To Check and Heal Imported Data (Construction Environment)

You can use the Quality Check command, heal translated data, and use Copy to Construction during the analysis.

Use Quality Check

Using the Quality Check command, perform only the needed analysis. You can halt the analysis of large data sets and resume later. Previously analyzed data is not rechecked, but you can optionally clear diagnostic results.

  1. In the part browser, double-click the Construction folder to enter the construction environment.
  2. Select solids or surfaces to examine, using one of the following methods:
    • On the ribbon, click Construction tab Manage panel Quality Check.
    • Select data (solids and surfaces) in the graphics window.
    • In the browser, right-click a group node and select Quality Check.
    • In the graphics window, drag a window to select solids or surfaces. Right-click and select Quality Check.
  3. Select Examine to check the data.

Refit Face (Heal) Translated Data During Quality Check

Refit Face is a feature of the Quality Check command that attempts to repair entities within a user-specified tolerance value. Refit Face is enabled only when the system determines that the face selected in the Problem Diagnosis browser can be repaired by the command.

  1. Import IGES or STEP data.
  2. Right-click the Construction folder in the browser, and select Edit Construction.
  3. On the ribbon, click Construction tab Manage panel Quality Check.
  4. Select an entity for repair in the Quality Check dialog box. You must select a single face body. If you select a muti-face body, solid, or quilt, the Refit Face command is disabled.
  5. Select or enter a Maximum Tolerance value. The value is the maximum value that the system is allowed to deviate from the selected face when generating a new face during the repair process.
    Note: We recommend that a small value be used. This field is often prepopulated by the tolerance factor found in the IGES or STEP file. If the face is not repaired, then slowly increase the tolerance value. This ensures that the original integrity of the surface is maintained.
  6. Click Refit.
  7. When the process is completed, the Description area updates and displays the number of bodies worked on, and the number of problems that were repaired.
    Note: One body can be listed under multiple known issues, and repairing a single face may resolve multiple problems.

    If no changes are made during the repair attempt, the message "Repair Unsuccessful" is displayed in the Description area. In this case, run the Refit command again, specifying a larger tolerance value.

    If necessary, you can undo each repair attempt.

Use Copy to Construction

Use Copy to Construction to verify or repair imported data with errors. Copy to Construction duplicates a base feature (either a surface or solid) in the construction environment, where you can use special commands to analyze and make repairs. You can then redefine the feature in the part environment to replace the old data with the repaired data.

You can use this procedure to update a part model with changes made to a base feature generated by IGES, STEP, or SAT.

Note: By default, Inventor applies the part name (file name of the inserted part) to browser file nodes, whereas other CAD systems may apply the part number property. When a STEP file is imported into Inventor, its name may differ from the name of the CAD system which generated the STEP file. To avoid confusion, use Rename Browser Nodes to specify the browser node naming scheme.
  1. Open a STEP, SAT, or IGES file. A base feature is created in the part browser.
  2. Right-click the base feature, and select Copy to Construction. A duplicate feature is created in the construction environment.
  3. In the part environment, right-click the base feature, and select Suppress Features. The construction copy is still visible.
  4. In the browser, double-click the Construction folder to enter the construction environment. Click to expand the construction groups. The copy has the same group name as the base feature name in the part environment.
  5. Use commands on the Construction tab to analyze and repair data errors.
  6. Right-click the Construction folder, and select Finish Construction.
  7. In the part environment, two bodies are now visible, with one overlaid on the other. Right-click the suppressed base feature, and select Unsuppress Features.
  8. Right-click the base feature, and select Redefine. The base feature is redefined using the repaired construction data.

The construction copy is consumed by the redefined feature, but the group remains in the construction browser.