Direct CAD Access

Imports a file directly from a CAD file format (SA Ultimate + Native CAD only).

 

Input Arguments

 

0

File Path or Embedded File

CAD File Name

The name of the file to import.

1

Boolean

Import Solids

Indicates whether solids should be imported from the file.

2

Boolean

Import Surfaces

Indicates whether surfaces should be imported

from the file.

3

Boolean

Import Polygonized Surfaces

Indicates whether polygonized surfaces should be imported from the file.

4

Boolean

Import Annotations

Indicates whether annotations should be im-

ported from the file.

5

Boolean

Import Vectors

Indicates whether vectors should be imported from the file.

6

Boolean

Import Points

Indicates whether points should be imported

from the file.

7

String

Point Group Name

Point Group name used for the imported points.

8

Boolean

Import Attributes/Metadata

Indicates whether metadata should be imported from the file.

9

Boolean

Import Coordinate Frames

Indicates whether coordinate frames should be

imported from the file.

10

Boolean

Import Planes

Indicates whether planes should be imported from the file.

11

Boolean

Import 3D Curves - Lines

Indicates whether lines should be imported from

the file.

12

Boolean

Import 3D Curves - Circles

Indicates whether circles should be imported from the file.

13

Boolean

Import 3D Curves - General

Curves

Indicates whether general curves should be

imported from the file.

14

Boolean

Import Construction Geometry

Indicates whether construction geometry should be imported from the file.

15

Boolean

Import Hidden Entities

Indicates whether hidden entities should be

imported from the file.

16

Boolean

Import all Surfaces as Mesh Graphical Entities

Indicates whether surfaces should be imported as mesh graphical entities (see Remarks below).

17

Boolean

Do Not Import Fillets

Surfaces marked as fillets in the source format will

not be imported (to save memory/improve responsiveness).

18

Boolean

Do Not Import Dittos

Objects marked as dittos in the source format will not be imported.

19

Integer

Ditto Threshold

Indicates the maximum number of dittos that

should be imported.

20

Boolean

Center View on Imported Objects

Indicates whether the graphical view should be centered on the imported objects.

21

Boolean

Import into Folders matching CAD file hierarchy

Indicates whether objects will be imported into folders in the tree matching the

hierarchy in the CAD file.

22

Boolean

Remove Empty Folders

Indicates whether empty folders imported from the CAD hierarchy should be deleted.

 

 

23

 

Integer

 

Surface Normals Mode (1 or 2)

Indicates the surface normals mode to use when importing. If mode 1 causes issues,

try mode 2.

24

Boolean

Prompt on Missing Compo- nents

Notify user when components are missing from the selected CAD model.

25

Boolean

Selective Import

True to display the Selective Import dialog when

opening the selecting file

26

Boolean

Surface Compatibility Mode

True enables Surface Compatibiliy mode.

27

Boolean

Explode Surfaces

True enables exploded surfaces

 

28

 

String

CAD File Units (leave blank to use the units specified in the file)

 

The units used by the selected CAD file.

29

Boolean

Build Callout Views

True will build calllout views included the import

GD&T annotations

 

Return Arguments

 

30

Boolean

Import Warnings

Indicates if import warnings were generated.

31

String

Import Warning Messages

Contains a list of any import warning messages.

32

Vector

Extents Min

The minimum X/Y/Z extents of the imported CAD (in the active frame).

33

Vector

Extents Max

The maximum X/Y/Z extents of the imported CAD

(in the active coordinate frame).

Returned Status

 

SUCCESS

The file was successfully imported.

FAILURE

The source file could not be found or the format was not recognized.

Remarks

Surfaces imported as Mesh Graphical Entities save a considerable amount of memory and processing power--but the entities cannot be analyzed. They are purely a “picture” and cannot be used for point-to-surface analyses.

Argument 26 provides a “Surface Compatibility Mode” option to CAD import. If you turn it on, we run the surfaces through a conditioning tool which should create a more compatible representation of the model. The idea is that it may import a model which is otherwise causing either import or graphical problems.

Argument 27, “Explode Surfaces”, provides a means to disect a model on import such that each face is imported as a seprate object.