Importing and Translating CAD data

lougallo

We are working on the workflows of importing various CAD file formats into Onshape easy. You can do this from the Documents page but you can also import data into tabs inside of an existing Onshape document. The process is the same for files you want to download.

In Onshape there is a translation engine you can access by right clicking on the tab and selecting Translate... Here is a quick step by step to upload and translate a SolidWorks file.

1. Click the "+" button in the lower left corner inside a document and select "Upload".
   
2. Select the SolidWorks file from your local drive.
   
3. Click Open. This will show a new tab with the SolidWorks icon in it.
   
4. Right click on the tab and click "Translate..."
   
5. A new tab will appear with the name of the file imported into Onshape. (the original tab will remain for storage and re-translation or download later)
   

This is a similar process for downloading in various types...

1. Right click on the tab of an Onshape Part Studio or Assembly
   
2. Click "Translate..."
   
3. Select the type of file format to translate to (currently PARASOLID, ACIS. STEP, IGES)
   
4. A new tab will be created for that file type
   
5. Right click the newly created tab and select "Download"
   

Here is a quick overview..


**NOTE: There is an option to "Flatten uploaded assemblies as part studios" which will put all the parts into one part studio to avoid creating a number of tabs for each sub-assembly and parts.

Adam_Haberlach

Hmm -- is there yet any support for importing other formats?  I'm particularly interested in importing outlines of generated gears, likely as a 2d vector, and then extruding them.  Alternately, anybody have any pointers to (hopefully free and online) tools for generating gears in Solidworks format?  Or does everyone just design their own?

Examples:
http://hessmer.org/gears/InvoluteSpurGearBuilder.html

brucebartlett

Hey @adam, that's a nice little program to generate gears, (I've got a similar part template with equations I use in Solidworks to build my gears). The issue I see here not having to revert to Soildworks or other 3d cad to import and export .dxf files. I work a lot with .dxf files and would like the ability to import .dxf or other form of 2d vector drawing straight to part studio sketches. I do required a dxf export more but hopfully that will at bear minimum it will come with drawing section, might be pushing it to get dxf's export straight from the part studio. 

lougallo

@Adam Requests for DXF import has been growing.  I will create a ticket for you on that.  I can foresee more tools to assist in the creation of things like this.  Whether we do these tools natively or pave a way for anyone to build tools like this is part of the plan.  Short term, DXF import will probably be the path.

adrian_9

it would be great to import a DXF file then be able to deal with it as we do with a current sketch , so we can select parts to extrude