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STEP Transfer Tips for CATIA users (For Version 4.1.8)

M. C. Ramesh - Feb. 1998

General

There are some defaults within the CATIA environment that we can utilize to help some of the STEP issues - stpcat.dcl - 1) auto generation of solidE and 2) topology healing capabilities (.00039 tolerance settings recommended).

The ‘Export’ steps work especially well for transferring STEP files from CATIA to ProE.

Import

  1. Verify that the Unix extension of the STEP file is ".step".
  2. Select CATUTIL, then STPCAT when importing a STEP file into CATIA.
    1. Enter the file name to which model will be imported from (the default is a "." Which is the users file.).
    2. Enter model name of STEP file to be translated into ‘model’ window.
    3. Enter output directory name into ‘output’ window.
    4. Do not change tolerance from default.
    5. Overwrite option is optional
    6. Execute

Export

  1. Start a new model using
      1. File + Create
      2. Click ‘yes’ to execute.
  2. Save the model in the ‘tmp’ file.
      1. Click on the open treasure chest box on the Permanent Function Zone on the screen.
  3. Read in the model to be exported.
      1. File + Read
      2. Select the file and then select the model.
  4. Merge the solid.
      1. Click on the Merge function.
      2. Type ‘*sol’ to select all the solids in the model.
      3. Click on the merge sub-function and Click ‘yes’ to execute.
  5. Link all the sets.
      1. Sets + Link
      2. Select all the sets.
      3. Click ‘yes’ to execute.
  6. At this stage it is a good idea to save the model.
      1. File + Write
      2. Type in a new name for the model. Ensure that the filename of the model to be exported is less than 30 characters long and have no blank spaces in the file name (All alpha characters must be lower case if it is for Unigraphics translation).
  7. Update all solids.
      1. Solide + Update
      2. In the ‘Update Options’ box select only the ‘Information during process’ button to ensure that the update runs faster. To see the update in progress, click the ‘Smart’ icon in the ‘Manage’ window. This will bring up a window which show the CSG tree of the solid and as the update proceeds, the nodes on the tree get highlighted.
  8. Explode all dittos.
      1. Detail + Explode
  9. Identify, renumber and update the model
      1. Identify + Renumber + All
      2. Click ‘yes’ to execute.
      1. Identify + Update
      2. Click ‘yes’ to execute.
  10. Clean the model.
      1. Type ‘/cln’ (without the quotes).
      2. In the menu box that pops up, select ‘delete’ for CAT1, ‘modify’ for CAT2, ‘pack’ for CAT3 and ‘All’ for FMT.
      3. Click ‘yes’ to execute.
  11. Pack the model.
      1. Erase + Pack.
      2. Click ‘yes’ to execute.
  12. File the model.
      1. File + Write.
      2. Click ‘yes’ to execute.
  13. Check to see if volumes extract correctly and there are no face failures. This operation is done purely as a check. The extracted ‘volume(s)’ are undone after volume extraction is completed successfully.
      1. Solide + Extract + Volume
      2. Select the solid with the mouse.
      3. If the volumes extract correctly, then click the ‘no’ button to undo the extraction.
  14. Use CATSTP utility function for exporting to STEP from CATIA.
      1. Catutil + Catstp
      2. Select the arrow at the end of the ‘Input File’ line and select the file in which the model is stored from the list.
      3. Select the arrow at the end of the ‘Number of Members defined’ line and select the model(s) to be translated from the list. Click ‘yes’ to execute.
      4. In the ‘Output Director’ line enter output directory name (default is a "." and will default to your local user file).
      5. Overwrite option is optional.
      6. Click ‘yes’ to execute.

Notes

  1. Do not generate a single model larger than 20Mb for STEP translation.
  2. Do not use a file name with a CATIA special character such as plus/minus sign when exporting a STEP file. The receiving system might have trouble identifying the file.
  3. Do not plan to transfer filters, colors or layers since they will not be translated.
  4. Do not use an isolated solid to create a STEP file. The STEP translation process does not support isolated solids.

References

  1. ‘Step Transfer Tips for Catia Users’, Preliminary 9/3/97, developed by Dassault Systemes.
  2. ‘Solids Data Exchange: A benchmark using IGES and STEP’, Mark Haines, CATIA SOLUTIONS magazine, August/September 1997.
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