CAD Interfaces
Contents
1. 10 96 CADDS Interface Installing the CADDS Converter If the CADDS converter is present during SILMA software installation the newuser script prints a message asking you to logout and login as root to run install_cvdors The newuser script then creates the links and starts the daemons on your system ODB DAEMON if the assembly interface is installed Several environmental variables are set as part of running the newuser script at the SILMA software installation The variables required for cvdors_login are appended to the user s login file and cvdorsrc is copied to your user area and renamed cvdorsrc The uenv is copied to your user area and renamed uenv Global variables used in the CADDS converter are documented in cadds_default sil which exists in your product when you create a product with the CADDS converter CADDS4X is not needed to convert CADDS parts to SILMA software models However CADDS4X including Assembly Design is needed if you want to convert Assembly Design models Using the CAD Interface Panel Using the CAD Interface Panel The CAD Interface panel is displayed by selecting Import Export Model from the Modeling pulldown menu CAD Interface Format IGES m Import Export Directory Current AL Directories List of directories under the current directory This section of the panel changes depending on the Import Export toggle Importing files is explained in Importing2. SILMA software Import Toggle this selection to import SLA models into SILMA software Export Toggle this selection to write out a stl part directly from SILMA software with selected geometry See Exporting Models on page 25 Directory Sets the path to the directory containing the SLA export File Extension model files You can use the list button to select cim projects or cim users or use the field to enter any directory on the system The Directories list provides a list of directories under the current directory Directories that are not libraries have two dots after the directory name Libraries do not have this symbol NOTE A library is a directory that stores data and information about SILMA software entities Selecting a directory from the Directories list makes it the current directory Specifies the file extension that will be used to identify SLA files Convert Converts the export files in the conversion queue Close Cancels the settings and dismisses the panel Table 15 CAD Interface selections 10 96 31 Using the CAD Interface Panel Importing Models 32 To import a SLA model into SILMA software follow these steps 1 Display the CAD Interface panel by selecting Import Export Model w from the Modeling pulldown menu Choose SLA as the format for import using the Format choice button Toggle Import Set the path to the directory in which the export file resides b
3. classes of geometric models that can be directly translated from Computervision CADDS4X and CADDS5X to SILMA software gt Three dimensional wireframe models gt Three dimensional surface models gt Three dimensional solid models Using this interface the SILMA software program reads the System A data CADDS translates it into System B format SILMA software and writes it into the System B database System B can then translate and write data back to System A and provide updates between the systems read System B lt lt System A SILMA software gt CADDS i write updating You can model parts in CADDS and simulate them in SILMA software all transparently Your CAD parts geometry is automatically updated by a menu driven converter A part may consist of any kind of CADDS geometry and converted to NURBS geometry at the time of translation into SILMA software The SILMA software CADDS interface reads writes and updates CADDS part models and SILMA software models Use the interface to import CADDS models into SILMA software and to export certain geometry and data generated from simulation The interface lets you create CADDS parts without even getting into CADDS by selecting the SILMA software geometry and assembly layout You can then export these parts to the CADDS system The interface also interacts with the CADDS runtime process to keep the translated parts up to date 2 CAD Interfaces
4. graphics for large CAD models however the models will look rough High resolution will make the models look more real but may slow the graphics of some platforms Setting the proper resolution is important as it can achieve a good balance between performance and appearance Using the CAD Interface Panel Edit Settings Skip Resolution Compaction UV Mode Tolerance Mode Edge Length Mode mM Curves E Surfaces E Descendents This section of the panel changes depending on the Mode toggle choice Figure 2 The Edit Settings panel with Resolution toggled Table 11 describes the three modes Selection Description UV Mode Specifies the facetization as a two dimensional grid This is not recommended since it does not optimize the number of facets You need to specify three fields Surface U Surface V and Boundary Boundary is the resolution of the trimmed surface boundary Table 2 Modes 8 CAD Interfaces CADDS Interface Selection Description Tolerance Mode Specifies the maximum allowable deviation of the faceted representation from the actual analytic surface This optimizes the number of facets by creating more where the curvature is high and fewer where surfaces are flat Edge Length Mode Specifies the size of the facets but does not optimize Table 2 Modes continued Table 3 describes the available switches that determine the kind of geometry that w
5. is switched on the analytic description of the entities will be removed after their conversion LI Remove Non geometry If this is switched on entities with no geometry will be skipped during conversion 10 96 23 Using the CAD Interface Panel Editing Compaction Toggling Compaction provides selections for changing the tree structure of a specific model by creating a bond between objects Compaction can be performed at two levels at the top node and at the child level Compaction Mode None Non rigid 4 Rigid gt Permanent Rigid Compaction Depth Top gt Children Figure 6 Compaction selections Rigid Structures the tree of the selected object such that the child objects are considered to be affixed to the parent object and are no longer considered separate entities If the parent object moves its children will move also In addition the children are not permitted to move relative to one another You must move the parent to move the children Using rigid compaction increases performance on certain platforms Non rigid Structures the tree of the selected object such that the child objects are considered to be affixed to the parent object but the child objects can still move relative to one another 24 CAD Interfaces Catia Interface Permanent Rigid Structures the object tree such that the all objects whether parent or child are considered to be on one level This option pro
6. on page 25 Directory Sets the path to the directory containing the Catia export File Extension model files You can use the list button to select cim projects or cim users or use the field to enter any directory on the system The Directories list provides a list of directories under the current directory Directories that are not libraries have two dots after the directory name Libraries do not have this symbol NOTE A library is a directory that stores data and information about SILMA software entities Selecting a directory from the Directories list makes it the current directory Specifies the file extension that will be used to identify Catia files IMPORTANT This field should not be set to model SILMA software files use the model extension so setting the File Extension to model causes ambiguity Convert Converts the export files in the conversion queue Close Cancels the settings and dismisses the panel Table 10 CAD Interface selections CAD Interfaces Catia Interface Importing Models 10 96 To import a Catia model into SILMA software follow these steps 1 Display the CAD Interface panel by selecting Import Export Model from the Modeling pulldown menu 2 Choose CATIA as the format for import using the Format choice button 3 Toggle Import Set the path to the directory in which the export file resides by using the Current selection and choose the file or files to be importe
7. 0000 or malloc_max 30M By increasing the alloca_stack_size from 6000000 to 24000000 you increase the swap space requirement by 18 MB Refer to the Installation Guide for information on swap space MOIE requirements for your specific hardware platform 7 96 A 1
8. 2 23 24 25 27 27 Table of Contents SLA Interface Release Notes Introduction Using the CAD Interface Panel Importing Models Exporting Models Notes on Working with SLA Files Pro ENGINEER Interface Release Notes Getting Started Exporting Models Trouble Shooting Supported Entities Faces Trimmed Surfaces Edges Trimmed Surfaces Boundary Edges Supported GD amp T Entities VSA Interface Release Notes Getting Started Exporting Models Trouble Shooting Appendix Importing Large Models 29 29 30 32 33 34 35 37 38 39 40 40 40 41 42 43 44 45 CAD Interfaces CADDS Interface CADDS Interface Release Notes Current Version V 3 3 Module CADDS_INTERFACE 3 3 Platform HP Sun Solaris SGI5 Introduction The CADDS interface is a two way translator data transfer can be performed in two ways mM CADDS part files can be translated into SILMA software model files m SILMA software models can be translated into CADDS part files Both these operations can be performed on any platform the interface is supported It is not required to have CADDS running in order to perform any of these operations The CADDS Translator user interface is a user friendly menu driven interface Using the CAD Interface Panel on page 4 provides a detailed description of how to use the SILMA software menus and panels 10 96 1 Introduction In the SILMA software CADDS interface there are three major
9. CAD Interfaces SILMA Division of Adept Technology Inc Copyright October 1996 Adept Technology Inc ALL RIGHTS RESERVED This material is the property of Adept Technology Inc and contains confidential information No part of this publication may be reproduced published stored in a retrieval system or disclosed to others without prior written permission from Adept Technology Inc The use of general descriptive names trade names trademarks etc in this manual even if they are not especially identified does not mean that such names as understood by the Trade Marks and Merchandise Marks Act may accordingly be used freely by anyone The material contained herein is subject to change without notice Table of Contents CADDS Interface Release Notes Introduction Installing the CADDS Converter Using the CAD Interface Panel Importing CADDS Parts into SILMA Software Importing CADDS Assemblies into SILMA Software Editing the Settings Editing Resolution Skipping Attributes Editing Compaction Exporting Models to CADDS Supported Entities CADDS to SILMA Software Importing SILMA Software to CADDS Exporting Catia Interface Release Notes Introduction Using the CAD Interface Panel Importing Models Importing Large Export Files Editing the Settings Editing Resolution Skipping Attributes Editing Compaction Exporting Models Trouble Shooting Supported Entities 10 96 NINNI PWR Re 15 15 17 19 20 21 2
10. CADDS Parts into SILMA Software on page 6 Exporting models is explained in Exporting Models to CADDS on page 11 Performs the conversion Figure 1 The CAD Interface panel 4 CAD Interfaces CADDS Interface The CAD Interface panel selections are described in Table 10 Selection Description Format Import Export Directory Convert Close Specifies the format of the file that will be imported into SILMA software The default is Previous State Selecting CADDS enables you to translate CADDS files into SILMA software Toggle this selection to import CADDS models into SILMA software See Importing CADDS Parts into SILMA Software on page 6 Toggle this selection to write out a CADDS part directly from SILMA software with selected geometry See Exporting Models to CADDS on page 11 Sets the path to the directory containing the CADDS export model files You can use the list button to select cim projects or cim users or use the field to enter any directory on the system The Directories list provides a list of directories under the current directory Directories that are not libraries have two dots after the directory name Libraries do not have this symbol NOTE A library is a directory that stores data and information about SILMA software entities Selecting a directory from the Directories list makes it the current directory Converts the export files in
11. Pro ENGINEER to be running for the data transfer to be accomplished The interface has been built to transfer Pro ENGINEER V15 solid model part and GD amp T data into SILMA software model files The entities supported by this interface are listed in the section Supported Entities on page 40 Any entities not listed are not yet supported The VSA Interface uses the VSA GDT Pro host interface to build and access functional feature models Refer to VSA GDT Pro manuals for more details about the construction of a functional feature model 42 CAD Interfaces VSA Interface The default directory can be changed during a session by selecting ChangeSilDir from the Misc main menu You will be prompted to enter the new SILMA software export directory The 1ib_1link will only be updated if the selected project directory exists If the selected directory does not exist the previous value of lib_link is retained A default directory can be set during start up for the session by modifying the string lib_link in the cim_ptc_config proe_defaults sil file in the template area lib_link project demo Text commands must be entered at the SIL gt prompt You can use the SIL gt prompt in a shell window by selecting Exit NOTE Menus from the File pulldown menu To obtain access to the menus and panels enter menus at the SIL gt prompt when you are finished entering text commands This command changes the save directory to proj
12. ctory the file is being written into M There is not enough space in the directory Supported Entities Table 13 describes the space 3D entities supported Entity Type Number SILMA software Entity point 1 point shape Table 13 Space 3D entities supported 10 96 27 Supported Entities Entity Type Number SILMA software Entity line 2 retcurve parametric curve 3 rbspline plane 4 plsurf polynomial surface 5 rbsurf trimmed surface 6 trimsurf volume 7 trimsurf 3 axis system 8 frame transformation 9 frame edge 12 surfcurve skin 13 as 6 trimsurf polyhedral surface 16 facet set ditto 28 copy of entity with frame composite curve 24 pcurvelist Conics circle ellipse 20 21 22 23 circle ellipse parabola parabola hyperbola hyperbola NURBS curve 46 as 3 rbspline NURBS surface 47 as 5 rbsurf Table 13 Table 14 describes the solid entities supported Space 3D entities supported continued Entity Type Number SILMA software Entity polyhedral solid 17 facet set exact solid 17 trimsurf Table 14 28 Solid entities supported CAD Interfaces SLA Interface SLA Interface Release Notes Curent Version V 2 0 Module SLA_INTERFACE_ 2 0 Platform HP700 RS 6000 SGI5 Sun Solaris Introduction The SLA interface provides two ways to transfer data between SLA and SILMA software m SLA data files can be translated into SILMA software BM SILMA
13. d at the SIL gt prompt You can use the SIL gt prompt in a shell window by selecting Exit NOTE Menus from the File pulldown menu To obtain access to the menus and panels enter menus at the SIL gt prompt when you are finished entering text commands This command changes the save directory to project demo models for model files and project demo cells for cell files The converted model or cell file can be installed into any SILMA software state 38 CAD Interfaces Pro ENGINEER Interface Trouble Shooting ERROR Problems occurring while translating large assemblies SOLUTION Translating large assemblies may require extra swap space In most cases if the system halts due to lack of swap space the problem can be overcome by simply re starting the state and then the conversion process If this procedure does not correct the problem you might have to individually convert sub assemblies of relatively smaller size and assemble them in SILMA software ERROR Change Silma Directory Error Directory not found SOLUTION M Check that the directory specified is not a fictitious directory M Check that the directory specified is not a project directory i e does not have models and cells directories in it and that you have permission to create directories ERROR Error in writing SILMA software model file SOLUTION M Check if the default directory specified as Lib_link in the file ci
14. d by selecting the file or files from the list 5 Switch on A Add to World if desired Switching this on installs the converted model into the current workcell 6 Switch on 4 Save to File if desired If this is switched off the converted model will be not be saved Switching this on specifies that you would like to save the converted model Either the O Use From or Save Dir selections are used to specify the directory where the converted model will be saved Save Dir selections are used to specify a directory where the converted model will be saved These selections are only available if you have specified that you want to save the file by switching on O Save to File and that you do not want to save the file in the current directory by switching off A Use From A Clicking this button displays a list used to select a directory You can also enter a directory name in the field Switching on A Use From saves the imported file in the current directory Switching this off enables you to specify a different directory using the Save Dir selections This selection is only available if you have specified that you want to save the file by switching on U Save to File 7 Click Edit Settings to display the Edit Settings panel and change the settings as desired The Edit Settings panel is described in Editing the Settings on page 21 Using the CAD Interface Panel 8 Click Convert to start the conversion process During conver
15. e attach the pose onto the object before exporting the shape As entities written out into the st 1 file are discrete their resolution cannot be altered after exporting In order to achieve the desired resolution in the receiving system the shape tree passed into the export interface should be pre processed to the desired resolution Because the file size grows proportionately you should keep the resolution within reasonable limits CAD Interfaces Pro ENGINEER Interface Pro ENGINEER Interface Release Notes Curent Version V 3 0 Pro ENGINEER Version Rel 17 Platform RS 6000 HP SGI 5 3 Solaris 5 5 The Pro ENGINEER to SILMA software interface converts Pro ENGINEER solid model parts and assemblies into SILMA software models and workcells respectively This interface requires the Pro ENGINEER software to be running along with SILMA software for the data transfer to be accomplished Pro ENGINEER parts are converted into SILMA software and saved as model files During conversion of Pro ENGINEER assemblies individual parts are stored as model files and the final assembly is stored as a cell in SILMA software Any part or assembly that has been previously converted is not re converted The interface has been built to transfer Pro ENGINEER solid model part data into the SILMA software The entities supported by this interface are listed in Supported Entities on page 40 The Pro ENGINEER part to be transferred sh
16. ect Import Export Model from the Modeling pulldown menu Choose CATIA as the format of export using the Format choice button Toggle Export Set the path to the directory in which the export file is written Select the model to be exported from either the Graphics Window or the Quick Pick Window Refer to Supported Entities on page 27 for the list of export entities supported Set the filename by double clicking on the text in the File field and entering the new filename The default is the path of the selected model Click Convert to start the conversion process The system will prompt you at the end of the process The Catia interface does not support mirrored entities and SMe dittos CAD Interfaces Catia Interface Trouble Shooting This section describes some of the file related problems ERROR Incompatible file format This error can be caused by one of the following M The export file being read in does not conform to the Catia export file formats Check if the file is a valid Catia export file generated by either the Catia export utility or the SILMA software Catia interface SOLUTION M There may be unwanted control characters in the file Check if the file is compressed coded ERROR Error in writing export file This error occurs while exporting a model into Catia It can be caused by one of the following SOLUTION BM The user does not have permission to write in the dire
17. ect demo models for model files and project demo cells for cell files The converted model or cell file can be installed into any SILMA software state Getting Started 1 To start SILMA software enter the following at the UNIX prompt sspa or sspa The Product Administration panel is displayed 2 The Pro ENGINEER to SILMA software interface product is named vsa Select this product by clicking on vsa in the Select Product to Start list 3 Click Start Product 10 96 43 Exporting Models 4 You will be prompted for the command to start the Pro ENGINEER software Enter command to start Pro ENGINEER return to cancel Enter pro or whichever command is used to start Pro ENGINEER Pro ENGINEER will automatically start the vsa template and link SILMA software to Pro ENGINEER Ifthe vsa_ script uses change directory CD to start NOTE Pro ENGINEER from a specific area SILMA software will not be linked To configure the SILMA software side of the converter you may need to edit the cim_ptc_config proe_defaults sil file This file contains all the default settings for the model file being written The defaults are set to reasonable values and may not need any modification 44 Exporting Models Start the template by following the instructions outlined in the preceding section Create a Pro ENGINEER solid model part or activate an existing one by retrieving it from memory This can be done by selecting t
18. found the interface installs the model instead of converting the export file If the model is not current i e if the export file has been modified after the model file was generated the interface updates the model by performing the conversion Exporting Models Toggling provides selections for converting SILMA software models to SLA Export files Select Model s to Export Model A Assembl A y Selects the model to be Name l we converted if Model is toggled Specifies the filename of the converted model Figure 9 Export selections The export interface looks at all the nodes with cache display data and writes them into the st1 file Blockc s are directly written out and meshes are converted into blockc before they are written Linesets wireframe data are not supported by SLA All geometric entities are exported from SILMA to SLA The only except is wireframe data since SLA does not support it 10 96 33 Notes on Working with SLA Files 34 Notes on Working with SLA Files E Blockc s are expected to have convex facets If they do not set force_convex_facets to TRUE which is the default and re create their cache Failure to do this may result in the facets being incorrect after generation The exported shape will be created with respect to its current pose in the current units Note that SLA files do not store units Set the current units to the desired units and if necessary r
19. he menu MODE PART RETRIEVE partname Attach tolerance values on the part This can be done by using the menu MODE PART SET_UP GEOM_TOL Refer to the Pro ENGINEER documentation for additional NOTE E information Invoke VSA GDT by selecting the button MODE VSA GDT CAD Interfaces VSA Interface This menu button appears only when a part is present in the session Create a Functional Feature model out of the current part Refer to the VSA GDT manual for information on creating NOTE functional feature models and attaching tolerances to them Once all the information has been fed and edited export the solid model part into SILMA software by selecting the menu choice VSA GDT EXPORT SILMA The SILMA software model file is created and the model file is written in the specified SILMA software export directory The new model file can now be loaded into the VSA Inspection product for further analysis Trouble Shooting ERROR Tolerance Feature not exported SOLUTION Check if the tolerance feature has been recognized by VSA GDT and built into the functional feature model Note that Pro ENGINEER features have NO relation to the functional features created by VSA GDT All the features and tolerances exported are listed in the Transcript Window during conversion ERROR Change Silma Directory Error Directory not found SOLUTION M Check that the directory specified is not a f
20. icking on the text in the File field and entering the new filename The default is the path of the selected model Click Convert to start the conversion process Supported Entities Supported Entities CADDS to SILMA Software Importing Table 5 describes the supported CADDS entities Entity tees SUNA sofesare Enty point 2 point line 3 rbspline arc 5 rbspline conics 302 ellipse 6 rbspline 303 hyperbola 304 parabola n_spline 12 rbspline n_surface 14 rbsurf tabulated cylinder 16 rbsurf surface of revolution 17 rbsurf ruled surface 18 rbsurf plane 88 Table 4 Supported CADDS entities Table 5 describes the supported miscellaneous n_splines Entity as Sits sofevare Enty spline old spline type 7 rbspline B spline 8 rbspline curve pole Cpole 9 rbspline Table 5 Supported miscellaneous n_splines 12 CAD Interfaces CADDS Interface Table 6 describes the supported miscellaneous n_surfaces Type Entity Number SUMA software Patty B spline surface Bsurface 19 rbsurf surface pole Spole 20 rbsurf Table 6 Supported miscellaneous n_surfaces Table 7 describes the supported dimensions and tolerance entities that are not part of CV DORS Entity feature control symbol linear ordinate dimension angular dimension radial dimension general label diameter dimension Table 7 Type Number 32 33 34 35 36 37 SILMA software Entity gsymbol ldimention adimention rdimen
21. ictitious directory M Check that the directory specified is not a project directory i e does not have models and cells directories in it and that you have permission to create directories 10 96 45 Trouble Shooting ERROR Error in writing SILMA software model file M Check if the default directory specified as 1ib_1link in the file cim_ptc_config proe_defaults is a valid project directory SEMON BM Check that you have permission to write to the specified project directory M Check that there is enough space in the directory 46 CAD Interfaces Appendix Importing Large Models Large CAD models need extra memory to be accommodated in a SILMA software session When importing large model files or CAD models there may be a need to increase memory This appendix explains how to do this The variables that need to be modified are alloca_stack_size and malloc_max For new products these variables are located in the file cim templates base lisp ini For existing products these variables are located in the file cim templates lt template name gt lisp ini If the error message too many objects in putobj need to increase alloca_stack_size is displayed at any time follow these steps 1 At the end of the appropriate file add the command alloca_stack_size 24000000 or alloca_stack_size 24M 2 Add malloc_max to the file it can be added anywhere by adding the command malloc_max 3000
22. ill be edited Selection Desc ription LI Curves If this is switched on resolution on curves will be edited according to the current settings 4 Surfaces If this is switched on resolution on surfaces will be edited according to the current settings I Descendents If this is switched on resolution on all the descendents of the selected shape will be edited according to the current settings Table 3 Geometry switches Skipping Attributes Toggling Skip displays four switches which serve as filters LI Remove Curves If this is switched on both discrete and analytic curves will be skipped during conversion LI Remove Surfaces If this is switched on both discrete and analytic surfaces will be skipped during conversion 10 96 9 Using the CAD Interface Panel 10 LJ Remove Analytic If this is switched on the analytic description of the entities will be removed after their conversion LI Remove Non geometry If this is switched on entities with no geometry will be skipped during conversion Editing Compaction Toggling Compaction provides selections for changing the tree structure of a specific model by creating a bond between objects Compaction can be performed at two levels at the top node and at the child level Compaction Mode None Non rigid Rigid Permanent Rigid Compaction Depth Top Children Figure 3 Compaction selections Rigid Structures the tree of the se
23. irectory You can also enter a directory name in the field Switching on A Use From saves the imported file in the current directory Switching this off enables you to specify a different directory using the Save Dir selections This selection is only available if you have specified that you want to save the file by switching on U Save to File CAD Interfaces CADDS Interface 8 Click Edit Settings to display the Edit Settings panel and change the settings as desired The Edit Settings panel is described in Editing the Settings on page 7 9 Click Convertto start the conversion process Importing CADDS Assemblies into SILMA Software CADDS assemblies can also be brought into SILMA software The procedure is basically the same as described above The main difference is that you toggle Assembly instead of Part before selecting the files to be converted Step 4 Toggling Assembly displays any _db file under the selected directory tree The rest of the procedure is the same as described above Editing the Settings 10 96 The Edit Settings panel is used to edit the conversion settings when importing CADDS parts or assemblies Clicking Edit Settings in the CAD Interface panel displays the Edit Settings panel which is shown on the following page Editing Resolution Toggling Resolution enables you to modify segment length or facet size on parametric models Low resolutions fewer facets will speed up the
24. lected object such that the child objects are considered to be affixed to the parent object and are no longer considered separate entities If the parent object moves its children will move also In addition the children are not permitted to move relative to one another You must move the parent to move the children CAD Interfaces CADDS Interface Using rigid compaction increases performance on certain platforms Non rigid Structures the tree of the selected object such that the child objects are considered to be affixed to the parent object but the child objects can still move relative to one another Permanent Rigid Structures the object tree such that the all objects whether parent or child are considered to be on one level This option provides maximum graphics performance and minimum memory consumption but cannot be reversed Exporting Models to CADDS This section describes how to export SILMA software models into CADDS parts files 10 96 L Display the CAD Interface panel by selecting mport Export Model from the Modeling pulldown menu Choose CADDS as the format for export using the Format choice button Toggle Export Set the path to the directory in which the export file resides Select the model to be exported from either the Graphics Window or the Quick Pick Window Refer to Supported Entities on page 12 for the list of export entities supported Set the filename by double cl
25. m_ptc_config proe_defaults is a valid project directory M Check that you have permission to write to the specified project directory M Check that there is enough space in the directory 10 96 39 Supported Entities Supported Entities Faces Trimmed Surfaces Pro ENGINEER surface types plane cylinder cone torus surface of revolution tabulated cylinder ruled surface coons patch fillet surface spline surface b spline surface cylindrical spline surface Edges Trimmed Surfaces Boundary Edges Pro ENGINEER curve types 40 line arc spline b spline CAD Interfaces Supported GD amp T Entities 10 96 angularity perpendicularity flatness line circularity parallelism cylindricity Pro ENGINEER Interface circular runout position surface concentricity total runout straightness 41 Release Notes VSA Interface Release Notes Curent Version V 1 0 Pro ENGINEER Version Pro15 Module VSA_INTERFACE_1 0 Platform SGI 5 HP 700 The VSA interface is a one way translator The interface exports Pro ENGINEER parts into SILMA software model files Unlike the Pro ENGINEER interface this interface has the capability to transfer Pro ENGINEER solid model data along with GD amp T and related information into a SILMA software model file The VSA Interface is directly integrated into Pro ENGINEER and will appear as a menu item in the VSA GDT menus This interface needs
26. ou can use the SIL gt prompt in a shell window by selecting Exit NOTE Menus from the File pulldown menu To obtain access to the menus and panels enter menus at the SIL gt prompt when you are finished entering text commands 16 CAD Interfaces Catia Interface Using the CAD Interface Panel The CAD Interface panel is displayed by selecting Import Export Model from the Modeling pulldown menu CAD Interface Format CATIA m Import Export Directory Current 4 Directories List of directories under the current directory File Extension This section of the panel changes depending on the Import Export toggle Importing files is explained in Importing Models on page 19 Exporting models is explained in Exporting Models on page 25 Performs the conversion Figure 4 The CAD Interface panel 10 96 17 Using the CAD Interface Panel The CAD Interface panel selections for the Catia interface are described in Table 10 Selection Description Format Specifies the format of the file that will be imported into SILMA software The default is Previous State Selecting CATIA enables you to translate Catia files into SILMA software Import Toggle this selection to import Catia models into SILMA software See Importing Models on page 19 Export Toggle this selection to write out a Catia part directly from SILMA software with selected geometry See Exporting Models
27. ould be a solid model part The Pro ENGINEER interface enables you to bring across geometric tolerance GD amp T information along with the geometry of the part or assembly GD amp T data attached to a part are extracted and stored in their respective classes All the GD amp T associated with the part are stored under an empty node named GDT 10 96 35 Release Notes under the main part node GDT node is at the same level as the geometry By default all the GD amp T information is made invisible Users who need visual access to the information can see it by using the unhide panel selections CimStation Inspection Users NOTE GD amp T information can be used in CimStation Inspection products for direct code generation See the Tolerances section on page 8 13 of the CimStation Inspection User s Manual for more details The following illustration depicts the tree structure of an extracted part that has been imported from Pro ENGINEER into SILMA software Hidden by default PTC_part part from Pro ENGINEER PTC_part empty node GDT empty node that holds GD amp T information tr trim surfaces making the part geometry gdt GD amp T information associated with part If for instance gdtO is perpendicularity then its class list will be list emptyshape ptc_gdt perpendicularity geomtol shape The perpendicularity class contains all the necessary information about the tolerance like the tol value dat
28. ported by this interface are described in Supported Entities on page 27 Any entities not listed in this section are not supported 10 96 15 Introduction The interface has the capability to read export files generated by the CATEXP utility and convert them into SILMA software model files This interface handles files generated by both mainframe EBCDIC format and RS 6000 ASCII format Catia export interface writes SILMA software model data into a Catia export file The Catia write interface writes the selected shape tree as a list of details under the root node In other words the shape tree is replaced by the flat list of details The Catia Translator user interface is a user friendly menu driven interface Using the CAD Interface Panel below provides a detailed description of how to use SILMA software menus and panels By default Catia model files with the exp extension are recognized as Catia files If a different file extension is desired you can change the file extension for the current state by modifying the lt file_extension gt field Do not change file_extension to model SILMA software files use the model extension so setting the catia_file_ extension global to model IMPORTANT causes ambiguity You should also note that the Catia interface does not have the ability to read Catia generated model files even if they are renamed Text commands must be entered at the SIL gt prompt Y
29. sion the interface first checks for a corresponding model file in the directory If a current model file is found the interface installs the model instead of converting the export file If the model is not current i e if the export file has been modified after the model file was generated the interface updates the model by performing the conversion NOTE Importing Large Export Files 20 When export files consist of a large number of models of considerable size SILMA software might not have enough memory to process all of them In such cases selective extraction of models is preferred Two globals are introduced to facilitate the selective extraction of models from an export file These are model_lower specifies which model to start at inclusive model_upper specifies which model to stop at inclusive Example If you wanted to extract the 12th model only then you would set the globals as follows model_lower 12 start at 12th model model_upper 12 stop at 12th model Similarly if you wanted to extract all the first 7 models the globals should be set as model_lower 1 start at the first model model_upper 7 stop at the 7th model Text commands must be entered at the SIL gt prompt You can use the SIL gt prompt in a shell window by selecting NOTE Exit Menus from the File pulldown menu To obtain access to the menus and panels enter menus at the SIL gt prompt when
30. software data can be translated into SLA triangularized st1 format files Both operations can be performed on any platforms that support the SLA interface The SLA interface imports SLA files SLA data is brought across as discrete facets Since SLA writes out only facet data the facets do not contain any analytical information The model s resolution is determined by the resolution at which the model was written out into the SLA file Once imported the model s resolution cannot be edited 10 96 29 Using the CAD Interface Panel Using the CAD Interface Panel The CAD Interface panel is displayed by selecting Import Export Model from the Modeling pulldown menu CAD Interface Format SLA m Import Export Directory Current 4 Directories List of directories under the current directory File Extension This section of the panel changes depending on the Import Export toggle Importing files is explained in Importing Models on page 19 Exporting models is explained in Exporting Models on page 25 Performs the conversion Figure 8 The CAD Interface panel 30 CAD Interfaces SLA Interface The CAD Interface panel selections for the SLA interface are described in Table 10 Selection Description Format Specifies the format of the file that will be imported into SILMA software The default is Previous State Selecting SLA enables you to translate st 1 files into
31. t Pro ENGINEER NOIE from a specific area SILMA software will not be linked To configure the SILMA software side of the converter you may need to edit the cim_ptc_config proe_defaults sil file This file contains all the default settings for the model file being written The defaults are set to reasonable values and may not need any modification 10 96 37 Exporting Models Exporting Models Following these steps will write out and save a SILMA software model file into the SILMA software project directory 1 Start the template following the instructions outlined in the above section 2 Create a Pro ENGINEER solid model part or activate a Pro ENGINEER part by selecting the part MODE PART RETRIEVE partname 3 Export the part into a SILMA software model file by selecting PART INTERFACESY EXPORT lt SILMA software product gt The SILMA software project directory into which the model file is written can be changed by selecting the menu MISC CHANGE_SIL_DIR You will be prompted to enter the new SILMA software export directory The 1ib_link will only be updated if the selected project directory exists If the selected directory does not exist the previous value of 1ib_1link is retained A default directory can be set during start up for the session by modifying the string lib_link in the cim_ptc_config proe_defaults sil file in the template area lib_link project demo Text commands must be entere
32. the conversion queue Cancels the settings and dismisses the panel Table 1 10 96 CAD Interface selections Using the CAD Interface Panel Importing CADDS Parts into SILMA Software The following steps illustrate how to import CADDS parts into SILMA software 1 Display the CAD Interface panel by selecting Import Export Model 2 from the Modeling pulldown menu Choose CADDS as the format for import using the Format choice button Toggle Import Toggle Part Set the path to the directory in which the export file resides by using the Current selection and choose the file or files to be imported by selecting the file or files from the list Switch on I Add to World if desired Switching this on installs the converted part into the current workcell Switch on ID Save to File if desired If this is switched off the converted part will be not be saved Switching this on specifies that you would like to save the converted part Either the 4 Use From or Save Dir selections are used to specify the directory where the converted part will be saved Save Dir selections are used to specify a directory where the converted part will be saved These selections are only available if you have specified that you want to save the file by switching on O Save to File and that you do not want to save the file in the current directory by switching off A Use From A Clicking this button displays a list used to select a d
33. tion glabel ddimention Supported dimensions and tolerance entities Table 8 describes the supported miscellaneous entities 10 96 Entity ieee a eee Pali curve point 10 rctcurve Vector 22 opoint Subfigure instance 80 frame solid or trimmed surface 91 face face 92 trimsurf Table 8 Supported miscellaneous entities Supported Entities SILMA Software to CADDS Exporting CS Entity Type CADDS Entity Type pcurve nspline dcurve lines single_trace nspline dual_trace nsurface Table 9 SILMA software to CADDS write 14 CAD Interfaces Catia Interface Catia Interface Release Notes Current Version V 2 3 3 Module CATIA_INTERFACE 2 3 3 Platform RS 6000 HP SGIS Introduction The Catia interface provides two ways to transfer data between Catia and SILMA software E Catia export files can be translated into SILMA software data E SILMA software data can be translated into Catia export files The files generated are of ASCII workstation format Both these operations can be performed on any platform on which the interface is supported It is not required to have Catia running in order to generate Catia export files The interface has been built to read and install Catia models and CATEXP files generated by Catia Version 4 Release 1 5 and earlier Catia V3Rx The interface uses the Open Data Exchange CAT Toolkit to read and write Catia model and project related information The entities sup
34. um or datums associated with it qualifier etc ptc_gdt class will provide the ID of the entity to which the tolerance is associated Once displayed the GD amp T information is view dependent The leaders make sense only when viewed normal to the GDT box This is the NOTE camera angle at which the part was viewed in Pro ENGINEER during the export operation Since some of the boxes might be enclosed inside the object it is best to view them in wireframe mode 36 CAD Interfaces Pro ENGINEER Interface GD amp T associated with dimensions are displayed along the side of the part in a stack This is due to the fact that they do not have leaders associated with them NOTE Datum Reference Planes are not brought across in the current release Getting Started P To start SILMA software enter the following at the UNIX prompt sspa or sspa The Product Administration panel is displayed The Pro ENGINEER to SILMA software interface template is named proe Select this product by clicking on proe in the Select Product to Start list Pro ENGINEER Click Start Product 4 You will be prompted for the command to start the Pro ENGINEER software N w Enter command to start Pro ENGINEER return to cancel Enter pro or whichever command is used to start Pro ENGINEER Pro ENGINEER will automatically start the proe template and link SILMA software to Pro ENGINEER If the proe script uses change directory CD to star
35. vides maximum graphics performance and minimum memory consumption but cannot be reversed Exporting Models 10 96 Toggling Export provides selections for converting SILMA software models to Catia Export files A Selects the model to be converted if Model is toggled Specifies the filename of the converted model Figure 7 Export selections The Catia Export interface writes back a Catia Version 3 export file The Catia export files generated by the Export interface can be read back into SILMA software using the Catia import interface Only one model at a time can be written out into an export file Wireframe data is converted into cache segments and stored as a bunch of line segments Connected curves are stored as composite curves and disconnected curves are stored as individual line segments Solids surfaces are written out as polyhedral solid surface data Stripped surfaces no analytical information cannot be written into Catia As the entities written into Catia export file are discrete their resolution cannot be altered after exporting In order to achieve the 25 Using the CAD Interface Panel desired resolution the shape tree passed into the export interface should be pre processed to that resolution We recommend you keep the resolution within reasonable limits because the file size grows proportionately To export a SILMA software model into Catia follow these steps L 2 26 Sel
36. y using the Current selection and choose the file or files to be imported by selecting the file or files from the list Switch on A Add to World if desired Switching this on installs the converted model into the current workcell Switch on d Save to File if desired If this is switched off the converted model will be not be saved Switching this on specifies that you would like to save the converted model Either the A Use From or Save Dir selections are used to specify the directory where the converted model will be saved Save Dir selections are used to specify a directory where the converted model will be saved These selections are only available if you have specified that you want to save the file by switching on O Save to File and that you do not want to save the file in the current directory by switching off A Use From A Clicking this button displays a list used to select a directory You can also enter a directory name in the field Switching on LJ Use From saves the imported file in the current directory Switching this off enables you to specify a different directory using the Save Dir selections This selection is only available if you have specified that you want to save the file by switching on O Save to File CAD Interfaces SLA Interface 7 Click Convert to start the conversion process During conversion the interface first checks for a corresponding model file in the directory If a current model file is
37. you are finished entering text commands CAD Interfaces Catia Interface The globals are reset every time the state is started They can be manually reset by calling the procedure reset_model_limits This sets the globals to default which is to convert all the models If you do not know the number of models in the export file invoking the conversion with the default settings prints out the number of models Editing the Settings The Edit Settings panel is displayed by clicking Edit Settings in the CAD Interface panel Skip Resolution Compaction UV Mode Tolerance Mode Edge Length Mode E Curves E Surfaces E Descendents This section of the panel changes depending on the Mode toggle choice Figure 5 The Edit Settings panel with Resolution toggled 10 96 21 Using the CAD Interface Panel Editing Resolution Toggling Resolution enables you to modify segment length or facet size on parametric models Low resolutions fewer facets will speed up the graphics for large CAD models however the models will look rough High resolution will make the models look more real but may slow the graphics of some platforms Setting the proper resolution is important as it can achieve a good balance between performance and appearance Table 11 describes the three modes Selection Description UV Mode Tolerance Mode Edge Length Mode Specifies the faceti
38. zation as a two dimensional grid This is not recommended since it does not optimize the number of facets You need to specify three fields Surface U Surface V and Boundary Boundary is the resolution of the trimmed surface boundary Specifies the maximum allowable deviation of the faceted representation from the actual analytic surface This optimizes the number of facets by creating more where the curvature is high and fewer where surfaces are flat Specifies the size of the facets but does not optimize Table 11 22 Modes CAD Interfaces Catia Interface Table 3 describes the available switches that determine the kind of geometry that will be edited Selection Description J Curves If this is switched on resolution on curves will be edited according to the current settings LI Surfaces If this is switched on resolution on surfaces will be edited according to the current settings L Descendents If this is switched on resolution on all the descendents of the selected shape will be edited according to the current settings Table 12 Geometry switches Skipping Attributes Toggling Skip displays four switches which serve as filters Id Remove Curves If this is switched on both discrete and analytic curves will be skipped during conversion LJ Remove Surfaces If this is switched on both discrete and analytic surfaces will be skipped during conversion LI Remove Analytic If this
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