CAD Atomization refers to the process of converting whole assemblies to separate, independent parts. This is a one-button process which can be used for both CAD and polygonal output.
3D printing houses can use Atomize to output all parts in an assembly to STL. If you are planning to do polygonal output, be sure to check Settings and adjust polygon density before outputting STL or other polygonal formats. This article covers various STL output settings.
The Atomization process works whether you are using an assembly or a multi-body part (multi-bodied parts are single parts composed of two or more solid bodies); in both cases, parts and bodies are converted to separate parts in the format of your choice. TransMagic PRO and EXPERT are both capable of saving out CAD formats and atomizing assemblies.
How to Atomize an Assembly
Atomizing an assembly is a simple process that only requires two check boxes.
Figure 1 – The CAD Atomization dialog
Figure 1 shows the Save As dialog box which also allows you to atomize assemblies. To Atomize an assembly, follow these steps:
- Open a CAD assembly or multi-body part
- File > Save As and choose the format you want your parts to be saved to; in this example we’ll choose STEP
- From the bottom of the Save As dialog box, check the boxes ‘Assembly as XML’ and ‘Atomize’.
- Click ‘Save’
Note that the ‘Atomize’ checkbox is unavailable unless ‘Assembly as XML’ is enabled.
Also please note that data extraction is only available in EXPERT configurations of TransMagic. Evaluation versions of TransMagic are based on the SUPERVIEW configuration, and do not include the ability to save to CAD formats or to extract CAD data. If you’re interested in evaluating EXPERT, please contact TransMagic’s sales office at sales@TransMagic.com, give us a call between 8AM and 5PM Mountain time at 303-460-1406.
That’s it! Now, whether your assembly is 10 parts or 1000 parts, all components have been saved out to the folder and format of your choice! This process can of course take some time if the assembly is large and the parts are complex.
We hope you find this article helpful; if you have questions or comments, contact us at social@TransMagic.com.