Repair environment

You can import data from other CAD systems in Inventor. Usually, the files open as solid bodies in the part environment. When surfaces and wireframe are imported, depending on options selected during import, they are placed in the Part, Repair, or the Construction environment.

There are differences in the tools and behavior of bodies in the Repair and Construction environment.

The Repair environment:

• Uses advanced diagnostic and healing tools.
• Participates in modeling operations and history.

The Construction Environment:

• Does not participate in model history.
• Participate in modeling operations only if objects are copied to the part environment .

Workflow for importing files:

Open the model with all checking and healing options off to translate the file and view the results quickly.

If the model has no obvious errors like the following image, close the file. Import using the options Import into Repair Environment, Multiple Composite Features, and Auto Stitch and Promote.

Note: Multiple Composite Features is not available for some file types. If the file type supports layers, levels, or groups, selecting the option imports the data as separate composite features. If the data is not separated into different layers, levels, or groups in the source file, selecting this option has no impact on the number of composite surfaces created.

If the parts can be stitched into solids, the repair operation is complete.

If some or all of the imported bodies fail to solidify, repair the data after translation in the Repair environment. The tools in the repair environment provide you with the greatest amount of control over the tolerance values. You can also accept or reject changes to obtain optimum results.

Reopen the file and enable the option Import into Repair Environment. The model opens in the Repair environment.

If the repair environment option is not available, in the 3D Model tab, Surface panel, use the command Repair Bodies, and select a base body to activate the repair environment after translation. To enter the environment, in the browser, double-click the repair body.

Use the Repair environment to analyze the quality of imported data and repair surfaces or solids for use in part modeling. After data is repaired, the repaired body participates in the model history.

Some of the errors occur during translation, or are the result of loose modeling techniques. These errors include:

• Self intersecting surfaces or curves
• Intersecting faces
• Modeling uncertainty (miscellaneous topology and geometry errors)
• Irregular surfaces
• Face normal direction is pointing the wrong way
• Gaps between surfaces
• Holes in surfaces
• Overlapping faces

You can detect and repair these errors using specialized tools found in the Repair environment.

Find Errors examines the selected bodies for errors in topology, geometry, and modeling.

The data is marked in the browser with one of the following icons:

	Healthy Geometry
	Geometry that requires further checking
	Geometry that contains errors and requires repair

Heal Errors fixes errors in the selected bodies using the Allowable Change tolerance value.

Note: To preview the number of errors fixed by the specified tolerance value, before you click OK, use Analyze Selected Bodies.

Use the surface tools to repair data not fixed by the Heal Errors command.