The 3D ACIS® Modeler (ACIS) is Spatial’s prominent 3D solid modeling engine. 3D InterOp is a CAD data translation framework (Interoperability)

From DocR19

The Parasolid Writer component writes Parasolid files. This component is in the form of shared libraries.

InterOp Connect supports translation of the following file formats and versions:

Features Highlights

Features of the Parasolid Writer include:

• Support for B-Rep Entities Writing
• Support for Sheet Bodies Writing
• Support for Wire Bodies Writing
• Support for Assembly Writing
• Support for Text/Binary File Writing
• Support for Manufacturing Information Option
• Support for Assembly Cut Features from Pro/E to Parasolid

Note: We strongly recommend that the Parasolid unit be set to "meter". Refer to Parasolid Writer Unit.

Options for Parasolid Writer

^{* Not available for the ACIS product line}

Document

Layer handling

The Parasolid Writer provides an enhanced mechanism for handling layers and layer filters. Each layer and layer filter is treated as an independent entity and is converted to SPAXGenericLayer and SPAXGenericLayerFilter in Parasolid. SPAXGenericLayer and SPAXGenericLayerFilter are classes that provide member functions for managing layers and layer filters. An instance of SPAXGenericLayer and SPAXGenericLayerFilter class is created for each layer or layer filter. All entities belonging to a layer are added to SPAXGenericLayer. All layers belonging to a layer filter have corresponding SPAXGenericLayer and all the SPAXGenericLayer instances are added to SPAXGenericLayerFilter. All the entities of a layer can be directly retrieved from SPAXGenericLayer, as all the entities that belong to a layer are managed in a single SPAXGenericLayer entity. The Parasolid Writer also enables you to translate and store layer specific information such as layer name and layer color.

Unit

Since R18, InterOp attempts to create a destination document with the same units of measurement as the source document.

To restore the pre-R18 behavior, the target file (output) unit should be set to the value "model (SPAIUnitModel)".

For example:

From IGES to Parasolid translation, if the IGES file is in mm, the Parasolid file will also be in mm.

From Parasolid to ACIS translation, the ACIS file is written in "meter" unit. Prior to the R18 release, the generated ACIS file unit was "mm".

For more information, refer to Using Units.

We strongly recommend that the target Parasolid document unit be set to "meter" as it is the preferred unit for the Parasolid geometric kernel.

Assembly

Fully Qualified Part Names

Prior to the R18 release, translating definition names were not translated; however, part names were translated using the following structure:

Assembly
|_Instance (Definition)
     |_Part

In the above example, the assembly has one instance (InstanceName) with a definition (DefinitionName) that refers to a part (PartName). InterOp would translate the assembly information as is; however, the definition name was too loose as it could not identify a separate entity for definition.

Assembly
|_InstanceName
     |_PartName

Since R18, definition name and part name are attached together on a part and separated by a ";" as done with a name attribute to a part as follows:

Assembly
|_InstanceName
     |_DefinitionName; PartName

The name attribute value attached to a part is different for these possible cases:

Case 1: Part name and definition name are present

DefinitionName;PartName is attached as an attribute, and the separator is inserted between definition name and part name.

Case 2: Part name is present but definition name is missing

PartName is attached as a name attribute. No separator has been added without which it can be easily identified as a part name.

Case 3: Definition name is present but part name is missing

DefinitionName; is attached as an attribute. The separator has been added to later identify whether it is a definition name.

Note: Since R18, InterOp also translates definition name for sub-assemblies, where definition name is attached as a name attribute to the referenced part.

Assembly Cut Features

InterOp Connect supports translation of Assembly Cut Features from Pro/E to the Parasolid format. The Assembly Cut Features from a Pro/E file are translated as a subassembly node at the corresponding level in Parasolid (same level as in Pro/E). The subassembly node contains:

• An attribute named SPAATTRIB_ASSY_CUT_FEATURE. The value of this attribute indicates whether the subassembly node is a feature node. If the subassembly node is a feature node, the value of this attribute is 1.

• Tool bodies of the feature from the Pro/E file. These tool bodies are instantiated as children under the subassembly node representing the cut feature. Each tool body is attached with an attribute named SPAATTRIB_ASSY_CUT_TOOL. The value of this attribute indicates whether it is a tool body. For a tool body, the value of this attribute is 1.

• A dummy point body as a child in case the cut feature is a hole/pattern feature. This dummy point body owns a PK_GROUP, which holds information about hole or pattern. For more information, refer to Hole Feature.

• List of tags corresponding to the affected instances attached as an attribute.

The following figure shows translation of a Pro/E assembly having cut feature (Hole) to Parasolid where affected instances are Instance 1 and Instance 2:

The following figure shows translation of a Pro/E assembly having cut feature (rectangular pattern of 2x3) to Parasolid where affected instances are Instance 1 and Instance 2:

For more information, refer to Assembly Cut Feature in Flatten Route in ACIS.

BRep

The Parasolid Writer component supports the BRep representation.

Manufacturing Information

InterOp Connect supports Manufacturing Information such as Product Manufacturing Information (PMI) data and Hole data.