Export a data file

How to export a number of different file formats.

To export a file

• Use File > Export > Active as ❑

  or

• Use File > Save as ❑

  Choose the appropriate file format type.

Add a description to an export file

How to attach a comment to your export file.

To include a comment to your file

1. Choose Include Comments from the Save Options window.
2. Choose Edit File Comments, a shell will be displayed in which you can create or update the comment.

   There are no limits to the number of characters per comment line because Edit Comment uses a user-defined editor.

   The file comment that is exported from AliasStudio will be altered to conform to these restrictions. That is, lines over 70 characters in length will be wrapped, and the comment will be truncated at 500 lines.

Check for gaps before exporting to a solid model

How to stitch the surfaces before exporting your model to a wire file and replace surfaces in I-DEAS MasterSeries.

To check stitching of surfaces

1. Stitch the surfaces using Surface Edit > Stitch > Shell stitch (with Keep Originals on) and carry out a visual check to confirm there are no gaps. If the model that has been stitched is intended to describe a closed volume, check the stitched geometries using Object edit > Query edit.
2. Delete the shell and repair the NURBS model.
3. If required, stitch the surfaces again and export the stitched object to a wire file. Also, save the NURBS model for further modeling operations.

   For more information see Edges do not match.

Export a DWG or DXF file

How to export a DWG or DXF file from AliasStudio

To save a DWG or DXF file

1. Choose File > Export > Active as ❑

   or

2. File > Save as ❑
3. From the File Formats menu, choose DWG or DXF.

   You are presented with two options.

4. Set the options as desired, and click Save.

Options

Want curves

If this option is ON, the curves are exported, otherwise they are ignored.

Split surface at internal discontinuity

If Split Surfaces at internal discontinuities is ON and a surface has G1 discontinuities, it will be divided at each G1 discontinuity break.

Export an Illustrator file

How to export an Illustrator file from AliasStudio.

To save an Illustrator file

1. Choose File > Print setup.
2. Set Output to File.
3. Set Output Style to Illustrator.

   The output transfers the paint and shapes information. The results of opening this file in Illustrator is a display of two objects:

   • an image plane (rendered image).
   • the shapes of the model which can be individually selected and manipulated.
4. Close the Print Setup window and print the file.

Use the tolerances required by a specific CAD package

How to use tolerance presets.

Use Preferences > Construction Optionsto set the tolerances enforced by the modeling tools. The requirements for transfer to specific CAD packages are available as presets.

To set up tolerances for transfer to a specific CAD package

1. Choose Preferences > Construction Options.
2. Open the Construction Presets section.
3. Choose one of the settings profiles from the list:
   • Click the CAD software you want to model for. This sets the construction options to values needed for maximum compatibility with that CAD package.
   • Click General CAD Settings if the CAD package that you want to model for is not on the list. This sets the construction options to generic CAD values that will be compatible with most CAD packages.
   • Click User Defined to set the construction options manually.
     TipYou cannot edit the presets of the CAD packages in the list directly. Choose the name of the CAD package and click Copy to create a new profile you can edit.

To create a set of custom tolerance setting

1. Open the Construction Presets section of the Construction Options window.
2. Choose one of the settings profiles from the list:

   If the settings you want to add are very similar to one of the preset CAD packages, click the name of the CAD package.

   Otherwise, click User Defined.

3. Click Copy.
4. Double click the new profile to rename it.

Export STEP/IGES/PTC Granite to Pro/ENGINEER

AliasStudio surface models can be transferred to Pro/ENGINEER in either IGES, STEP or PTC Granite formats.

By using AliasStudio, there are two types of model information that can be set to and read by Pro/ENGINEER: geometry information and topological information.

The AliasStudio IGES file includes only the description of the geometry information. The STEP entities that AliasStudio supports means that both the geometry information as well as the topology information can be transferred and read into Pro/ENGINEER. The geometric data describes the basic shape of the object and in both AliasStudio and Pro/ENGINEER, geometric data is represented using NURBS.

Topological data describes how the geometric components are connected together to form a solid. The STEP file format has advantages over IGES when transferring AliasStudio models to Pro/ENGINEER because there is more information describing the model that is being transferred.

Workflow for exporting PTC Granite files

When exporting PTC Granite geometry from AliasStudio to Pro/ENGINEER, you should:

• Set Preferences > Construction Options Construction Presets to Pro/ENGINEER before creating a model in AliasStudio for Pro/ENGINEER.
• Use AliasStudio, choose File > Save as, with File Format Option set to PTC Granite, to save a model,

  or

  Use AliasStudio, choose File > Export- > Active as, with File Format Option set to PTC Granite, to save selected parts of the model.

• Make sure the units system's settings in both Pro/ENGINEER and AliasStudio are set to millimeters as the default.
• Make sure the model part files do not have short edges (shorter than curve-fit tolerance) before importing the PTC Granite file into Pro/ENGINEER. To check, use Evaluate > Check modeland select the option Model Parameters > short edges.
• Try to remove all surface multi-knots from your AliasStudio model before saving as a PTC Granite file. Multi-knot PTC Granite files may not be read into Pro/ENGINEER with proper trimmed edges.
• Save translation time and make the transfer to PTC Granite format faster by splitting closed surfaces, such as cylinder, torus, sphere and cone, into two or four parts before saving. The Pro/ENGINEER translator will split closed surfaces automatically but if this procedure is done before it will save time.

To create a PTC Granite file for Pro/ENGINEER

1. Choose Surface Edit > Stitch > Shell stitch to ensure you have created a closed volume before exporting it in PTC Granite format.
2. Choose the object to be exported so that it is the “active” object.
3. Choose File > Export > Active as. ❑
4. Choose PTC Granite from the File Format pop-down menu.
5. Choose the Save icon and specify the PTC Granite file name. AliasStudio automatically appends the .g extension to the file name. This file is now ready to be read into Pro/ENGINEER.

   For more information refer to Workflow.

To export PTC Granite files

1. Choose the object to be exported so that it is the active object.
2. From the File menu, choose File > Export > Active as. ❑
3. Choose PTC Granite from the Basic Save Options File Format pop-down menu.

To create an IGES format file for Pro/ENGINEER

1. Pick the object to be exported so that it is the active object.
2. Choose File > Export > Active as. ❑
3. Choose IGES from the File Format pop-down menu.
4. Choose pro_engineer from the IGES by Vendor browser.

   The configuration of the output variables for Pro/ENGINEER have been determined through data exchange testing to provide the best conditions for the creation of a solid model within Pro/ENGINEER. You can alter the output variables to achieve different results.

5. Choose the Save icon and specify the IGES file name. AliasStudio automatically appends the .igs extension to the file name.

   The file is now ready to be read into Pro/ENGINEER.

To create a STEP file in AliasStudio for Pro/ENGINEER

Follow these steps to create a STEP format file for Pro/ENGINEER:

1. Select the object to be exported so that it is the “active” object.
2. From the File menu, choose File > Export > Active as. ❑
3. Choose STEP from the File Format pop-down menu.
4. Choose AP214 from the Application Protocol.
5. The AliasStudio model should have already been stitched into a solid shell (volume) or a shell (group of stitched surfaces that do not describe a volume.
6. Choose under the Model Type either:

   Manifold Shells- A collection of stitched surfaces that do not describe a volume is saved out as a G3 Manifold Shell.

   or

   Brep Solids-Stitched geometry that describes a closed volume is written out as a G5 Brep Solid.

7. Choose the Save icon and specify the STEP file name. AliasStudio automatically appends the .stp extension to the file name. This file is now ready to be read into Pro/ENGINEER.

To set options in Pro/ENGINEER for export and import

To make the import and export of IGES and STEP files easier for AliasStudio to read.

1. In Pro/ENGINEER, select Utilities > Options
2. Add the following data to the configuration file.

   IGES_OUT_ALL_SRFS_AS 128

   IGES_OUT_SPL_CRVS_AS_126 YES

   IGES_OUT_SPL_SRFS_AS_128 YES

   IGES_OUT_MIL_D_28000 NO

   IGES_OUT_TRM_SRFS_AS_143 NO

   IGES_OUT_TRIM_CURVE_DEVIATION DEFAULT

   INTF_OUT_BLANKED_ENTITIES NO

   INTF3D_OUT_EXTEND_SURFACE YES

   INTF3D_OUT_FORCE_SURF_NORMALS YES

   IGES_IN_106_F2_AS_SPLINE NO

   IGES_IN_DWG_LINE_FONT YES

   IGES_IN_DWG_PNT_ENT YES

   IGES_IN_DWG_COLOR YES 

   FIX_BOUNDARIES_ON_IMPORT YES

Export STL files

How to create a solid model for STL export and save it in an STL file.

To export a model to STL format, it must be either a mesh object, or a stitched shell.

Meshes

Repair defects in meshes

To stitch your model

• Stitch the AliasStudio model to create a closed volume shell before exporting an.stl file. Use Surface Edit > Stitch > Shell stitchwith Keep Originals on.

For best results in creating an .stl file, ensure that the geometry is stitched to create a closed volume. Gaps in the shell are indicated by yellow lines in the geometry window. Using an open shell to create an .stl file is not recommended.

To check for a closed volume

• Choose Object edit > Query edit and use the to display the status of the shell. If the Closed Volume is True, the geometry can be used to create an STL file.

To export shells in STL files

1. Choose File > Export > STL ❑
2. Select a shell object.
3. Press the Accept button.

   A solid volume check is run. If the shell is not a closed volume (solid), the prompt line indicates the number of boundaries found. In the geometry window, the model displays red arrows pointing to the boundaries so you can quickly identify where the problems are. Exit the tool if you need to repair the surface model.

4. Adjust the Tolerance value in the option box.

   The tolerance controls the number of triangles on the tessellated shell. It describes the maximum difference (in current units) between the original shell and the tessellated shell output to the STL file. The lower the tolerance value, the greater the number of triangles. The tolerance value will be reflected in the resolution of the physical model produced by the solid imaging technology.

5. Press the Accept button.

   The shell is tessellated, and displayed using the current mesh transparency setting. Tests are run on the mesh to ensure that the triangles are not degenerate and have consistent orientation, and that the mesh is manifold. Repairs are made if necessary. Any boundaries will be drawn in red and indicated by red arrows.

   NoteYou can modify the tolerance value in the option box and the tessellation will be recalculated automatically.

   If you still see red arrows, you may need to exit the tool and repair your model manually.

6. Press the Accept button.

   The Export STL browser is displayed.

7. Choose a name for the file and press Export STL.

   The file is saved in STL format.

To export meshes in STL files

1. Select one or more mesh objects.
2. Choose File > Export > STL.

   The Accept button appears in the lower right corner.

3. Press Accept.

   The Export STL browser is displayed.

4. Choose a name for the file and click Save. Only the selected meshes are saved.
   NoteSTL files do not store units. AliasStudio always stores STL files in the current units.
   NoteWhen AliasStudio reads STL files, it assumes they are in the current units. If the units have changed, or if you are importing an STL file into another application, the geometry may need to be scaled.

Export SDL files

To save out a Scene Description Language (SDL) file.

To export an SDL file

1. Choose File > Export > SDL.

   The File Requestor appears.

2. Type the full path and file name for the SDL file in the File Requestor, or click Show List and select the file using the File Lister. If you select a file using the File Lister, the SDL file will overwrite that file.
3. Click Save SDL.

   To cancel the process, press Esc.

When exporting a SDL file

• Delete all non-referenced shaders before exporting an SDL file, because all shaders, whether they are actually assigned to surfaces or not, are written out to the SDL file.
• When you export an SDL file, each perspective window will generate an image (or series of images) when the SDL file is rendered, because each perspective window has an associated camera.

  The file name you use for the SDL file is also used within the SDL file to specify the output image file name. For example, if the SDL file is named Planet, then the camera section of the SDL file will contain:

  pix = "pix/Planet",

  If there is a second perspective camera named camera2, the SDL file will also contain:

  pix ="pix/Planet_camera2",

  If you have more than one perspective window, but only want to render an image (or series of images) from one of them, either edit the SDL file, or pick all objects, lights, and only one camera, and then choose File > Export > Active as, and use that file to export an SDL file from.

• By default, comments are not included in the SDL file. If you want comments included, put the following line in your shell before starting AliasStudio:

  setenv ALIAS_SDL_LONGFORM 1

To edit an SDL file

To edit an SDL file, you must first convert it to ASCII format (text), using the AliasStudio Binary SDL command-line utility (bsdl). This utility allows you to extract the text component from a binary SDL file, and replace the text component in a binary SDL file. This is useful if you need to hand-edit an SDL file.

SDL files now contain a binary component for large mesh files, because writing the data out as text would increase the size of the SDL file to an extent that parsing time by the renderer would also increase by a very large amount.

bsdl usage:

bsdl extract [-f] <text> <binary>

Extract ASCII SDL to <text> from a binary SDL file called <binary>. The file <text> will not be overwritten unless the option -f is specified.

Any text editor can then be used to edit the <text> ASCII SDL file.

bsdl replace <text> <binary>

Insert the ASCII SDL file <text> into the binary SDL file <binary>, replacing the ASCII SDL data.

For more information on the formatting of SDL files, see SDL.html on the Technical reference page.

Export to CATIA V4

How to write out to the CATIA V4 file format.

Workflow

Create a ‘skin’ and ’offsetting’ to create solid geometry from imported AliasStudio models.

1. Stitch the surfaces to perform a visual check to confirm there are no gaps.
2. Undo the stitch operation.
3. Save the AliasStudio wire file.
4. Stitch the surfaces again.
5. Export the stitched object to a CAI file.
   NoteGeometry not stitched prior to export from AliasStudio will not automatically create a skin upon import into CATIA.

   Review the summary of modeling practices as a quick reference guide if problems arise. See CATIA Requirements

Export to CATIA V5

Choose File > Save as .❑ In the option window, choose CATIA V5 from the list of file formats.

The following Studio entities are saved into CATIA V5: