by Brad Strong | Nov 13, 2017 | 3D Printing, Blog, CAD Diagnostics, CAD Performance, CAD Translation, What's New |
This article will demonstrate how materials are applied to models in TransMagic R12, and how parts and assemblies can then be interrogated for Mass Properties. Mass properties are particularly useful if you are generating quotes or estimates, and need to know the weight or volume of materials for the part or complete assembly. Another common use for mass properties is to get the volume calculation for estimating 3D printing print times and material costs. The Mass Properties dialog box also provides moments of inertia and allows you to create three planes that intersect at the centroid. Applying Materials Parts should already have a default material assigned;...
by Brad Strong | Jul 24, 2017 | Blog, CAD Diagnostics, CAD Performance, CAD Repair, CAD Translation, What's New |
All core TransMagic products come with the Auto Repair Wizard and Lite Repair, giving you CAD repair in seconds flat. By default, every model that is opened is evaluated by the Auto Repair Wizard (ARW) to see if it is a watertight solid, and if there are any underlying issues. In the before-and-after image at right, the ‘before’ image has different default colors for each face or surface; this is an indication that you are dealing with an group of surfaces rather than a watertight solid model. In the ‘after’ image, the color of the model is uniform, indicating that the model is a cohesive solid. Red, Yellow or Green Light? Based on what...
by Brad Strong | Mar 17, 2017 | Blog, CAD Diagnostics, CAD Translation, CAD Viewing, Support, What's New |
What CAD format, and what version, did that colleague just give you? Most of the time it’s clear what format it is, and most of the time the version doesn’t matter, BUT – sometimes it does. This is a repost from a few years back. It has turned out to be one of our most referenced resources, so here it is again! The following CAD Format Analysis cheat-sheet will allow you to open up CAD files in a text editor like Notepad or Notepad ++ to find out what format they truly are, and in some cases, which version. I’ve seen cases from some of our customers where CAD files had, for whatever reason, been given the wrong extensions; once we learn...
by Brad Strong | Aug 2, 2016 | Blog, CAD Diagnostics, CAD Translation, Support, What's New
Last week’s article on missing CAD data discussed how to know what version of a CAD file you have, and how to know if your translation software is out of date. This week’s post will look at some further issues that can arise; entities such as points can be turned off, you may have saved to the wrong version for the destination software, you may need to import data, you may have lost faces during translation, and you may be dealing with a suppressed part. This is our final article on the subject for now – but knowing the insidious nature of missing data, we fully expect to have more to say on the subject in the near future! Check out...
by Brad Strong | Jul 28, 2016 | Blog, CAD Diagnostics, Support, What's New |
In Dude, Where’s My CAD Data Part 1 we looked at some of the more common causes for missing CAD data. These included empty assemblies, missing PMI, data that was turned off in the first place, data which is present but off the screen, and data that is present, yet hidden. Dude, Where’s My CAD Data Part 2 looks at what can happen if your CAD or Translation software is out of date and cannot open a newer format or version. The video immediately below summarizes this article. Unable to Open File The most extreme case of missing CAD data is when you can’t even open the file. File formats are being updated all the time; with...
