Many TransMagic users are not aware that TransMagic comes with over 100 free sample CAD files (parts and assemblies) representing CAD systems such as CATIA, Creo, NX, SOLIDWORKS, Inventor and AutoCAD, as welll as Neutral formats like STEP and IGES, and file extensions of .model, .CATPart, .CATProduct, .prt, .dwg, .ipt, .iam, .sldprt, .sldasm, .stp, .igs, and more. These files can be useful for testing, comparisons with your own files, or for going through TransMagic tutorials.
- Testing your CAD or translation software
If you are not able to open a STEP file in TransMagic, or in your CAD system, try opening one of our sample files as a test. If the sample file opens fine, you may have a problem with your STEP file.
- Testing MBD/PMI
Some of our sample files come from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and have PMI (product and manufacturing information) attached to the models; this information is generally Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) but can also include notes and dimensions. Opening these sample files (available in the CATIA V5, NX and Creo sample folders) can give you useful access to parts with PMI as well as a sense of what you can do with tools such as the PMI View Browser.
- Checking Comparison and Validation Functionality
The MagicCheck folder has part-to-part examples that can be used to practice and experiment with revision and validation checking, as well as point-to-part examples for checking how closely CMM points line up with CAD authority model geometry.
- As sample files for learning repair techniques
Our repair videos use several of the IGES files as well as one of the SAT sample files. Having access to these files can enable you to follow the videos step-by-step to learn various repair techniques. Note that some videos are found on our Video Tutorials page, and all videos can be found on the TransMagic YouTube channel.
- Testing downstream applications
Sample files can be a great way to sanity check downstream applications which may not be importing the file you are working with, to determine if the problem is with the file or the application.
- Comparing file structures
You can use a text editor like Notepad or Notepad ++ to look at the structure of any CAD file (see blog post with more about this technique here); having another file with the same format at your fingertips can be useful for format structure comparisons.
Where to find the sample files
Once TransMagic is installed on your system, to get to the sample file folder, go to:
C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\TransMagic\Sample Files\
and select the part or assembly you want from folders such as:
- Catia V4: Catia V4 parts (.model)
- Catia V5: CATIA V5 parts (CATPart) and assemblies (CATProduct)
- Creo: Creo part files (.prt)
- DWG: AutoCAD parts and assemblies (.dwg)
- HSF: Hoops Stream Format polygonal files (.hsf)
- IGES: IGES parts (.igs)
- Inventor: Autodesk Inventor parts (.ipt) and assemblies (.iam)
- JT: Siemen’s compressed Brep and Visrep format – parts (.jt)
- MagicCheck: Various comparison and validation parts and points
- NX: Siemen’s NX parts format (.prt)
- Parasolid: Siemen’s neutral CAD format (.x_t)
- SAT: Spatial’s ACIS format parts (.sat)
- SMS: Solid Modeling Solution’s Brep CAD format (.sms, .iwp, .iwb)
- SolidWorks: SOLIDWORKS parts (.sldprt) and assemblies (.sldasm)
- STEP: STEP parts (.stp)
Other Free CAD File Sources
Free CAD files for Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) – find over 50 free 3D printed circuit board components at http://www.pcb-3d.com/membership_type/free/