Twisted DIRT Forums

Solid Edge, for those of you that have never heard of it is a high end, engineering, 3d modeling package. ( I have access to SE thru work as it is a $5000 package)  Well it took a little doing, but I finally figured out a way to model in Solid Edge, and by using two other shareware packages, get it to a .slt format for MCM2.  :o  So modeling just about anything is very possible.

I'd be glad to share the details if anyone is interested. 

Wayne

.... please.. do tell.. do tell... after all

..... learning is fundamental

I'm very interested.


Laurie

As an Engineer, I have extensive experience in 3d modeling from a new product development perspective. Intuitively, Solid Edge is very simple to use when compared to other modeling packages I've tried to pick-up. Accordingly, I believed I should be able to get engineering models from Solid Edge into MCM2, what could be so hard? I started this quest once I recognized the extensive list of file formats that MilkShape was capable of importing.? MilkShape is, of course key, since it does export the needed .SLT file.? I already knew that Solid Edge has a rather extensive list of 3D file formats as well.? The unfortunate part was that Solid Edge is largely for engineers and MilkShape is more for gamers, consequently, even though they had a combined list of 47 file formats, they did not share a single one.

So I began a search that would lead to a package that could transcend the gap between Solid Edge and MilkShape (between engineering and gaming so to speak).? After considerable time, I found AccuTrans 3D.? AccuTrans would import an .STL file (.STL not .SLT), which Solid Edge will export.? An .STL file is a Stereo Lithography file format that is used extensively by rapid prototype equipment to produce physical 3d objects from engineering 3d models.? That format, is very popular in manufacturing, but is not real big in the gamer world.? But, not only would AccuTrans import the .STL file from Solid Edge, it would export both .OBJ and .LWO file formats, both of which MilkShape could import and then generate the .SLT file for MCM2.? Yoo-Hoo!

I have tested some simple custom models thus far with complete success. Ive used both .OBJ and .LWO files and I don't see much difference yet, but there are more tests I want to run.? At this point, I am at least confident the process does work.  Id be glad to answer any questions you may have.

You can download AccuTrans 3D from:
Micro Mouse Productions
http://www.micromouse.ca/

Wayne,
(Sorry for the extended explanation)

Thanks for the explanation, no longer than it needed to be.

I was wondering how you got SLT format out of Solid Edge, couldn't you export through 3DMax as well, just as another possibility?

At $5000 i guess i won't be using SE, not that i do much 3D modelling but always interesting to hear of new methods.


Laurie

Perhaps you could go through 3DMax, but I don't have access to Max nor do I have any experience with max.  That's why I concentrated on SE as I have extensive experience there.  And to be honest, if it weren't for the fact that SE is the product of choice for a great many manufacturing and design companies, I wouldn't be using it either. LOL.

Wayne

I don't use 3D Max much either, it's way too complex for making the models i do, that's why i wrote the Milkshape plugin that's more my level. I was just curious about going through 3D Max since it sounded like you had a lot of experience with modelling packages. Maybe one of the Max gurus could croos reference the plugins with you. I'm pretty sure that Max can handle the LWO formats as well, but at $3000 a seat it also hits the wallet pretty hard..


Laurie