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

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The Pro/E Reader component reads Pro/E part and assembly files. This component is in the form of shared libraries.

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

Features

Features of the Pro/E Reader include:

• Assembly support
• Defining non-manifold surfaces on a model
• Support for Manufacturing Information (MI)
• Support for Assembly Cut Features
• Support for Pro/E PMI display information

Options for Pro/E Reader

Assembly

• Assembly support

Pro/E modeler supports part instance or assembly instance. An assembly file can use a particular instance of a part or assembly in it. The Pro/E Reader requires a .xpr or .xas file that corresponds to the part or assembly instance, respectively. If a .xpr or .xas file is unavailable, translation results will be incorrect. A warning indicating the unavailable .xpr or .xas file is output to a log file. While saving the assembly file, the Pro/E modeler does not save these instance files (.xpr and .xas) by default; the modeler option needs to be enabled to do so. Depending upon the capabilities of the Writer, the assembly will be flattened or written as assembly. For translation to ACIS, refer to ACIS Writer for further information on name handling.

• Support for Assembly Cut Features

The Connect interface supports translation of Assembly Cut Features from Pro/E assembly files.

Assembly Cut Features

InterOp supports translation of Assembly Cut Features from Pro/E to ACIS file format. A feature present at the assembly level is called assembly feature. The following figure shows an assembly feature:

Note: In the above figure, assembly Product1.ASM has two instances Fork_End.PRT and Eye_End.PRT. Hole and Cut feature were performed on Product1.ASM assembly, where affected instances are Fork_End and Eye_End. InterOp supports translation of these features.

Translation of Assembly Cut Features is implemented in two ways:

• Flatten Route to ACIS (output as list of entities)
• XML Route to EBOM (output as XML+SAT)

BRep

• Defining non-manifold surfaces on a model

Pro/E can define non-manifold surfaces on a model. The translator provides an option to enable or disable the export of non-manifold surfaces.

Manufacturing Information

The Pro/E Reader component supports the export of PMI data, Hole features, and Dimension data from the Pro/E format.

PMI Data

The PMI information is translated by using PMI representation. The PMI data includes dimensioning (Driven, Driving, and Reference types), Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GDT), 3D annotation (text), Datums, and Surface Roughness information. To support the translation of PMI data, SPAXProePMIExporter.dll is required in addition to the common DLLs listed in the section, 3D InterOp Shared Libraries at Link and Runtime.

Note: The driven dimensions created on sketch are not translated under PMI data.

Dimensions Mapping

While translating from Pro/E, the Driven type dimension from Pro/E is mapped to BASIC or TOLERANCE types based on certain criteria. These criteria are:

• If Pro/E dimension is of Basic display type, it is mapped as BASIC dimension.
• If Pro/E dimension is set to Inspection type or to Neither, then it is mapped as a TOLERANCE dimension.

The Reference type dimension in Pro/E is mapped as REFERENCE type. The subtype represents the Linear, Angular, or Radius value type. Subtype dimension is based on the corresponding dimensions created in Pro/E.

Note: The dimensions for vertices are attached to the corresponding edges.

Dimension text

Note: The attached prefix and suffix text (or symbols) are added to the Dimension text with the separator:

• "|" for all dimension annotation text imported from any other component to ACIS.
• "_" for all dimension annotation text imported from any other component to Parasolid.

The general formula that is applied for implementing this process is as follows.

"dimension_text = PrefixStr|SuffixStr|BeforeStr|UpperStr|AfterStr|LowerStr"

Consider the image above as a classic case of linear dimension where "SuffixStr" is missing; thus, the outcome will be:

"prefix||left|top|right|bottom"

For all Tolerance types formats (Nominal, Plus-Minus, limits, fractions, As Is, and +-Symmetric), we specify the main Dimension value and maximum and minimum tolerance values. The "decimal" option in Pro/E is converted to the Precision value (decimal = 3 means precision = 0.001).

Note: Associated entities of Driving type dimensions may contain the feature group created in Manufacturing representation and BRep link (faces or edges of final BRep) or Feature Construction Wire entities.

Annotations in Pro/E

InterOp Connect supports Text, Surface Roughness, and GD&T types of annotations in a Pro/E file. These annotations (other than GD&T and dimension) are translated only if they have direct association with BRep data of the main model. InterOp Connect represents these annotations as an attribute on the associated entity.

The Pro/E annotations are based on the following rules:

• The Annotations given to the vertices will be attached to the corresponding edges.
• All angular values of GD&T will be converted into radians and other type of GD&T values will be converted into the target document units.
• In the Text Annotations, the text properties such as Underline, Color, Font Size, and Font name are not supported.
• InterOp Connect supports only the semantic type of GD&T.
• Annotations in an assembly file will not be supported.

Hole Feature

The Manufacturing Information for Holes is translated using the Manufacturing representation. To support the translation of Hole features, the SPAXProeManufacturing DLL is required in addition to the common DLLs listed in the section, 3D InterOp Shared Libraries at Link and Runtime.

Note: A group containing all the feature forming faces and feature construction wire entities as members for every active feature in Pro/E file.

Note: You may choose PMI or Manufacturing as the representation type for translating both PMI & Manufacturing information.

Limitations

The Pro/E Reader has the following limitations:

• LCS from only "Part" files are translated

LCS from only "Part" files (.prt files) is translated and written to corresponding .sat files while reading assembly files by XML route. However, LCS of "Part" files is not translated while reading assembly files by flatten route.

• Limited support for layer information

Only layers in Pro/E faces are read; Pro/E bodies and edges do not have layer information.

Layer information is not supported for Pro/E Wildfire 4.

• Reading Manufacturing Information from Assembly Files

InterOp Connect does not support reading PMI data and Hole feature from assembly files.

• Support for Pro/E PMI display information

InterOp Connect supports translation of Pro/E PMI display information; however, it does not support display information for dimension lines and extension lines of dimension PMI entities.

• Display information for PMI is supported for 3D cases only; 2D cases are not supported.
• Radial dimensions leader lines are not supported. Display information consists of display point, primary direction, and display plane information.
• Datum and its display information are not supported when PMI annotation is attached to a non-BRep entity, for example, work plane.
• Datum leader line length is approximated.
• Display information is supported only for Pro/E version Wildfire 3.
• Display point is considered the same as the tail point of a leader line.
• Display Information does not support Driving dimensions.
• Display Information does not support Reference dimensions.

• Limited Support for PMI

InterOp Connect does not support PMI for Pro/E Wildfire 4.