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metal parts. The use of a cut list is similar to the use of a Bill of Materials, and though originally intended for weldments, it is also useful for sheet metal parts.

Chapter 23: Using Imported Geometry and Direct Editing Techniques

In This Chapter

Understanding how imported geometry works

Examining the traditional role of direct edit tools

Benefiting from direct edit tools

Importing and repairing Solid Geometry tutorial

Using Flex and Freeform features in a tutorial

The direct editing set of tools in SolidWorks enables you to change a part without having access to the history of features that created the part. Direct editing works on both native and imported geometry either by simply moving faces or by editing the geometry directly rather than indirectly through feature definitions or sketches.

This chapter looks at recent direct editing developments in the CAD world and also describes the tools on the Direct Editing tab, which is shown in Figure 23.1.

The new tab has the following tools on it, listed from left to right from Figure 23.1:

• Move Face

• Move/Copy Bodies

• Fillet

• Chamfer

• Linear Pattern

• Delete Solid/Surface

• Delete Face

• Split

• Combine

Additional direct edit tools exist in SolidWorks that should possibly be added to the Direct Edit tab:

• Flex

• Deform

• Freeform

FIGURE 23.1

SolidWorks has a Direct Editing tab on the CommandManager.

Combining these tools with some of the new Instant 3D functionality gives direct editing tools in SolidWorks many of the advantages of the direct edit–only CAD software. Before a discussion of direct editing will make sense, you need to know a little bit about imported geometry.

Understanding the Basics of Imported Geometry

Geometry that is transferred between CAD packages is called imported geometry. The transfer usually happens through IGES (Integrated Geometry Exchange Standard; pronounced eye-jess), STEP (Standard for the Exchange of Product), Parasolid, or ACIS (named for the initials of three people and one company who created the standard: Alan, Charles, Ian, and Spatial) formats. SolidWorks also reads some native CAD data directly. For example, SolidWorks can read data directly from versions of Pro/ENGINEER, Unigraphics/SDRC (NX), Inventor, Solid Edge, CADKEY, and Rhino, as Figure 23.2 shows. In almost all cases, features are not transferred between CAD packages. The geometry that you wind up with is called “dumb” geometry because the smart parametrics and design intent (meaning the list of features) that the model had in its parent software is no longer there.

FIGURE 23.2

SolidWorks opens neutral format files as well as several native formats.

You can bring in imported data in one of two ways. The most common way is to use the Open dialog box and switch the Files Of Type to an imported file format. The other way is to use the Imported Geometry feature by choosing Insert⇒Features⇒Imported Geometry from the menus. The Open dialog box creates a new part with the imported feature at the top of the FeatureManager, as shown in Figure 23.3. Using the Imported Geometry feature enables you to insert imported geometry anywhere you like within the FeatureManager, even after other features have been added.

FIGURE 23.3

Imported geometry comes in without any feature history.

You can use the new Data Migration tab in the CommandManager to find tasks that support imported geometry. The tools on this tab are shown in Figure 23.4.

FIGURE 23.4

SolidWorks Data Migration tab on the CommandManager helps you find import tools.

The tools on the tab, listed in order from left to right, are

• Open

• Imported Geometry

• Import Diagnosis

• Check

• Draft Analysis

• Recognize Features (FeatureWorks)

• Heal Edges

• Knit Surface

• Move/Copy Bodies

• Move Face

• Delete Face

• Replace Face

• Split

• Combine

• Covert to Sheet Metal

• Insert Bends (sheet metal)

Many of these tools are not directly related to imports but may be frequently used with imports. FeatureWorks