7. Ted Trafton

    Ted Trafton Guest

    Thank you all for your input.
    I'll try to better explain what I'm trying to do and maybe someone can
    point me in the right direction.

    I began by creating a NURBS based IGES file in Geomagic Studio from a
    point cloud (I also have polygon versions of this file.) I then
    imported that file into SW and from there saved it into an Edrawings
    format. The reason for this is that I want to have someone take
    measurements on this file (linear is fine) and that person does not
    have a software package like SW or Geomagic. A simple version of
    Edrawings can be downloaded for free so I thought this was a good way
    to go. Now that I see it won't work, does anyone know of a substitute
    program this person can use to measure from a point to a point on the
    surface of file. And when I say point, I don't mean vertex, I mean
    where ever you click. This is something you can do in Geomagic during
    the polygon phase. After reading your tips it looks like the Pro
    version of Edrawings may do this but the goal is to pull this off
    without buying software. Thanks again for your help. Ted
     
    Ted Trafton, Apr 15, 2004
    #7
  8. Ted Trafton

    MM Guest

    Ted,

    You can get a free 15 day license of Solidview http://www.solidview.com/ .It
    will read SW files directly

    There's also a freebee, but I don't think you can measure with it.

    Regards

    Mark
     
    MM, Apr 15, 2004
    #8
  9. Ted Trafton

    MM Guest

    Ted,

    I just downloaded and installed Model Press (thanks Olaf Diegel).
    http://www.modelpress.com/

    It's free, it reads in SW files, and publishes an accurate polymesh model
    that can be measured. All the person at the other end needs is the viewer.

    To ask for a free program that can do what a >$20,000,00 program (Raindrop)
    can do is asking a bit much. The resolution is based on the SW display list.
    If you want the highest accuracy, open your model, set the display slider
    all the way over to the left, and save. This should yield a file with
    sufficient vertices so that you can measure from anywhere.

    Open the Model Press publisher, browse to the SW model, and generate the
    viewable (measurable) file. These files are highly compressed automatically
    for web applications.

    If you have an Nvidia Quadro card, make sure you don't turn hardware
    acceleration on (inside the program, not the Windows screen properties). It
    doesn't work for some reason, and will cause files to open with a blank
    graphics screen. This isn't that much of a problem as I've tested it with
    some moderatly large SW assemblies. The performance is still pretty good.

    Regards

    Mark
     
    MM, Apr 16, 2004
    #9
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