Is it possible to "import" a DWG file that contains 3D data and have it usable in a Part Studio?

StephenG

I have a 3D envelope "drawing" of a washing machine in a DWG format.

    

It imported into OS ok as flat drawing.



But the imported data appears to be useless to me in OS.

Am I missing something?

Hans_Ole_Leirvik

Is it a solid in AutoCAD ?
If you can you export it as a step file from AutoCad you should get in as 3D imported part in OS.

Hakro

If the washing machine in AutoCAD is a 3D model you can export it as ACIS (*.sat) using the command ACISOUT.  
Then import the file to Onshape and you should get a 3D model.

StephenG

I am using DraftSight (free version).

ASICOUT (a.k.a. EXPORTSAT) expects a Region, Solid, or Body. What I have is a block composed of "mesh". I exploded the block, but "mesh" entities appear not to be valid entities for an EXPORTSAT.

Within DraftSight there is an File->Export->Sterreolithography command, which one would think could be used with mesh entities, but is also wants a Region, Solid, or Body. I could find no method within DraftSight to create a Region, Solid, or Body from the mesh data.

nicolas_morand964

Hello, have you finally found a solution to import this model into onshape ? I have similar issue with a chair model provided by supplier in dwg and I can not use it in onshape. Thanks

NeilCooke

The solution is explained above. Ask them to ACISOUT. 

StephenG

The washing machine data file was obtained directly from the manufacturer's (General Electric) website. The .dwg format was the only 3D format made available. Asking GE to join the 21'st century and provide a modern 3D format is really not an option. 

It is unrealistic to expect OS to go out if its way to support importing of CAD data from companies that still operate in the dark ages. 

john_mcclary

I usually import into solidworks from the 3D file, or open it with mechanical desktop and "stepout"

It would be nice if Onshape could import a 3D dwg. Probably won't see that until 3D sketches arrive though.
I would be happy with a wireframe imported from dwg at the minimum to start.

But if you're still having trouble getting the 3D, let me know I could try and convert it for you

StephenG

Here is the link to the manufacture's 3D .dwg file:
https://products.geappliances.com/MarketingObjectRetrieval/Dispatcher?RequestType=Binary&RecId=11557

Dassault no longer offers a free version of DraftSight (it's now $99/yr) so I have lost my ability to manipulate AutoDesk dwg files that contain 3D data. Do you happen to know of a "free" software product that I can use to refactor 3D dwg files into something that can then be imported into Onshape. I want to have a 3D volume of the geometry to be used for reference to build designs of other things.
 
Good luck.

john_mcclary

Nanocad is pretty good 

StephenG

NanoCAD, pretty good for what? I find it increasing more difficult to suppress the gag reflex whenever I have to use a AutoCAD style drawing tool. 

I could not find a function within the free version of NanoCAD (V5) that would export the 3D data in a form that could be read by OS.

steve_shubin

@StephenG

Try the free version of form•Z

I’ve owned form•Z since early 90s and it’s always been pretty good at import and export of DXF and DWG

Can’t say as I’ve ever played with the free version. But I believe it will handle the import and export

steve_shubin

@StephenG

I imported the DWG into forms•Z, then exported as SAT

On the second document, before exporting out of form•Z, I reduced the mesh

If you look where the parts and surfaces are listed in onshape, you’ll see a number of items in orange. Maybe this is because the mesh DWG had some irregularities, and form•Z was doing the best it could when importing it

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/d01ae369d41bd24ca978e53d/w/7888fd1c6c2567f937c88836/e/d81c0f95527191ed5251665c

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/16630606c37440bc7f88fbd0/w/3a09af2f8a551a04e04becb3/e/547aee87f794abf0797eaa0a

steve_shubin

@StephenG

When importing the DWG into form•Z, make sure you have the dialog box set like it shows down in the red rectangle

StephenG

@steve_shubin

Looks promising.

Please make documents public so I can view them. 

steve_shubin

@StephenG

I believe they are public.

I’m using the free version. Aren’t all documents created with the free version, automatically public ?

You need to sign in to the forum, or you need to sign in to cad.onshape.com 

Then when you click on the link, you’ll be able to open up the documents

OR

Go to the public area and search by name

StephenG

Sorry. I made the mistake of attempting to open the document on my Android phone and got a "You do not have permission to access this document" message. I assumed it was because the documents were private. It turns out that I needed to prelaunch the Onshape app first.

Really impressed you actually got something, but the import is rather messy.

formZ looks to be a interesting product for architectural type design work. I will certainly look into as a tool to manipulate dwg files containing 3D data and to convert data into a format that OS will import.

Thanks for telling me about formZ.   

steve_shubin

@StephenG

I thought for sure I read years ago that the free version of form•Z would allow import and export of DXF and DWG.

I know the PRO version handles SAT. So I was thinking that this Free version would handle SAT also

But I thought, maybe I should go look at their site and see if I can get a definitive answer on this because it’s been a while since I’ve delved into the program about things like this

I went and looked and found a comparison chart between their three versions. PRO, Junior, and Free

And at the bottom of the long comparison chart, well it looks like the Free version does not handle DXF and DWG and also it doesn’t handle SAT.

You’d have to have one of the pay versions to deal with those file types.

Maybe the free version did handle these different formats at one time but from what the comparison chart says, it looks like that’s not the case now

Sorry about that