You can work with data that was created using other software and systems. There are several ways to work with this foreign data. You can do the following:
Use the Solid Edge Open command to directly translate Parasolid and other document formats into Solid Edge format. For a list of all available input types, see the Files Of Type box on the Open File dialog box.
Import solid and non-solid data such as surfaces and wireframes into Solid Edge with the Part Copy command.
Translate Solid Edge documents into other document formats such as Parasolid and IGES data formats with the Save As command.
The ability to work with different formats allows you to take advantage of the advanced Solid Edge capabilities while retaining and using designs from other systems.
Before you can place a part created in another CAD system into a Solid Edge assembly, you must first convert it to a Solid Edge part.
During data translation, the options and mapping of elements between Solid Edge and the foreign data system are defined in an external file ending with a .ini extension. For example, the AutoCAD translator stores parameter settings in the SEACAD.ini file found in the Solid Edge Program folder.
You should not copy or use a copy of a INI from a previous version of Solid Edge when you move to a newer version of Solid Edge. Solid Edge occasionally enhances the translation process in new releases by adding parameters to INI files. If you use an old .ini file that does not contain these parameters, then Solid Edge uses its default parameters for the new options, and you lose the ability to control that behavior.
When opening Parasolid files in Solid Edge, precision in the Parasolid files is important. To handle precision correctly, all parts of a body must lie inside the Parasolid size box. This is a box that represents model space. It is 500 meters on each side and centered at the origin, making the total size one kilometer.
Solid Edge provides options to detect geometry flaws and fix them when you import foreign data. In some cases, you may import data without selecting these options. The failure to fix some types of geometry or the failure to check the body on import can lead to problems, including the ability to stitch. You may be unaware of the problem and unable to identify the start point to solve the problem.
You can use the Geometry Inspector command to check the model and identify geometry that may contain problems. You can use the Heal Body Fault option on the Geometry Inspector dialog box to resolve most problems that may arise.
You can use the Optimize command to increase the quality of the imported model by simplifying B-spline definitions and healing model edges. Even if the model does not contain faults, it is always good practice to run the Optimize command since it improves the precision and complexity in most imported models. You can use the Optimize Options dialog box to specify the options for optimizing the model:
Clean body — Cleans the input sheets of self intersections and loop inconsistencies. You should always use this option prior to a full body optimization.
Full body optimization — Simplifies bodies by replacing B-splines with analytic definitions if possible, sets edge precision, and merges or removes redundant faces. It also identifies B-spline surfaces that are blend-like and replaces the B-spline surface with a Parasolid rolling ball type blend.
Simplify body only — Simplifies bodies by replacing B-splines with analytic definitions if possible, sets edge precision, and merges or removes redundant faces.