Autodesk Direct Connect 2015 Instruction Manual Directconnect Ug En

User Manual: autodesk DirectConnect - 2015 - Instruction Manual Free User Guide for Autodesk DirectConnect Software, Manual

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Autodesk® DirectConnect 2015

User's Guide

Legal Notices

© 2014 Autodesk, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Except as otherwise permitted by Autodesk, Inc., this publication, or parts thereof, may not

be reproduced in any form, by any method, for any purpose.

Certain materials included in this publication are reprinted with the permission of the copyright holder.

Trademarks

The following are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and other countries:

123D, 3ds Max, Algor, Alias, AliasStudio, ATC, AutoCAD LT, AutoCAD, Autodesk, the Autodesk logo, Autodesk 123D, Autodesk Homestyler,

Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk MapGuide, Autodesk Streamline, AutoLISP, AutoSketch, AutoSnap, AutoTrack, Backburner, Backdraft, Beast, BIM

360, Burn, Buzzsaw, CADmep, CAiCE, CAMduct, CFdesign, Civil 3D, Cleaner, Combustion, Communication Specification, Constructware,

Content Explorer, Creative Bridge, Dancing Baby (image), DesignCenter, DesignKids, DesignStudio, Discreet, DWF, DWG, DWG (design/logo),

DWG Extreme, DWG TrueConvert, DWG TrueView, DWGX, DXF, Ecotect, ESTmep, Evolver, FABmep, Face Robot, FBX, Fempro, Fire, Flame,

Flare, Flint, FMDesktop, ForceEffect, FormIt, Freewheel, Fusion 360, Glue, Green Building Studio, Heidi, Homestyler, HumanIK, i-drop,

ImageModeler, Incinerator, Inferno, InfraWorks, Instructables, Instructables (stylized robot design/logo), Inventor LT, Inventor, Kynapse, Kynogon,

LandXplorer, Lustre, MatchMover, Maya, Maya LT, Mechanical Desktop, MIMI, Mockup 360, Moldflow Plastics Advisers, Moldflow Plastics

Insight, Moldflow, Moondust, MotionBuilder, Movimento, MPA (design/logo), MPA, MPI (design/logo), MPX (design/logo), MPX, Mudbox,

Navisworks, ObjectARX, ObjectDBX, Opticore, Pipeplus, Pixlr, Pixlr-o-matic, Productstream, RasterDWG, RealDWG, ReCap, Remote, Revit LT,

Revit, RiverCAD, Robot, Scaleform, Showcase, ShowMotion, Sim 360, SketchBook, Smoke, Socialcam, Softimage, Sparks, SteeringWheels,

Stitcher, Stone, StormNET, TinkerBox, ToolClip, Topobase, Toxik, TrustedDWG, T-Splines, ViewCube, Visual LISP, Visual, VRED, Wire, Wiretap,

WiretapCentral, XSI.

All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

Disclaimer

THIS PUBLICATION AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS MADE AVAILABLE BY AUTODESK, INC. "AS IS." AUTODESK, INC. DISCLAIMS

ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR

FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE REGARDING THESE MATERIALS.

Contents

Chapter 1 What Is Autodesk DirectConnect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Supported products and translators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Chapter 2 What's New in This Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Improvements in Autodesk DirectConnect 2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Chapter 3 Installation and Licenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

DirectConnect and Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Chapter 4 Translator Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Autodesk Inventor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

CATIA V4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

CATIA V5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

DWF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

DWG DXF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

IGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

JT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

NX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Open Inventor and Cosmo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Pro/ENGINEER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

SolidWorks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

STEP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

iii

STL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

ZPR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Chapter 5 Locations of Imported Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Autodesk Alias Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Autodesk Maya Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Autodesk Showcase Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Autodesk Opticore Studio Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Chapter 6 Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Glossary terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

ASM (.asm) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

BSD license . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

CATIA V4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

CATIA V5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

CGR (.cgr) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Cosmo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

CSB (.csb) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

DLV (.dlv) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

DRAW (DR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

DWF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

DWG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

DXF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

G (.g) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Granite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

IAM (.iam) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

IGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

IPT (.ipt) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

IV (.iv) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

JT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

NX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Open Inventor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

PCRE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Pro/ENGINEER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

PRT (.prt) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

SLDASM (.sldasm) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

SLDPRT (.sldprt) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

SolidWorks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

SPACE (SP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

SPF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

STEP (.step) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

STL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

STP (.stp) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

V3Rx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

iv | Contents

ZPR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Contents | v

vi

What Is Autodesk Direct-

Connect

Autodesk® DirectConnect is a family of data translators. Each of these translators imports a

specific CAD file format into one or more of the following Autodesk® software products:

■Autodesk® Alias®

■Autodesk® Maya®

■Autodesk® Showcase®

■Autodesk® Opticore® Studio

■3ds Max®/3ds Max® Design

■VRED™

The translators also export some CAD file formats from some products.

1

1

Supported products and translators

Import to Autodesk Alias, Autodesk Showcase, Autodesk Maya,

Autodesk Opticore Studio, 3ds Max, 3ds Max Design, VRED:

Apple® Mac OS® X® 10.7,

10.8, 10.9, 64-bit

Windows® 7, 64-bit; Win-

dows® 8, 64 bit

File Format

Not available

Autodesk Inventor (page 10)®

Not available in 3ds Max/3ds Max

Design

Not available

CATIA V4 (page 12)®

All versions + V3RX, .model files from

CATIA V5-6R2013

Not available

CATIA V5 (page 14)®

V5 R23 (V5-6R2013)

Not available in Showcase, Op-

ticore Studio

DWG DXF (page 19)®

Up to V2015

Not available in 3ds Max/3ds Max

Design

Not available in Showcase, Op-

ticore Studio

IGES (page 21)

V5.3

Not availableJT (page 26)

Up to V10.0

Not available

Pro/ENGINEER (page 36) and Creo ®

Up to Wildfire 5.0, and Granite 8.0,

neutral (.neu)

Creo, up to V2

Not Available in Showcase

2 | Chapter 1 What Is Autodesk DirectConnect

Apple® Mac OS® X® 10.7,

10.8, 10.9, 64-bit

Windows® 7, 64-bit; Win-

dows® 8, 64 bit

File Format

Not available

NX (page 28)® UG V13.0 to NX 9.0

Not availableOpen Inventor™ and Cosmo™_ (page

34) All versions

Not available in 3ds Max/3ds Max

Design

Not available

SolidWorks (page 38)®(1) 2003-2014

Must be licensed and running on the

import machine.

Not available in Showcase

SPF

Alias (.wire)

Not available in Showcase, Op-

ticore Studio.

STEP (page 40)

AP214, AP203E2

Not available in Showcase, Op-

ticore Studio.

STL (page 42) (Stereo-lithography)

Not available in 3ds Max/3ds Max

Design

Export from: Autodesk Alias, Autodesk Maya, 3ds Max, 3ds Max

Design, VRED:

Apple® Mac OS® X® 10.7, 10.8,

10.9, 64-bit

Windows® 7, 64-bit; Win-

dows® 8, 64-bit

File Format

DWG DXF (page 19) Real Dwg

2015, Alias (.wire) only.

Not available in 3ds Max/3ds Max

Design.

IGES (page 21)

V5.3

Supported products and translators | 3

Apple® Mac OS® X® 10.7, 10.8,

10.9, 64-bit

Windows® 7, 64-bit; Win-

dows® 8, 64-bit

File Format

Not available in 3ds Max/3ds Max

Design.

Not availableNX (page 28)

UG V15.0*, NX1.0, 3.0, 5.0, 7.0,

8.0

Not available in 3ds Max/3ds Max

Design.

SPF

Alias (.wire)

STL (Stereo-lithography)

Not available in 3ds Max/3ds Max

Design.

Not available

ZPR (page 44)®

(ZPrint CAD for Rapid Prototyping)

V1.2

Not available in 3ds Max/3ds Max

Design.

4 | Chapter 1 What Is Autodesk DirectConnect

What's New in This Re-

lease

Improvements in Autodesk DirectConnect 2015

■CATIA V4 importer supports .model files created from CATIA V5-6R2013.

■CATIA V5 importer supports V5 R22 (V5-6R2013) files.

■NX importer supports NX 9.0.

■Parasolid exporter supports V 26.

2

5

■SolidWorks importer supports SolidWorks 2014.

6 | Chapter 2 What's New in This Release

Installation and Licenses

DirectConnect and Installation

Autodesk® DirectConnect software installs automatically when the following

Autodesk software is installed:

■Autodesk® Alias®

■Autodesk® Maya®

■Autodesk® Showcase®

■3ds Max®/3ds Max® Design

■VRED™

■VRED™ Design

■VRED™ Professional

■VRED™ Presenter

Autodesk DirectConnect software is provided on the media with Autodesk®

Opticore® Studio software, in the Autodesk DirectConnect 2015 folder. It requires

manual installation.

For information about installing these software products, refer to their respective

installation guides.

NOTE DirectConnect Help is supported only on Microsoft® Internet Explorer®.

Performance on other browsers does not provide consistent results.

3

7

Support platforms

Autodesk DirectConnect runs on the same platform as the Autodesk product

it installs with:

Apple® Mac OS® X® 10.7,

10.8, 10.9, 64-bit

Microsoft® Windows® 7, 64-

bit; Windows® 8, 64-bit

Autodesk Software

Autodesk Alias

Autodesk Maya

Not availableAutodesk Showcase

Not availableAutodesk Opticore Studio

Not available3ds Max/3ds Max Design

VRED

System requirements

Autodesk DirectConnect requires the following amount of available disk space:

■Windows 7: 700 MB for 32-bit, and 900 MB for 64-bit

■Windows 8: 900 MB for 64-bit

■Mac OS X: 300 MB for 64-bit

DirectConnect installs with other products, so your system must also

accommodate the host product requirements. (For the system requirements

of the host product, consult the appropriate installation guide.)

8 | Chapter 3 Installation and Licenses

Translator Details 4

9

Autodesk Inventor

Autodesk® Inventor® is a 3D mechanical design, product simulation, tooling

creation, and design communication software.

Autodesk® DirectConnect supports the import of Autodesk Inventor part (*.ipt)

and assembly (*.iam) files into the Autodesk® Alias®, Autodesk® Maya®,

Autodesk® Opticore® Studio, and VRED™ software. See installation information

in Install Autodesk DirectConnect. (page 7)

Import Autodesk Inventor files

1Choose the menu path in your installed Autodesk software product:

File > Open or File > Import > FileAutodesk Alias

File > Open Scene or File > ImportAutodesk Maya (Windows version)

File > ImportAutodesk Opticore Studio

File > ImportVRED

2In the browser, select an Autodesk Inventor *.ipt or *.iam file.

10 | Chapter 4 Translator Details

3Click OK, or Open to launch the translator and import the file.

NOTE To maintain the original positioning and orientation of part files in

your scene, import the assembly file. Importing part files before the assembly

file positions all of them at the origin (0,0,0), and removes the original

positioning.

Types of data imported

NURBS are imported, and the following information is maintained on import:

■Brep bodies

■Data organization

■Tolerances and units

■Material colors and simple transparency

■Weld maps (beads only)

■Thread maps

■Decals

For locating the imported data, see Locations of Imported Data (page 47).

Limitations

■Work sources, display meshes, and some 2D/3D sketches are automatically

excluded when importing an Autodesk Inventor file.

■Some cylindrical surfaces (pipes) do not trim properly.

Autodesk Inventor | 11

CATIA V4

CATIA® is computer-aided design software from Dassault Systèmes.

Autodesk DirectConnect supports the import of CATIA V4 (all versions, plus

V3RX Levels) into the Autodesk Alias, Autodesk Showcase, Autodesk Opticore

Studio, 3ds Max®/3ds Max® Design , and VRED software. The import includes

geometric sets, attributes, such as names, layers, RGB colors, and visibility,

and the CATIA file types. See installation information in Install Autodesk

DirectConnect. (page 7)

DirectConnect supports CATIA model and export files produced with CATIA

V4.xx and earlier V3RX Levels, and .model files from CATIA V5-6R2013.

Import CATIA V4 files

1Choose the menu path in your installed Autodesk software product:

File > Open or File > Import > FileAutodesk Alias

File > Open Scene or File > ImportAutodesk Maya (Windows version)

12 | Chapter 4 Translator Details

File > Import > Import FilesAutodesk Showcase

File > ImportAutodesk Opticore Studio

Application Menu > Import > Select File

to Import dialog

3ds Max/3dsMax Design

2In the browser, select a CATIA V4 *.model, *.mdl, *.session, *.exp,

*.dlv,*.dlv3, or .dlv4 file.

3Click OK, or Open.

The translator launches automatically, and the file imports into the

scene.

Types of SPACE (SP) entities supported for import

■Point (Type 1)

■Line (Type 2)

■Parametric curve (Type 3)

■Plane (Type 4)

■Parametric surface (Type 5)

■Face (Type 6)

■Volume (Type 7)

■Transformation (Type 9)

■Edge (Type 12)

■Circle (Type 20)

■Ellipse (Type 21)

■Parabola (Type 22)

■Hyperbola (Type 23)

■Polyhedral surface (Type 16)

■Composite curve (Type 24)

■Solids - Mockup (Type 17, secondary type 1)

■Exact solid (Type 17, secondary type 2)

■Space ditto (Type 28)

■Parametric skin (Type 35)

CATIA V4 | 13

■NURB curve (Type 46)

■NURB surface (Type 47)

NOTE

■To locate this data in your Autodesk software, see Locations of Imported

Data (page 47).

■For information about options in Alias for data importation, see the

Autodesk Alias Help.

■For definitions on these data types, consult your CATIA documentation.

CATIA V5

CATIA is computer-aided design software from Dassault Systèmes.

Autodesk DirectConnect supports import of CATIA V5 (R6-R23) files in the

Autodesk Alias, Autodesk Maya, Autodesk Showcase, Autodesk Opticore Studio,

3ds Max/3ds Max Design, and VRED software. See installation information

in Install Autodesk DirectConnect. (page 7)

Export of CATIA V5 Part files is available only in Alias (release 10 - 23).

14 | Chapter 4 Translator Details

Import CATIA V5 files

1Choose the menu path in your installed Autodesk software product:

File > Open or File > Import > FileAutodesk Alias

File > Open Scene or File > ImportAutodesk Maya (Windows version)

File > Import > Import FilesAutodesk Showcase

File > ImportAutodesk Opticore Studio

Application Menu > Import > Select File

to Import dialog

3ds Max/3dsMax Design

2In the browser, select a CATIA V5 (*.CATProduct ,*.CATPart, or *.cgr)

file.

3Click OK, or Open to launch the translator and import the file into the

scene.

Types of data imported

We support the import of files from CATIA V5 releases V5 (R6-23), and the

following types of data:

■Point

■Line

■Arc

■Ellipse

■Parabola

■Hyperbola

■BSpline curve

■Polynomial curve

■Plane

■Cylindrical surface

■Conical surface

■Spherical surface

CATIA V5 | 15

■Toroidal surface

■BSpline surface

■Revolve surface

■Ruled surface

■Open body

■Solid body

■Layer

■Geometric set

■Part (from CATIA V5 release 6 and higher)

■Product (from CATIA V5 release 6 and higher)

■Attributes (RGB color, layer, name, visibility, and materials)

■Per face color assignments

■Cloud mesh data

■Tessellated data

■Weld data

NOTE

■To locate this data in your Autodesk software, see Locations of Imported

Data (page 47).

■For information about options in Alias for data importation, see the

Autodesk Alias Help.

■For definitions about these data types, consult your CATIA documentation.

File formats referenced

The following are some of the file formats that can be referenced by CATIA

V5 assembly files:

■.CATProduct

■.CATPart

■.model

■.cgr

■.stl

16 | Chapter 4 Translator Details

DWF

Design Web Format (DWF™) is a file format developed by Autodesk for Web

viewing and printing.

Autodesk DirectConnect supports the export of Autodesk Alias tessellated

model data to file in DWF(*.dwf) format up to version 2014, to view in

Autodesk Design Review and Project Freewheel. See installation information

in Install Autodesk DirectConnect. (page 7)

NOTE For more information about software setup for Autodesk Alias, see the

Autodesk Alias Help.

Export DWF files

1In Autodesk Alias, select a file to be exported as a DWF, and click File

> Export > Active As

, or File > Save As

.

2On the File Formats menu, select DWF (.dwf).

DWF | 17

3Set export options, and then click Save.

FunctionOption

When turned ON, exports curves.Export Curves

If an Alias layer has symmetry turned ON, this information and

the geometric objects resulting from symmetry can be merged

and converted, or left intact (unmerged) and converted.

Export Symmetry

When turned OFF, layer symmetry is not exported.

Fast Models triangulate quickly and less accurately.Tessellator

Accurate Models triangulate slowly and more accurately.

■Tolerance The amount a polygonal surface can deviate

from the original NURBS surface. The default value is 0.01.

■Limit Edge Length If selected, a Max edge length slider

controls maximum size of the triangles. If unchecked, there

is no limit to the size of the triangles.

■Max Edge Length The maximum length of any triangle

edge (in current linear units).

Types of data exported

The DirectConnect translator for DWF exports only meshes. The Alias scene

DAG hierarchy is preserved. Associated color information is also exported.

NOTE For information about options in Alias for data importation, see the Autodesk

Alias Help.

18 | Chapter 4 Translator Details

DWG DXF

The DWG and DXF® file types are drawing files and Drawing eXchange files

in the AutoCAD® software.

Autodesk DirectConnect supports the import of AutoCAD (DWG and DXF)

files into the Autodesk Alias, Autodesk Maya, Autodesk Opticore Studio, and

VRED software. See installation information in Install Autodesk DirectConnect.

(page 7)

Import DWG/DXF files

1Choose the menu path in your installed Autodesk software product:

File > Open or File > Import > FileAutodesk Alias

File > Open Scene or File > ImportAutodesk Maya

File > ImportAutodesk Opticore

Studio

2Browse to, and select a DWG (.dwg) or DXF (.dxf) file.

3Click OK, or Open to launch the translator and import the file.

DWG DXF | 19

Types of DWG and DXF data imported

■Colors

■Materials

■Lines, arcs, and splines

■Extruded curves

■Extrusions

■Layers

■Meshes

■Surfaces

■Text

■3D solids

IMPORTANT

■Showcase does not support the AutoCAD material attribute Illumination.

Alias supports the AutoCAD material attribute Illumination; however,

it is called Incandescence.

■Showcase supports only 3D hierarchical data. It does not support 2D

drawings.

NOTE

■To locate this data in your Autodesk software, see Locations of Imported

Data (page 47).

■For information about options in Alias for data importation, see the

Autodesk Alias Help.

■With want curves set to ON, DWG and DXF both support curves and

round-trip data export. If they do not come in, set want curves to ON.

Export DWG/DXF files (Autodesk Alias)

1In your Autodesk software, choose File > Save As

, or File > Export > Active As

.

20 | Chapter 4 Translator Details

2On the File Formats menu, click DWG or DXF. For details about the

available options, see the Help in the Autodesk software.

3Select a DWG/DXF version, and click Save.

IGES

Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES) is a file format for transferring

graphics data between CAD/CAM systems.

Autodesk DirectConnect supports the import and export of the neutral IGES

V5.3 (*.iges or *.igs) format files in the Autodesk Alias, Autodesk Maya

(Windows version), Autodesk Showcase, Autodesk Opticore Studio, 3ds

Max/3ds Max Design, and VRED software. See installation information in In-

stall Autodesk DirectConnect. (page 7)

NOTE For more information about software setup for Autodesk Alias, see the

Autodesk Alias Help.

Import IGES files

1Choose the menu path in your installed Autodesk software product:

File > Open or File > Import > FileAutodesk Alias

File > Open Scene or File > ImportAutodesk Maya (Windows version)

File > Import > Import FilesAutodesk Showcase

IGES | 21

File > ImportAutodesk Opticore Studio

Application Menu > Import > Select File

to Import dialog

3ds Max/3dsMax Design

2In the browser, select a native IGES V5.3 (*.iges or *.igs) file.

3Click OK, or Open to launch the translator and import the file into the

scene.

Export IGES files

1In your Autodesk software, choose File > Save As, or File > Export >

Active As

.

2On the File Formats menu, click DWG or DXF. For details about the

available options, see the Help in the Autodesk software.

3Save to a native IGES V5.3(*.iges or *.igs) file.

Troubleshoot (Autodesk Alias)

If the files you import contain unsatisfactory data, change the following import

options in Autodesk Alias:

Default Trim Curves

Specifies the trim curves that the processor uses. You can select parameter

space curves, model space curves, or use the flag that is present in the IGES

file. By default, the preference flag in the IGES files is used.

Shrink Surface

When turned ON, Alias detects trimmed surfaces with trim boundaries that

are the same as, or isoparametric to, the natural boundaries of the untrimmed

surface. It then converts these surfaces into Alias surfaces by shrinking the

untrimmed surface to the trim boundaries.

When turned OFF, Alias converts all trimmed surfaces of this type to Alias

trimmed surfaces.

22 | Chapter 4 Translator Details

Types of data imported

The DirectConnect for IGES translator imports ASCII format IGES files with

or without linefeed characters at the end of each record. The software does

not support Binary IGES files.

The software imports NURBS for this file format and maintains the following

information on import:

■Surfaces and curves

■Data organization (groups, layers, visibility, and instances)

■Units

■Colors

NOTE

■For information about this data in your Autodesk software, see Locations

of Imported Data (page 1).

■For information about options in Alias for data importation, see the

Autodesk Alias Help.

Identify IGES supported entities in log files

The following table shows IGES entities supported on import by DirectConnect

for IGES.

NOTE The input translator ignores any entities with an entity use flag value 02

(Definition), except for entity use flag value with IGES Subfigure Definition entity

(Type 308).

IGES EntityFormType

circular arc0100

composite curve0102

conic arc, ellipse, parabola, hyperbola0-3104

copious data1106

IGES | 23

IGES EntityFormType

copious data2106

copious data11106

copious data12106

closed area63106

plane0108

bounded plane+/- 1108

line0110

parametric curve0112

parametric surface0114

point0116

ruled surface0 - 1118

surface of revolution0120

tabulated cylinder0122

direction0123

transformation matrix0124

rational B-spline curve0-5126

rational B-spline surface0-9128

24 | Chapter 4 Translator Details

IGES EntityFormType

offset curve0130

offset surface0140

boundary entity0141

curve on surface0142

boundary surface0143

trimmed surface0144

Manifold Solid BRep Object (MSBO)-1,0,1186

plane surface (1)0,1190

right circular cylindrical surface0,1192

right circular conical surface0,1194

spherical surface0,1196

toroidal surface0,1198

subfigure definition0308

associativity instance7, 9402

singular subfigure instance0408

vertex list1502

edge list1504

IGES | 25

IGES EntityFormType

loop0,1508

face1510

shell1,2514

(1)For type 190, 0 means unparameterized surface and 1 parameterized. The

plane surface type is unbounded unless it is subordinate to another entity,

such as the Bounded Surface Entity (type 143) or the Trimmed parametric

Surface Entity (type 144), that references its bounding geometry.

IGES levels

The system adds all supported geometric IGES entities that are associated with

IGES level <n> to an Alias layer called LEVEL<n>.

For example, if a 126 B-spline entity directory entry indicates that it is on level

42, then it is added as Layer LEVEL42.

JT

The JT Open Program develops and supports the DirectModel format JT for

the visualization of 3D models.

Autodesk DirectConnect supports the import of JT (up to V10) files into the

Autodesk Alias, Autodesk Maya, Autodesk Showcase, Autodesk Opticore Studio,

3ds Max/3ds Max Design and VRED software. See installation information in

Install Autodesk DirectConnect. (page 7)

26 | Chapter 4 Translator Details

Import JT files

1Choose the menu path in your installed Autodesk software product:

File > Open or File > Import > FileAutodesk Alias

File > Open Scene or File > ImportAutodesk Maya

File > Import > Import FilesAutodesk Showcase

File > ImportAutodesk Opticore Studio

Application Menu > Import > Select File to

Import dialog

3ds Max/3dsMax Design

2In the browser, select a (*.jt) file.

3Click OK, or Open to launch the translator and import the file into the

scene.

Type of data imported

The software maintains the following information when importing JT files:

■Precise geometric data conversion

■Data organization (parent and child hierarchal data, visibility, and

instances)

■Units

■Levels of detail (degrees of tessellation)

■Materials (brightness (shininess), ambient color, specular color, diffuse

color, and emission color)

■Textures (embedded image files)

■XT BRep and JT BRep topology

■Coordinate systems or locators

■User defined and customized attributes and properties

JT | 27

NOTE

■To locate this data in your Autodesk software, see Locations of Imported

Data (page 1).

■For Information about Alias options for data importation, see the Autodesk

Alias Help.

Limitations

■Import options are not available.

■The software automatically excludes curve geometry and animation when

importing a JT file.

NX

NX® is a solid modeling package based on the Parasolid kernel. The package

contains many (mostly optional) modules, for example CAD, CAM, CAE, sheet

metal applications, knowledge bases, quality control, and rapid prototyping.

The file structure is binary.

Autodesk DirectConnect supports the import of NX files (UG V13.0 through

NX 9.0) into the Autodesk Alias, Autodesk Maya, Autodesk Showcase, Autodesk

Opticore Studio, 3ds Max/3ds Max Design, and VRED software. It supports

the export of NX UG15.0*, NX 1.0, NX 3.0, NX 5.0, NX 7.0, and NX 8.0.

See installation information in the Install_DirectConnect.pdf document on the

installation CD.

28 | Chapter 4 Translator Details

Import NX files

1Choose the menu path in your installed Autodesk software product:

File > Open or File > Import > FileAutodesk Alias

File > Open Scene or File > ImportAutodesk Maya (Windows version)

File > Import > Import FilesAutodesk Showcase

File > ImportAutodesk Opticore Studio

Application Menu > Import > Select File

to Import dialog

3ds Max/3dsMax Design

2In the browser, select an NX (version UG V13.0 to NX 9.0) part or

assembly*.prt file.

For information about import options in Alias, see the Autodesk Alias

Help.

3Click OK, or Open to launch the translator and import the file into the

scene.

Export NX files - Autodesk Alias, Autodesk Maya

1In your installed Autodesk software, choose the menu path:

File > Save AsAutodesk Alias

or File > Export > Active As

File > Export allAutodesk Maya

or File > Export Selection

2In Alias, on the File Formats menu, click NX.

3In Maya, the file type is UG_DCE.

NX | 29

4For options, see the Help in the Autodesk software.

5Click Save.

See the Alias documentation for details about building a model for maximum

compatibility between NX and Alias.

Supported Alias geometry types for export to NX

The translator does not support non-geometry entities, such as lights, cameras,

textures, windows, and animations. The numbers in the table entries refer to

Notes for NX entities following the table.

NX EntityAlias Entity

BcurveConic (ellipse/hyperbola/parabola)

CurveConic

CircleCircle

LineLine

BCurveCurve

BSurface (1), (2)Surface

Face (1), (2)Trimmed Surface

Bsurface (1), (2)Plane

Colour Attribute (3)Shader

Sheet BodyShell (Open)

Solid BodyShell (Closed)

Layer (4)Layer

CategoryCategory

30 | Chapter 4 Translator Details

Notes for NX entities

(1) NX cannot have free-standing surfaces, so it maps all surfaces to faces

which must be attached to a sheet body.

(2) Splits appear in surfaces that have internal discontinuities at the

discontinuities.

(3) Mapped as a Display Attribute of the mapped surface or shell.

(4) Layer name is not mapped.

Supported Alias NX entities for Alias import

Alias EntityNX Entity Objects

SurfaceBSurface

SurfaceBounded Plane

SurfaceCylindrical Surface

SurfaceConical Surface

SurfaceTabulated Cylinder

SurfaceRules Surface

SurfaceBlended Face Surface

SurfaceSurface of Revolution

SurfaceOffset Surface

SurfaceSculptured Surface

CurveBCurve

Line (Curve)Line

NX | 31

Alias EntityNX Entity Objects

CurveBcurve

Point (Curve) (1)Point

Shell (Open) (2)Sheet Body

Groups/Instance (3)Assembly

LayerLayer

CategoryCategory

Space pointsSpace points

annotation leaders (locators of type annpotate in

.wire files)

annotation leaders (locators of type annpotate in

.wire files)

Notes for Alias NX (object) entities

(1) An NX point converts to a degree 1 curve composed of two coincident

points. On export to NX, this construction converts back to an NX point.

(2) If the sheet body only points to one face, then Alias converts the face to

a trimmed surface.

(3) This is a one-way mapping. Assemblies cannot be exported.

(4 ) Added as blind data. Can be re-exported.

Types of data imported

We support the import of the following types of NX geometry, and attributes

such as name, color, layer, and visibility.

■Point

■Line

■BCurve

■Circle

■Ellipse

32 | Chapter 4 Translator Details

■Parabola

■Hyperbola

■Surface Parameter Curve

■Trimmed Curve

■Intersection Curve

■BSurface

■Planar Surface

■Spherical Surface

■Cylindrical Surface

■Conical Surface

■Surface of Revolution

■Spun Surface

■Offset Surface

■Ruled Surface

■Swept Surface

■Toroidal Surface

■Blended Edge Surface

■Blended Bound Surface

■Facet

■Sheet Body

■Solid Body

■Part

■Instance

■Assembly

■Category

■Coordinate systems or locators

NX | 33

Open Inventor and Cosmo

Open Inventor™ is a 3D file format from Silicon Graphics Inc., with no relation

to Autodesk Inventor software.

Autodesk DirectConnect supports the import of Open Inventor ASCII or binary

(*.iv) files, or Cosmo 3D™scene binary (*.csb) files into the Autodesk Alias,

Autodesk Maya, Autodesk Showcase, and Autodesk Opticore Studio software.

See installation information in Install Autodesk DirectConnect. (page 7).

Import Open Inventor or Cosmo files

1Choose the menu path in your installed Autodesk software product:

File > Open or File > Import > FileAutodesk Alias

File > Open Scene or File > ImportAutodesk Maya (Windows version)

File > Import > Import FilesAutodesk Showcase

File > ImportAutodesk Opticore Studio

2Browse to and select an Open Inventor (*.iv) or Cosmo (*.csb) file.

3Click OK, or Open.

The translator launches and imports the file.

34 | Chapter 4 Translator Details

Type of data imported

The software imports polygons and NURBS for these file formats, and maintains

the following information on import:

■Data organization (parent, child, and groups)

■Units

■Materials

■Textures

■Polygonal Shapes

■Transformation nodes

NOTE To locate this data in your Autodesk software, see Locations of Imported

Data (page 47).

Limitations

When importing Open Inventor files, the system automatically excludes lines,

cameras, lights, manipulators, tolerances, and animation.

Open Inventor and Cosmo | 35

Pro/ENGINEER

Pro/ENGINEER® is a computer-aided design software application.

Autodesk DirectConnect supports the import of Pro/ENGINEER (Wildfire® R5

or lower) and Creo (up to V2) part, assembly, or PTC® Granite® (Release 8 or

lower) files (*.prt, *.asm, *.g, *neu) into the Autodesk Alias, Autodesk Maya,

Autodesk Opticore Studio, and 3ds Max/3ds Max Design software. See

installation information in Install Autodesk DirectConnect. (page 7)

NOTE For information about additional software setup for Autodesk Alias, see the

Autodesk Alias Help.

Import Pro/ENGINEER files

1Choose the menu path in your installed Autodesk software product:

File > Open or File > Import > FileAutodesk Alias

File > Open Scene or File > ImportAutodesk Maya (Windows version)

File > Import > Import FilesAutodesk Showcase

36 | Chapter 4 Translator Details

File > ImportAutodesk Opticore Studio

Application Menu > Import > Select File

to Import dialog

3ds Max/3dsMax Design

2Select a Pro/ENGINEER part(*.prt), assembly (*.asm), Granite (*.g)), or

neutral (.neu) file.

3Click OK, or Open to launch the translator and import the file.

NOTE To maintain the original positioning and orientation of part files in

your scene, import the assembly file. Importing part files before the assembly

file positions all of them at the origin (0,0,0) and removes the original

positioning.

Type of data imported

The software imports NURBS for this file format and maintains the following

data on import:

■Precise geometric surface and topology information

■Data organization

■Tolerances and units

■Layers and colors

NOTE

■To locate this data in your Autodesk software, see Locations of Imported

Data (page 47).

■For information about options in Alias for data importation, see the

Autodesk Alias Help.

Limitations

■The software changes node names based on geometry, assembly, or part

names.

■When importing a Pro/ENGINEER file, the software automatically excludes

construction history, lines, and animation.

■Granite does not support layers or curves.

Pro/ENGINEER | 37

SolidWorks

SolidWorks® is a computer-aided design software application.

Autodesk DirectConnect supports the import of SolidWorks part *.sldprt and

assembly *.sldasm files into the Autodesk Alias, Autodesk Maya, Autodesk

Showcase, Autodesk Opticore Studio, and 3ds Max/3ds Max Design software.

NOTE For information about additional software setup for Autodesk Alias, please

see the Autodesk Alias Data Transfer reference book and the Autodesk Alias Help.

Import SolidWorks files

NOTE

Before you can import SolidWorks files, purchase, install, and license

SolidWorks 2005 through 2014 on the same machine, and have it running.

See installation information in Install Autodesk DirectConnect. (page 7)

1Choose the menu path in your installed Autodesk software product:

File > Open or File > Import > FileAutodesk Alias

File > Open Scene or File > ImportAutodesk Maya (Windows version)

File > Import > Import FilesAutodesk Showcase

File > ImportAutodesk Opticore Studio

38 | Chapter 4 Translator Details

Application Menu > Import > Select File

to Import dialog

3ds Max/3dsMax Design

2Select a SolidWorks part (*.sldprt) or assembly *.sldasm file. If you cannot

see the files, start the SolidWorks software, minimize its window, and

then try again to open the files.

3Click OK, or Open to launch the translator and import the file into the

scene.

NOTE To maintain the original positioning and orientation of part files in

your scene, import the assembly file. Importing part files before the assembly

file positions all of them at the origin (0,0,0) and removes the original

positioning.

Type of data imported

The software imports NURBS for this file format and maintains the following

information on import:

■Precise geometric surface and topology information

■Data organization

■Tolerances and unit

■Colors

NOTE

■To locate this data in your Autodesk software, see Locations of Imported

Data (page 47).

■For information about Alias options for data importation, see the Autodesk

Alias Help.

Limitations

When importing SolidWorks files, the software automatically excludes

construction history, lines, and animation.

SolidWorks | 39

STEP

Standard for the Exchange of Product Data (STEP) is an ISO standard exchange

format that multiple programs can recognize. It is used for transferring graphics

data between CAD/CAM systems.

Autodesk DirectConnect supports the import of STEP (*.stp or *.step) files into

the Autodesk Alias, Autodesk Maya, Autodesk Showcase, Autodesk Opticore

Studio, and 3ds Max/3ds Max Design software. See installation information

in Install Autodesk DirectConnect (page 7).

Import STEP files

1Choose the menu path in your installed Autodesk software product:

File > Open or File > Import > FileAutodesk Alias

File > Open Scene or File > ImportAutodesk Maya (Windows version)

File > Import > Import FilesAutodesk Showcase

File > ImportAutodesk Opticore Studio

40 | Chapter 4 Translator Details

Application Menu > Import > Select File

to Import dialog

3ds Max/3dsMax Design

2In the browser, select a native STEP (*.stp or *.step) file.

3Click OK, or Open to launch the translator and import the file into the

scene.

Types of data imported

The software imports NURBS for this file format and maintains the following

information on import:

■Precise geometric surface and topology information (ISO 10303:42)

■Data organization (layers)

■Tolerances and units

■Colors

NOTE

■To locate this data in your Autodesk software, see Locations of Imported

Data (page 47).

■For information about Alias options for data importation, see the Autodesk

Alias Help.

Export STEP files

To export STEP files from the CAD software, use AP203 or AP214 specifications.

STEP | 41

STL

STL is a file format native to the stereolithography CAD software created by

3D Systems. Multiple software packages support the STL file format.

Autodesk DirectConnect supports the import of STL files into the Autodesk

Alias, Autodesk Maya, Autodesk Showcase, and Autodesk Opticore Studio

software, and the export of STL files from the Autodesk Alias and Autodesk

Maya software. See installation information in Install Autodesk DirectConnect.

(page 7).

Import STL files

1Choose the menu path in your installed Autodesk software product:

File > Open or File > Import > FileAutodesk Alias

File > Open Scene or File > ImportAutodesk Maya (Windows version)

File > Import > Import FilesAutodesk Showcase

File > ImportAutodesk Opticore Studio

2In the browser, select a native .stl (Stereolithography) file.

42 | Chapter 4 Translator Details

3Click OK, or Open to launch the translator and import the file into the

scene.

Type of files imported

We support ASCII and binary STL (color STL) files.

NOTE To locate this data in your Autodesk software, see Locations of Imported

Data (page 47).

Export STL files

1In your Autodesk software, choose the appropriate menu item:

File > Export > Rapid PrototypeAutodesk Alias

File > Export AllAutodesk Maya (Windows version)

or File > Export Selection

2In Maya, the file type is STL_DCE, and you can specify the file type as

either ASCII or binary.

Click OK.

In Alias, on the File Format menu, click STL. You can also specify

tolerance levels used in the export of the file.

3Pick the meshes or shell to export, then click Accept.

4Adjust settings, if necessary, and click Update.

5Click Accept.

6In the Object name box (Windows), or Save As box (Mac), enter a

name for the file, and click Save.

STL | 43

ZPR

ZPrint CAD format (ZPR™) is a proprietary file format developed by Z

Corporation® and used with ZPrint and ZEdit for printing on high definition

color 3D printers.

Autodesk DirectConnect supports the export of ZPR (*.zpr) files to use in the

Autodesk rapid prototyping solution in the Autodesk Alias, Autodesk Maya,

Autodesk Showcase, and Autodesk Opticore Studio software. See installation

information in Install Autodesk DirectConnect. (page 7)

Export ZPR files using the output command

1Select a file to export as a ZPR file.

2Choose File > Export > Rapid Prototype.

3On the File Format menu, click ZPR (.zpr).

44 | Chapter 4 Translator Details

Depending on the entity selected for export, such as a shell, additional

setup can be required. For information about additional setup options,

see the Autodesk Alias Help.

4Pick the meshes or shell to export, then click Accept.

5Adjust settings, if necessary, and click Update.

6Click Accept.

Types of data exported for ZPR

■Triangle meshes with simple colors.

■Textures for use with ZEdit and Zprint software for rapid prototyping.

ZPR | 45

46

Locations of Imported

Data

Autodesk Alias Data

Colors (Shaders)Tolerances and UnitsData Organization

Colors are visible in the Render >

Multi-lister > Shaders window.

View unit settings at Prefer-

ences > Construction Op-

tions.

Parts and assembly information

displays in the Windows > Inform-

ation > Layer Categories win-

dow.

For information about these settings, menu items, and options, see the

Autodesk® Alias® Help.

5

47

Autodesk Maya Data

Colors (Shaders)Tolerances and UnitsData Organization

Colors are imported as shaders and

are visible at Window > Render-

ing Editors > Hypershade.

View unit settings at Window >

Settings/Preferences > Prefer-

ences > Settings.

Change the Working Units and

Tolerance settings.

To view layer information, display the

Layer Editor: click Display > UI Ele-

ments > Channel Box/Layer Edit-

or

or

display the Relationship Editor: click

Window > Relationship Editors >

Display Layers.

To view assembly definition and as-

sembly reference nodes, see Window

> Outliner or the node Attribute

Editor.

For more information about these settings and menu items, see the Autodesk®

Maya® Help.

Autodesk Showcase Data

Colors (Shaders)Tolerances and UnitsData Organization

Colors import as materials, and are

visible from Appearance > Mater-

ial Properties.

Change unit settings in the Import

Status window (File > Import >

Import Status Window). For

more information, see the Showcase

documentation.

View Layers, parts, and assembly

hierarchies in the Organizer window

(Edit > Organizer).

This window shows the original file

hierarchy. You can create your own

Change tessellation quality in the

Import Status window. For more

arrangements of objects. You can

view and change the state of ob-

jects to visible, hidden, or deleted. information, see the Showcase doc-

umentation.

To adjust the Level of Detail (LOD)

for models imported into Showcase,

click File > Settings > Perform-

ance and Quality. To set Show-

case to determine LOD, select

Automatic quality control.

48 | Chapter 5 Locations of Imported Data

Colors (Shaders)Tolerances and UnitsData Organization

To have more control, select Lock

display quality to, and adjust the

slider for LOD.

For more information about these settings and menu items, see the Autodesk®

Showcase® Help.

Autodesk Opticore Studio Data

Colors (Shaders)Tolerances and UnitsData Organization

Colors can be shaders or appear-

ances. In the Scene Graph Editor,

There are no units in Studio. All im-

ported data is considered the same

View the node structure in the

Scene Graph Editor, in the Win-

in scenegraph, all colors are visibleunit. Set tolerances for tessellationdow > Scene Graph Editor

menu. It opens by default. in the appearance field of a shape

node. Appearances are visible only

in the File > Preferences dialog-

box, GeomX tab.

NOTE GeomX is not available until

you load the GeomX module in the

Modules tab (in the same dialog

box) and restart Studio.

in the Scene Graph Editor. Shaders

are visible in both the Scene Graph

Editor and through the Windows

> Shader List dialog box.

Set tessellation tolerances on the

GeomX tab, Import tessellation

section. To retessellate, use the

Window > GeomX > Tessellate

dialog box, and enter new settings.

For information about these settings, menu items, and options, see the

Autodesk® Opticore® Studio Help.

Autodesk Opticore Studio Data | 49

50

Glossary

Glossary terms

ASM (.asm)

A file format used by Pro/ENGINEER to represent an assembly.

assembly

An organizational file that fits together a collection of manufactured parts

into a complete model.

BSD license

The Berkeley Software Distribution license for redistribution and use of source

code.

CATIA ➤ V4

CATIA V4 is computer-aided design software from Dassault Systèmes. Autodesk

DirectConnect allows the exchange of 3D model data from CATIA V4, using

.model, .session, .exp, .dlv, and .dlv3 files.

CATIA ➤ V5

CATIA V5 is computer-aided design software from Dassault Systèmes. Autodesk

DirectConnect allows the exchange of 3D model data from CATIA V5, using

the native CATIA part (.CATPart), product (.CATProduct), and (.cgr) files.

CGR ➤ (.cgr)

CATIA Graphical Representation (.cgr) is the triangulated format used by

CATIA V5.

Glossary | 51

Cosmo™

A legacy 3D file format from Silicon Graphics Inc. using efficient binary

compression and *.csb (Cosmo scene binary) files.

CSB (.csb)

Cosmo 3D™scene binary (*.csb) files.

DLV (.dlv)

A file format used by CATIA V4 computer-aided design software from Dassault

Systèmes.

DRAW (DR)

A two-dimensional entity defined in the drafting and detailing world.

DWF™

Design Web Format, a file format developed by Autodesk for web viewing and

printing.

DWG™

AutoCAD drawing file) A file format used by Autodesk AutoCAD software that

contains lines, curves, and 3D data.

DXF™

(Drawing eXchange File) A file exchange format containing ASCII code and

binary representations of the objects in a DWG file.

G (.g)

A file format used by Pro/ENGINEER PTC Granite for import into the Autodesk

products that DirectConnect supports.

Granite ➤

A CAD technology platform for design collaboration using solid models.

IAM (.iam)

A file format in the Autodesk Inventor software represent an assembly.

IGES

(Initial Graphics Exchange Specification) A file format for transferring graphics

data between CAD/CAM systems. A neutral file format that can be imported

into any number of CAD or modeling packages.

52 | Glossary

IPT (.ipt)

A file format in the Autodesk Inventor software to represent a part.

IV (.iv)

A file format in the Open Inventor software.

JT

JT is a DirectModel file format that is developed and supported by the JT Open

Program for the visualization of 3D models.

NX ➤

NX is a solid modeling package based on the Parasolid kernel. The package

contains many (mostly optional) modules: for example, CAD, CAM, CAE,

sheet metal applications, knowledge bases, quality control, and rapid

prototyping. The files structure is binary.

Open Inventor™

Open Inventor is a legacy 3D file format from Silicon Graphics, Inc. Open

Inventor is not related to Autodesk Inventor software. Open Inventor is an

object-oriented 3D toolkit that describes complete 3D scenes, which can be

made interactive and that are optimized for OpenGL. It is an ASCII or binary

file format.

PCRE

The Perl-compatible regular expressions is a library of functions to support

regular expressions, with syntax and semantics as close as possible to the

syntax and semantics in the Perl 5 language.

Pro/ENGINEER ➤

A solid modeling CAD/CAM/CAE software product from Parametric Technology

Corporation that requires positional construction tolerances.

PRT (.prt)

A file format used by NX to represent a part or assembly file.

SLDASM (.sldasm)

A file format used by SolidWorks to represent an assembly file.

SLDPRT (.sldprt)

A file format used by SolidWorks to represent a part file.

Glossary | 53

SolidWorks ➤

A solid modeling CAD/CAM/CAE software product from SolidWorks

Corporation that requires positional construction tolerances.

SPACE (SP)

A three-dimensional entity defined in the 3D modeling world.

SPF

Alias SPF (Studio Packet File) is a native file format used by Autodesk Alias

software, with the extension .wire.

STEP (.step)

An international standard for the exchange of geometric product definitions.

STEP formats that are relevant to Autodesk products are AP203 (general

mechanical CAD) and AP214 (automotive CAD).

STL

An STL (StereoLithography) file is a triangular representation of 3D surface

geometry. The surface is tessellated, or broken down logically into a series of

small triangles (facets). A perpendicular direction and three points representing

the vertices (corners) of the triangle describe each facet.

STP (.stp)

A file format used in STEP (Standard for the Exchange of Product Data) for

transferring graphics data between CAD/CAM systems.

V3Rx

A file format generated by a version of CATIA that is older than V4.

ZPR

ZPrint CAD format (ZPR) is a proprietary file format developed by Z

Corporation. It is used with ZPrint and ZEdit for printing on high definition

color 3D printers. Autodesk Direct lets you export files in ZPR (*.zpr) format

to use in the Autodesk Rapid Prototyping solution.

54 | Glossary

Index

A

Autodesk Alias

locate imported data 47

view unit settings 47

visible colors 47

Autodesk AutoCAD drawing files 19

Autodesk DirectConnect 1

improvements 5

install 7

supported platforms 7

supported products 2

supported translators 2

Autodesk Inventor

file formats 10

translator 10

Autodesk Maya

imported colors 48

locate imported data 48

unit settings 48

Autodesk Opticore Studio

imported colors 49

locate imported data 49

tessellation tolerances 49

Autodesk Showcase

imported colors 48

locate imported data 48

unit settings 48

C

CATIA V4

file types 12

translator 12

CATIA V5

file types 14

translator 14

Cosmo

file types 34

translator 34

D

Design Web Format 17

Drawing eXchange File 19

DWF translator 17

DWG DXF translators 19

F

file formats

.cgr, .CATProduct, .CATPart 14

.dwf 17

.dwg, .dxf 19

.iam 10

.iges, .igs 21

.ipt 10

.iv, .csb 34

.jt 26

.model, .mdl, .session, .exp, .dlv 12

.prt 28

.prt, .asm, .g, .neu 36

.sldprt, .sldasm 38

.stl 42

.stp, .step 40

.zpr 44

I

IGES (Initial Graphics Exchange Spec.)

Alias import options 21

file types 21

levels 21

log files 21

translator 21

improvements in Directconnect 5

install Autodesk DirectConnect 7

55 | Index

J

JT

file types 26

translator 26

N

NX

file types 28

translator 28

O

Open Inventor

file types 34

translator 34

P

Pro/ENGINEER

file types 36

translator 36

S

SolidWorks

file types 38

translator 38

STEP

file types 40

translator 40

STL

file types 42

translator 42

support platforms 7

supported products and translators 2

system requirements 7

T

trademarks

translators

Autodesk Inventor 10

CATIA V4 12

CATIA V5 14

Cosmo 34

DirectConnect 1

DWF 17

DWG DXF 19

IGES 21

JT 26

NX 28

Open Inventor 34

Pro/ENGINEER 36

SolidWorks 38

STEP 40

STL 42

ZPR 44

W

what's new in this release 5

Windows platform 7

Z

ZPR

file types 44

translator 44

ZPrint CAD format 44

56 | Index