Version 8 / Surfaces options

The Version 8 / Surfaces page of the Options dialog contains the options for data exchange with version 8 solids and surfaces.

1. Click File > Options > Application Options > Data Exchange > Version 8 / Surfaces.
2. Use the following options to specify the data exchange settings:

Import non-parasolid solids using — Select the method to use to import non-parasolid solids from:

• Default settings — Select this option to detect the file type and import solids as Parasolids or version 8 solids depending on the file type:
  • If the file is from a solid modeller, it is imported as a Parasolid.
  • If the file is not from a solid modeller, it is imported as a version 8 solid.
• Parasolid — Select this option to import a non-parasolid solid as a parasolid
• Version 8 — Select this option to import a non-parasolid solid as a version 8 solid.
• Surface — Select this option to import a non-parasolid solid as surfaces.

Surface trimming — In an IGES file, a trimming curve can be defined as either 2D parameter or 3D coordinate values. The Surface trimming options enable you to set:

• whether a trimming curve is imported from an IGES file as either 2D parameter or 3D coordinate values.
• whether a pcurve is exported to an IGES file as 2D parameter or 3D coordinate values.

Select from:

• 2D — Only the 2D parameter values are imported or exported.
• 3D — Only the 3D coordinate values are imported or exported.
• 2D and 3D — The 2D parameter values are imported, but if the trimming curve cannot be drawn using the 2D curve values, the 3D coordinate values are imported. Both the 2D parameter and 3D coordinate values are exported.
• None — No trimming curves are imported or exported, so untrimmed surfaces are imported or exported.

You are advised to use the 2D option when importing Parasolid/Unigraphics, SolidWorks/SolidEdge.

Duplicate PPoint tolerance — This controls the tolerance for removing duplicate PPoints when importing files. If two PPoints lie within this tolerance, they are treated as duplicate points and one of the PPoints is removed when the file is imported.

Import

The following import options are available:

• Open a new model for each CATIA fic file — Catia export files *.cat and *.exp are made up of several Catia fic files. By default, each fic file is imported into a separate new model. You can import the fic files into the same model by turning off this option.
• Automatic viewing of the model after import — Select this option to automatically view the model when imported. This also turns on all the levels used and displays the model using the zoom full viewing option.
• Automatic orientation of surfaces after import — Select this option to automatically orient normals to surfaces when the model is imported. This points the normals of surfaces on each level in the same direction.
• Remove surface patches outside trim boundary — Select this option to remove surface patches outside the trim boundary when the model is imported.

Export

The following export options are available:

• Merge short edges — Enter a tolerance for merging short edges. Edges that are shorter than the tolerance are merged.
• Heal solids — for future development.
• Add trim boundaries — Select this option to add trim boundaries to the edges of all surfaces that are untrimmed.
• Link solids — Select this option to find and store the linked half-edges of a solid, where a half-edge is a segment of a boundary of a face.
• Remove duplicate 3D ppoints — Select this option to remove all duplicate 3D ppoints within general tolerance.
• Orient surfaces — Level by level, all the normals of multiple surfaces are orientated so that the outside of two adjacent surfaces match. The model is unaltered.

Break Surfaces

These options determine how to break a surface when it is exported.

• Discontinuity angle — If a surface contains a tangent discontinuity, it is broken at that point. A tangent discontinuity in a surface is defined by angle given in the box next to this option.
• Planar regions — Select this option to break surfaces at the edges of planar regions.
• Zero length patch — If a surface contains a zero-length patch, it is split on either side of the patch.
• Closed — Select this option to break a closed surface into two pieces.
• Patch borders — Select this option to break all surfaces at all longitudinal and lateral curves.