Export as SolidWorks issues

kevin_quigley

I've not been using Onshape for a while but had a look last night. I modelled a small multi body part and exported the file as a SolidWorks file to check this morning in the office.

So the file today is interesting:

1. Onshape exports SolidWorks so it opens in SolidWorks at 90 degrees orientation to the way it is in Onshape (so the Onshape Front plane maps to the SolidWorks top plane).

2. The version of SolidWorks is an "old" version - as in older then 2014 (which is what I checked it in). What version does it save it in?

3. Most odd of all...the file opens in French! Material>Materiau, Top Plane>Plan de face, Plan de dessus, Plan de droite, Origine etc. Configurations etc .

andrew_troup

As far as version goes, older the better, I reckon.
Quite a few of us got off the Solidworks upgrade treadmill a long while back, and have been hanging out for something like Onshape to free us from our bondage...
Solidworks doesn't have a problem reading old version models, so where's the harm?

pete_yodis

@kevin_quigley I think this would explain at least some of it....

http://www.datakit.com/en/news/onshape-uses-datakit-for-3d-cad-data-import-and-export-140.html
http://www.datakit.com/en/

billy2

I gave up on SW file formats a while back. 

Parasolids binary file exchange works best for me. I don't see any advantage to transferring data using the SW format. I'd use step before I'd use SW file format. Both these non-SW formats handle assemblies and pointers to referenced files better than SW native format.

There's no way I'd every use a pack-n-go zip file to move an assembly over. I guess it's impressive that OS did it, but I wouldn't use it.

brucebartlett

I am using para-solid with a transform rotate before export so it comes into SolidWorks up the right way. I haven't bothered with SW export can not see it giving me anything more than para-solid.

philip_thomas

kevin_quigley said:

I've not been using Onshape for a while but had a look last night. I modelled a small multi body part and exported the file as a SolidWorks file to check this morning in the office.

So the file today is interesting:

1. Onshape exports SolidWorks so it opens in SolidWorks at 90 degrees orientation to the way it is in Onshape (so the Onshape Front plane maps to the SolidWorks top plane).

2. The version of SolidWorks is an "old" version - as in older then 2014 (which is what I checked it in). What version does it save it in?

3. Most odd of all...the file opens in French! Material>Materiau, Top Plane>Plan de face, Plan de dessus, Plan de droite, Origine etc. Configurations etc .

Kevin - as best i know, here are some explanations;

1) We made a conscious (and largely applauded) decision to make our 'up' positive Z as this is how every CNC machine and 3D printer on the planet works SolidWorks (and Inventor) both use positive Y as up. This is why on import you have the rotate option (hmm - maybe we need it on export too?).

2) Last time I asked the SolidWorks year file format that we exported was 2002.

3) BUG! It happened once before and it looks like it has crept back in. The reason is that the default language for SolidWorks was changed from English to French  (i cannot imagine why ) and apparently somewhere we are forgetting to override this. Please submit a ticket and we will fix it.

3dcad

@philip_thomas @jakeramsley @lougallo Why waste time on solid works exporter if Parasolid / Step does the needed work?

Back when Alibre introduced all kind of import/export between other cad packages I was thrilled. But after I noticed it would just exchange dumb solid similar to step (no features, no constraints) - I thought this is just another addition to marketing feature list which has no use in real world.
Currently I'm using and prefer step ap 214 or parasolid as there are rarely any issues when exchanging files - sw importer on the other hand has failed many times depending on what sw version the file is..

traveler_hauptman

3dcad said:

@philip_thomas @jakeramsley @lougallo Why waste time on solid works exporter if Parasolid / Step does the needed work?

+1

dennis_20

I agree with @3dcad.  Since export is done only as a dumb solid then only use kernel format files such as Parasolid, STEP, ASIS.

If, on the other hand, the future vision is to export/import files to other packages in parametric form, i.e., the files have the feature history and are directly editable, then by all means do so.  That would be tremendous, but it will be very very difficult.

SolidWorks, I think around the early 2000's, advertised the direct opening of Pro\Eh files, but it turned out to be just a dumb solid import and they lost a lot of credibility because the users expected to get a parametric file.  Now that I think about it there was a real advantage in that a Pro\Eh file could be opened without it having to have first been exported out as a dumb solid.  So, importing a file from SWX, Pro\Eh, Inventor, etc. makes sense, but exporting specifically to those is a misnomer <edit>unless it can exported as a parametric file.<end edit>

_Ðave_

Importing a solidWorks file dumb or otherwise is a requirement for me. Most all my customers send solidworks files, If I request otherwise the buyer will have to request it from the engineering dept on his end. This becomes a real hassle for my customers which is the last thing I want. If OnShape is considering not supporting import of the latest Solidworks format as suggested then I and many others in the CNC jobshop community won't be able to use it. 

abefeldman

@da_vicki  - Onshape is in no way considering dropping support for SolidWorks import.  We currently import up through SolidWorks 2015, and will do our best to keep up with future releases.  

That said, as many others have pointed out, using the Parasolid (.x_t) file format to go between Onshape and SolidWorks does provide the best and most consistent results, since we do only send and receive the 'dumb' solids.  If you're interested in seeing import of parametric data, please send in an improvement request so we can track interest.

Additionally, we currently export SolidWorks 2004.

_Ðave_

@abefeldman Thanks for confirming Onshapes position on this matter.

dennis_20

@abefeldman,

abefeldman said:

Additionally, we currently export SolidWorks 2004.

I have not yet tried this.  What exactly does a person get when they export an OS file to SWX04?  Is it parametric or a dumb solid?

abefeldman

@dennis_20  - we can only export the solid, nothing parametric.

kevin_quigley

Lots of commments, seem to have poked the wasps nest a bit on this one!

OK, I get the comments about not using SolidWorks but here's the thing. For the time being, and given the rate of progress, for some years yet, we will continue to use SolidWorks, as will others.

fact is, I do not want the hassle of dealing with Step, parasolid, iges etc formats to move from application to application. Native formats offer one file, period. Easier to control and manage. 

With regards to the export or import into SolidWorks, why can't the translators just rotate the geonetry mapping y to z and vice versa? 

3dcad

I agree keeping the import functions up-to-date, it is important to be able to open any cad file on planet. So I would like to see even more types of file support on import.

But for export I don't see the benefit of keeping up to what 'default language' solid works might use in which version.. and just to remind: solid works is not the only cad which users are considering onshape. For any decent 3dcad; step, parasolid, iges or acis is just normal doubleclick to open. Coordinate settings on export would be nice addition though.

brucebartlett

Solidworks import across all versions is a must for me. I have a heaps of solidworks files saved across various locations and the ability to be able to import to Onshape is great, I don't have to get onto a machine with solidworks installed to get files into Onshape. However when I want to get back to solidworks I tend to always use Para-solid. 

3dcad said:

 Coordinate settings on export would be nice addition though.

I agree, this would be a good addition on the export.

abefeldman

@brucebartlett and @3dcad - noted.  I've added improvements for coordinate settings on export for both of you.

andrew_troup

@abefeldman
Please include me in, on optionally redefining axis orientiation on export 

eric_bono

philip_thomas said:

kevin_quigley said:

I've not been using Onshape for a while but had a look last night. I modelled a small multi body part and exported the file as a SolidWorks file to check this morning in the office.

So the file today is interesting:

1. Onshape exports SolidWorks so it opens in SolidWorks at 90 degrees orientation to the way it is in Onshape (so the Onshape Front plane maps to the SolidWorks top plane).

2. The version of SolidWorks is an "old" version - as in older then 2014 (which is what I checked it in). What version does it save it in?

3. Most odd of all...the file opens in French! Material>Materiau, Top Plane>Plan de face, Plan de dessus, Plan de droite, Origine etc. Configurations etc .

Kevin - as best i know, here are some explanations;

1) We made a conscious (and largely applauded) decision to make our 'up' positive Z as this is how every CNC machine and 3D printer on the planet works SolidWorks (and Inventor) both use positive Y as up. This is why on import you have the rotate option (hmm - maybe we need it on export too?).

Philip,

Yes, please do implement this rotation back to Y axis up when exporting to Solidworks.

This weekend, I was attempting to bring my Onshape parts into Solidworks in order to create an animation, analyses and so forth. I already had to deal with the re-assembling, in order to make the transition actually work (as far as I can tell) and just ran out of time to consider re-orienting every single part either before or after exporting.

Your feature suggestion of offering to export with Y axis up would be very helpful.

Thank you,

Eric Bono

P.S. This would be useful also in other file formats. I found my Solidworks parts to be working less well than Parasolids when opening in Solidworks so far (and Solidworks parts exported from Onshape are crashing Rhino for us).

philip_thomas

Enhancement request submitted

RP_1

I'm new to OnShape and planning to use it for some of my projects. I'm an EE and don't do much mechanical and cannot justify something like Solidworks but Onshape seems to have everything I need. However I will probably be working with a mechanical guy who has Solidworks. I tried importing and exporting in Solidworks formats and notice that the feature list disappears. Is it not possible to extract the feature list or just something Onshape felt it was not worth doing? I'm assuming it must be stored in the Solidworks file somewhere.

kevin_quigley

Onshape (or indeed any other CAD system) cannot import the feature tree. The term native file import just refers to being able to import the native file format as opposed to a generic one.

john_mcclary

If you export to solidworks file and try and drag it into an assembly without first opening the file. It will display as an educational file. 
but as soon as you save the file and reload it will update to your current version (Thankfully removing the EDU flag)
Best to just stick to Step/Parasolid IMHO before you get the EDU lock on a project and have to start from scratch.

https://youtu.be/DA0c9JeiKJY