Import 3D CAD

Import geometry objects from a 3D CAD file using the CAD Import Module, Design Module, or a LiveLink product for CAD software.

model.component(<ctag>).geom(<tag>).feature().
create(<ftag>,"Import");

model.component(<ctag>).geom(<tag>).feature(<ftag>).
set(property,<value>);

model.component(<ctag>).geom(<tag>).feature(<ftag>).
getType(property);

model.component(<ctag>).geom(<tag>).feature(<ftag>).
importData();

model.component(<ctag>).geom(<tag>).feature(<ftag>).
setAttribute(attribute,<value>);

model.component(<ctag>).geom(<tag>).feature(<ftag>).
getAttribute(attribute);

model.component(<ctag>).geom(<tag>).feature().
create(<ftag>,"Import") creates an import feature. When the property filename is set to a filename recognized as a 3D CAD file, the property type is set to cad. The following properties are available.

Table 3-22: Available Properties
Property	Value	Default	Description
check	on \| off		Check imported objects for errors.
filename	String		Filename.
fillholes	on \| off	off	Attempt to generate new faces to replace missing geometry if the property knit is solid or surface
importtol	double	1e-5	Absolute repair tolerance.
keepbnd	on \| off	on	Import surface objects.
keepfree	on \| off	off	Import curve and point objects.
keepsolid	on \| off	on	Import solid objects.
knit	solid \| surface \| off	solid	Knit together surface objects to form solids or surface objects.
removeredundant	on \| off	off	Remove redundant edges and vertices.
repair	on \| off	on	Repair imported objects.
simplify	on \| off	on	Simplify the underlying curve and surface manifolds of geometric entities
type	cad		Type of import.
unit	source \| current	source	Take length unit from file or from the current geometry unit.
unitecurves	on \| off	on	Unite curve objects.
selresult	on \| off	off	Create selections of all resulting objects.
selresultshow	all \| obj \| dom \| bnd \| edg \| pnt \| off	dom	Show selections of resulting objects in physics, materials, and so on, or in part instances. obj is not available in a component’s geometry. dom, bnd, and edg are not available in all features.
contributeto	String	none	Tag of cumulative selection to contribute to.

The file to import is specified by filename, which can have of any of the following formats:

Table 3-23: Supported 3D CAD file formats
File format	Note	File Extension
ACIS®	1	.sat, .sab
AutoCAD®	1, 2	.dwg, .dxf
CATIA® V5	3, 4	.CATPart, .CATProduct
IGES	1	.igs, .iges
Inventor®	1, 2	.ipt, .iam
NX™	1, 5	.prt
Parasolid®	1	.x_t, .x_b
PTC® Creo® Parametric™	1	.prt, .asm
PTC® Pro/ENGINEER®	1	.prt, .asm
SOLIDWORKS®	1, 2, 6	.sldprt, .sldasm
STEP	1	.step, .stp

Note 1: This format requires a license for the CAD Import Module, Design Module, or a LiveLink product for a CAD package.

Note 2: This format is available only on a supported Windows® operating systems.

Note 3: This format requires, in addition to the CAD Import Module, Design Module, or a LiveLink product for a CAD package, a license for the File Import for CATIA V5 module.

Note 4: This format is available only on the Windows® 8.1, Windows® 10, and Windows® 11 operating systems.

Note 5: Support for the NX™ file format is available only on a supported Windows® or Linux operating system.

Note 6: Embedded parts in assemblies are not supported. To import such an assembly, first convert the embedded parts to external parts.

The imported geometry objects are represented using the Parasolid geometry kernel, which is the geometry kernel utilized by the CAD Import Module and the LiveLink products for CAD software.

model.geom(gname).feature(<ftag>).importData()

imports the file again, even if the feature is built.

The import can generate object, boundary, edge, and point selections based on material, layer, and color assignments in the 3D CAD file. The following properties are available for working these selections:

Table 3-24: Available Properties
Property	Value	Default	Description
selcadshownamesfromfileobj	boolean	false	Show the object selection names from the file in the GUI.
selcadnameobj	String[]	Empty	Names of object selections in 3D CAD import.
selcadnameinfileobj	String[]	Empty	Original names of object selections in 3D CAD import. Read-only.
selcadkeepobj	on \| off	Empty	Keep object selections in 3D CAD import.
selcadshowobj	on \| off	Empty	Show object selections in 3D CAD import in physics, materials, and so on; in part instances; or in 3D from a plane geometry.
selcadcontributetoobj	String[]	Empty	Tags of cumulative selection to contribute to (or none to not contribute), for object selections in 3D CAD import.
selcadtagobj	String[]	Empty	Tags of object selections (read only, hidden in GUI) in 3D CAD import.
selcadcolorobj	String[]	Empty	Colors of object selections (read only) in 3D CAD import. The color is stored as a comma-separated triple of numbers between 0 and 1. It can also be none (in which case it will be displayed in yellow).
selindividualintable	boolean	false	Show individual object selections and, for the knit case, individual original object selections in the CAD-tables.
selcadshownamesfromfilebnd	boolean	false	Show the boundary selection names from the file in the GUI.
selcadnamebnd	String[]	Empty	Names of boundary selections in 3D CAD import.
selcadnameinfilebnd	String[]	Empty	Original names of boundary selections in 3D CAD import. Read only.
selcadkeepbnd	on \| off	Empty	Keep boundary selections in 3D CAD import.
selcadshowbnd	on \| off	Empty	Show boundary selections in 3D CAD import in physics, materials, and so on; in part instances; or in 3D from a plane geometry.
selcadcontributetobnd	String[]	Empty	Tags of cumulative selection to contribute to (or none to not contribute), for boundary selections in 3D CAD import.
selcadtagbnd	String[]	Empty	Tags of boundary selections (read-only, hidden in GUI) in 3D CAD import.
selcadcolorbnd	String[]	Empty	Colors of boundary selections (read only) in 3D CAD import. The color is stored as a comma-separated triple of numbers between 0 and 1. It can also be none (in which case it will be displayed in yellow).
selcadshownamesfromfileedg	boolean	false	Show the edge selection names from the file in the GUI.
selcadnameedg	String[]	Empty	Names of edge selections in 3D CAD import.
selcadnameinfileedg	String[]	Empty	Original names of edge selections in 3D CAD import. Read only.
selcadkeepedg	on \| off	Empty	Keep edge selections in 3D CAD import.
selcadshowedg	on \| off	Empty	Show edge selections in 3D CAD import in physics, materials, and so on; in part instances; or in 3D from a plane geometry.
selcadcontributetoedg	String[]	Empty	Tags of cumulative selection to contribute to (or none to not contribute), for edge selections in 3D CAD import.
selcadtagedg	String[]	Empty	Tags of edge selections (read only, hidden in GUI) in 3D CAD import.
selcadcoloredg	String[]	Empty	Colors of edge selections (read only) in 3D CAD import. The color is stored as a comma-separated triple of numbers between 0 and 1. It can also be none (in which case it will be displayed in yellow).
selcadshownamesfromfilepnt	boolean	false	Show the point selection names from the file in the GUI.
selcadnamepnt	String[]	Empty	Names of point selections in 3D CAD import.
selcadnameinfilepnt	String[]	Empty	Original names of point selections in 3D CAD import. Read only.
selcadkeeppnt	on \| off	Empty	Keep point selections in 3D CAD import.
selcadshowpnt	on \| off	Empty	Show point selections in 3D CAD import in physics, materials, and so on; in part instances; or in 3D from a plane geometry.
selcadcontributetopnt	String[]	Empty	Tags of cumulative selection to contribute to (or none to not contribute), for point selections in 3D CAD import.
selcadtagpnt	String[]	Empty	Tags of point selections (read only, hidden in GUI) in 3D CAD import.
selcadcolorpnt	String[]	Empty	Colors of point selections (read only) in 3D CAD import. The color is stored as a comma-separated triple of numbers between 0 and 1. It can also be none (in which case it will be displayed in yellow).

The following attributes are available:

Table 3-25: Valid attributes
Name	Value	Default	Description
construction	on \| off	off	Designate the resulting objects as construction geometry.

The following property is no longer supported:

Table 3-26: Obsolete Properties
Property	Value	Default	Description
coercion	solid \| face \| off	solid	Alias for knit. face is equivalent to surface.

Export, ExportFinal