SolidWorks 2011 Parts Bible - Matt Lombard [302]
You can take measurements in one file and build a new part in another file, build one file in the context of an assembly directly over the problem file, or even rebuild it as a multi-body part.
Tricking data into working
Occasionally you can employ tricks to heal problem imports. Simply saving out of SolidWorks as Parasolid and reading back in repeatedly can sometimes heal troublesome imported geometry. I frequently use Rhino to import problem files, then export from Rhino as a Parasolid. Rhino is an inexpensive surfacing application. You can read more about it at www.rhino3d.com. You can download and install a trial version that allows you to save 25 times. Rhino works great as a translator because it reads and writes many file types that SolidWorks does not read. Sometimes when I get a very bad IGES file, I read it into Rhino, and save it out as Parasolid, then read the Parasolid into SolidWorks. Sometimes this will repair the data to the point that SolidWorks can deal with it more effectively.
This is not to say that Rhino is a better file translator than SolidWorks, because this workaround does not always improve things. It is sometimes effective, and because it is free, the only thing it will cost you to try it is time.
You can use the same trick with other CAD packages. For example, if you know that you have an IGES file from VX, and you are having difficulty reading it into SolidWorks, it might pay to download a trial version of VX (www.vx.com) and see if it can import the data and re-export. It is best to use the source program to read and re-export when possible.
Ensuring that you get good data
If you can't get a SolidWorks file from someone who needs to send you data, the type of translation file that you get has a huge influence on the likelihood that your translation will be successful. Ask for data in this order:
1. Parasolid (including native formats that use Parasolid, such as NX, Unigraphics, and Solid Edge). Parasolid can come in text format (*.x_t) or binary format (*.x_b). You may also see file extensions such as .xmttxt from older versions of Unigraphics. Of these, the binaries are smaller, but the text files have WordPad readable and editable headers that can be useful in various situations, such as correcting units or part scaling, as well as telling what the parent CAD program was.
2. STEP (AP 214 or AP 203; Standard for the Exchange of Product model data). The AP stands for application protocol. Most mechanical CAD programs use these two protocols, which were developed for automotive and configuration controlled design (read more at www.steptools.com/library/standard/step_2.html).
3. ACIS (named for the initials of the three people and one company who created the standard: Alan, Charles, Ian, and Spatial). ACIS creates *.sat files.
4. *.VDAFS, *.VDA (Verband der Automobilindustrie⇒Flächenschnittstelle). A German automotive geometry transfer format.
5. IGES (Integrated Geometry Exchange Standard; pronounced eye-jess). Because of the age and lack of clear definition in the IGES format, there is little that is truly standard about it any more, and many geometry creation software packages export data that SolidWorks cannot read correctly. While this format is an old standby for old-timers, it is one you probably want to avoid unless you are getting data from someone you know will give you something usable.
Another advantage of the Parasolid data is that SolidWorks reads it so quickly. A large IGES or STEP file can take minutes to read in, where SolidWorks can read equivalent Parasolid data in a couple of seconds. Once the data is read into SolidWorks, it should all be the same, with no difference between data from Parasolid and any other source, because it is all converted to Parasolid to be stored inside the SolidWorks file; but because it's now all