CAD Import Options

You can access some of these options from the Import browser, while other options are accessed from a reader's _reader.ini file.

Assembly

Create multiple components for linear members

Create multiple components for each member part.

Create multiple components for stiffeners

Create multiple components for each stiffener (one for each property; that is, if we have flange and web, then two different properties and components are created).

Display representation

Import a CAD file in visualization mode only.

Choose Low to set the faceting level to the lowest level.
Choose Medium to set faceting level to its normal (default option).
Choose High to set the faceting level to its maximum.
Choose Custom to set the edge and surface tolerance manually (default: 1e-04).

Note: This advanced option is available for applicable formats like Inspire, JT, NX, Parasolid, and Solidworks (Parasolid based formats).

Hierarchy as

Type of hierarchy to generate.

Choose BOM Only to generate an empty part-based hierarchy.
Choose Parts to generate a full part-based hierarchy.

Insert name field

Customizes the organization and names of components (NX parts). The naming options are specified using the Format option.

Choose Part Name to use the string attribute DB_PART_NAME from the part. If that attribute does not exist, the part file name is used.
Choose Part Number to use the string attribute DB_PART_NUMBER or DB_PART_NO from the part. If that attribute does not exist, the part filename is used.
Choose Category to create and name components based off of the NX categories associated with the geometry.
Choose RID-PDI to use the string attribute DB_PART_REV from the part.
Choose Layer to create and name components based off of the layers of the geometry being imported.
Choose Instance Name to use the name of the part's instance in an assembly. If the part is the root of an assembly, the part filename is used.
Choose Material Name to use the name of the material if a material is specified for the geometry being imported. Otherwise, the name of the component is unaltered.
Choose Thickness to use the thickness value if the geometry being imported is a midsurface with thickness information. Otherwise, the name of the component is unaltered.
Choose UG Body ID to use the internal numerical ID of each geometric body. This value is unique for each geometric body imported.
Choose UG Tag to use the internal numerical tag of the part instance. This value is unique for each part instance imported.

Parent Module ID

Imports all child assemblies and parts from the incoming geometry under the given assembly module (part assembly ID). Supported only for parts hierarchy.

Sample component name

This corresponds to the NX Part Browser Assign components by name option; the default value is "default", that is the standard component naming. Name corresponds to the Insert name field option in < > (brackets).

Single part only

Consolidate the hierarchy into a single part.

Split components by

Strategy used to split components, which is dependent on the CAD format. Options include one or more of the following (based on CAD format):

Choose Body to generate a body-based component.
Choose Layer to generate a layer-based component.
Choose Part to generate a part-based component.
Choose Category to split components by category.
Choose Material to split components by material.
Choose Thickness to split components based on component thickness.
Choose Custom to enable sub-options.

Topology

Cleanup tolerance

Can be Automatic or Manual.

Create solids

Creates solid entities. If unchecked, reads surfaces but does not create solid entities.

Degenerate surfaces

Surface treatment method for degenerated surfaces on import

Preserve- No degenerate surfaces removed
Automatic Cleanup - Auto-calculated tolerance used to detect and remove degenerate surfaces
Remove- User tolerance used to detect and remove degenerate surfaces

Ensure manifold geometry

Extracts the manifold body from a Parasolid general body that is non-manifold and/or of mixed topological dimensionality. If unchecked, extracts Parasolid general bodies as defined.

Extend surfaces

The imported surfaces are extended to match neighbor surfaces.

Faceplates as surfaces

Import faceplates as surfaces if the surface description is present in the file, otherwise import as curves.

Import type

Create an object based on the structure of the file.

Imprint stiffeners

Stiffener lines are projected onto close surfaces and create corresponding topological modifications to these surfaces

Merge edges

Edges are merged together, when possible, during import as part of the cleanup phase.

Perform connectivity

Import the model and compute connectivity. The surfaces will be connected. If unchecked, import the model without computing connectivity. The surfaces will not be connected. This option speeds up import, but may not be suitable for any other purpose than visualization.

Pillars as surfaces

Import pillars as surfaces if the surface description is present in the file, otherwise import as curves.

Prefer detailed

When multiple representations of an object are available, import the most complex one.

Scale factor

Define the model scaling factor during import.

Split periodic faces

Split periodic surfaces to improve the quality and robustness of the import.

Stiffeners as surfaces

Import stiffeners as surfaces if the surface description is present in the file, otherwise import as curves.

Stiffener/beam/ER systems as

Can be one of the following:

Solids - Imports these objects as solid entities.
Landing curves - Imports these objects as just the landing curves.
Landing curves and midsurfaces - Imports these objects as both landing curves and midsurfaces.
Midsurfaces - Imports these objects as midsurfaces.

Stitch across bodies

Stitch surfaces belonging to different components.

Stitch different sheets

Stitching across different sheet bodies belonging to the same part/instance.

Target Units

Target unit system to be adopted for the imported model.

Choose a specific unit.
Choose CAD units to match the unit system to the CAD file being imported. If the target unit system does not match the CAD file being imported, than the corresponding numbers are modified to account for the unit change.
Alternatively, choose Scale Factor to adopt the CAD unit system and scale the entities by the indicated factor.

Tolerance value

The reader considers this tolerance as the object space tolerance used to process the CAD data.

Trim surfaces using

Method for trimming surfaces. Can be:

Parametric curves
Model curves
Preferred representation

Visualization only

Import the model for visualization purposes only. This skips many of the import steps (cleanup, stitching, solid creation, and so on) to provide a faster import. The resulting model may not be suitable for other uses.

Entities

Assign properties to components

Assign properties to the corresponding component for components that have more than one property, properties are not assigned.

BREP and tessellation

Import B-rep or tessellation, with B-rep given preference. If B-rep is present, tessellation is not imported (default). Choose from the following:

BREP or tessellation
BREP and tessellation
BREP only
Tessellation only

Compartments

Import both compartments in the files, and compartments defined by “Faces.” The former by importing the geometry, the latter just by creating a metadata; also reference planes are created, because they can be referenced by compartments.

Coordinate systems

Import CAD coordinate systems as system collectors.

Cutout profiles

Import cutout profiles.

Disable layers

This corresponds to the NX Part browser Disable option in Layer filtering mode. The layers to disable in the import should be listed with the same rules as for the NX Part browser entry.

Enable layers

This corresponds to the NX Part browser Enable option in Layer filtering mode. The layers to enable in the import should be listed with the same rules as for the NX Part browser entry.

FE models

Import FE models.

Filtering

This corresponds to the NX Part browser Layer filtering selection.

Free curves

Import free curves (wireframe entities) into the model.

Free points

Import free points into the model.

Groups as regions

Create region entities corresponding to groups.

Hidden (blanked/no show)

Import entities that are hidden, blanked, or no show.

Hidden ply surfaces

Read hidden ply base surfaces.

Holes

Create holes.

IGES compartments

Import compartments in the files.

Layer filter

Import only the specified layer filters. The string should be in the form of "%filter1%filter2%filter3". The filter names are listed, separated by a character that you choose, and inserted as the first element of the string. The example uses '%' as a separator. You can choose another character as a separator, in case one of the listed attribute names contains '%'. Engineering Solutions will recognize it as it is the first character of the string. A special value of DEFAULT can be used to indicate the default layer filter.

Midsurfaces

In batch mode, and when @Display= layerfiltering, midsurfaces are imported. In GUI import when Creation type is set to Assemblies, this initializes the corresponding option in the NX Part browser.

Notch profiles

Import notch profiles.

Panel profiles

Create curves along the panel profiles.

Parameters prefix

Only import parameters with this prefix. All others will not be imported.

Plane size factor

A factor > 0 for sizing of infinite planes. The factor is a percentage of the modal size.

Ply contour gap tolerance

Ply contour gap tolerance (default 0.3).

Publications

Create regions from the geometry referenced in publications.

Selected categories

This corresponds to the NX Part browser option Categories; they should be listed as they are written in the command file string:

“<name1_length> <name1> <name2_length>
                            <name2>…”

, where <name<i>_length> is a number representing the string length of the ith category name.

Skip entities

Specific entity types, or even subtypes (that is entity types with specific form numbers) that should be skipped during import.

Solids

In batch mode, when @Display= layerfiltering, solids are imported. In GUI import when Creation type is set to Assemblies, this initializes the corresponding option in the NX Part browser.

Solver

Select the appropriate solver.

Topological properties

Create reference planes and sketch contours, and attach metadata to the systems that own these properties.

Trim ply surfaces

Trim ply base surfaces during import.

Unbounded curved plates

Import curved plates lacking boundary descriptions.

Metadata

Attributes: Import all generic attributes (global and related to single entities) as metadata.
Body ID: Assign body identifier as metadata.
Color: Read color attributes of geometric entities as metadata with integer values.
Density: Read density value as metadata.
Full name: Generate the full CAD name, as retrieved from the CAD part, as metadata. This consists of assembly name/part name/feature name/entity name.
Layer: Read layer value as metadata.
Legacy hierarchy: Generate metadata with the original CAD hierarchy within the part.
Original ID: Import original CAD entity IDs as metadata.
Plate system attributes: Create physical properties assigned in the XML to plate systems and bracket children as metadata.
PMI: Read PMI data for points. New points are created and PMI attributes are attached as metadata.
Prefix string: The string is prefixed to all metadata names. No prefix is used by default.
Stiffener normals: Attach some metadata with information about normals to stiffener/beam/ER systems.
Tags: Create entity name as metadata.
Unique ID: Create metadata to track the unique CAD ID (default). The same identifier can be obtained for two entities when a single entity is split during import.

User Defined

Options: Use this GUI field to enter additional options not explicitly exposed in the GUI, in the form option1_name=option1_value, option2_name=option2_value, and so on. If an option also exposed in the GUI is mentioned in this field, the value of this field prevails.
Timeout (seconds): Defines a timeout value (in seconds) that is used to abort the import of a CAD file. The timeout covers only the time spent in processing done within the third-party library calls (load and prepare the data to be sent to HyperMesh). Once the data is sent to HyperMesh the timeout no longer applies. This timeout applies individually to each CAD file being imported. If you import a single file, either an individual part or a master assembly file, it applies to the import of the entire file. If you import multiple files, such as selecting multiple files, or performing Representation Load from the Part Browser, it applies individually to each file.

Colors

Colors: Read color attributes of geometric entities as metadata with integer values in RGB format.

PDM Attributes

Material name: Name of the CAD attribute containing the PDM material name info of the current part. Default is MATERIAL_NAME.
Mesh flag: Name of the CAD attribute containing the PDM mesh flag name info of the current part. Default is MeshFlag.
MID: Name of the CAD attribute containing the PDM material ID info of the current part. Default is MaterialID.
Part number: Name of the CAD attribute containing the PDM part number info of the current part. Default is PartNumber.
PID: Name of the CAD attribute containing PDM property ID info of the current part. Default is PID.
Revision: Name of the CAD attribute containing PDM major revision info of the current part. Default is Revision.
Thickness name: Name of the CAD attribute containing the PDM thickness info of the current part. Default is Thickness.
UID: Name of the CAD attribute containing the PDM UID info of the current part. Default is UID.

Default versions of the _reader.ini files are included in the directory [Altair Home]/io/afc_translators/bin/[platform] directory and its children. When a CAD reader is activated, each reader first checks the current working directory for the appropriate _reader.ini file. If the file is not found, the translators looks in all directories pointed by the HW_CONFIG_PATH environment variable.

As a last resort, the translator uses the default _reader.ini file in the above directory. In this way the _reader.ini file can have "global" or "local" user scope. For instance, local user changes for a current job can be made by copying and modifying the _reader.ini file in the local current working directory.

Options can take on only one value at a time. Options can also be commented out (ignored) by placing a # in front of an option, in which case the default value for that option will be used.

The available _reader.ini options are explained in detail within the Import Options sections for each reader.

Many CAD translators also import other relevant information as metadata attached to specific entities (assemblies, components, points, lines, surfaces, solids). Some metadata is generated by default while other metadata is generated by enabling/disabling certain options in the _reader.ini files. Metadata is stored in the database and can be used for review or to perform process automation. For example, you can obtain the tag (name) of a surface from the CAD file and apply certain mesh criteria to that surface inside Engineering Solutions. Refer to the Import Options topics for each format and CAD Metadata Naming for specific details about metadata.