Mechanical CAD (MCAD) defeaturing options - Intergraph Smart Interop Publisher - Help

Intergraph Smart Interop Publisher Help

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You must have a Smart Interop Publisher MCD license and the MCAD module installed with Smart Interop Publisher for the defeaturing options to be available. Contact your Hexagon Asset Lifecycle Intelligence representative for more information on the MCAD module.

Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD) software provides features and options to create complex, accurate 3D models for design analysis and manufacturing. The following defeaturing options allow you to simplify MCAD models by removing small features and unnecessary details on specific objects. This detail removal reduces the model complexity, resulting in smaller Smart Model file sizes and quicker load times for the target applications. Defeaturing is turned off by default.

In addition, Smart Interop Publisher supports translation of property data from MCAD CATIA, SolidWorks, and NX formats. The software supports Document level (part and assembly) and Instance level user-defined properties. Feature- or body-level user-defined properties are not supported. Default and custom mapping spreadsheet files have been added to support CATIA, SolidWorks, and NX MCAD data translation.

You can apply defeaturing settings to source files exported from the third-party software applications listed below.

  • CATIA (.CATPart, .CATProduct)

  • CREO Parametric (.prt, .prt.*, .asm, .asm.*)

  • Inventor (.ipt, .iam)

  • NX (.prt)

  • Parasolid (.x_t,.x_b,.xmt_txt,and .xmt_bin)

  • SolidWorks (.sldprt, sldasm)

  • Solid Edge (.par, .asm, .psm)

You must always enter the blend radius, chamfer width, and hole width values in millimeters, regardless of the units of the file that is being defeatured.

Blends

A blend is a convex or concave rounding applied to the edges or faces of a part. The options in this section apply to all the blends present in the model. Defeature blends to basic straight edges by setting the minimum angle and radius values.

Defeature Blends

Turns defeaturing of blends on or off. Clear the option to turn off defeaturing for blends. The blend options are not available until you check this option.

Minimum Blend Angle

Specifies the blend angle value to defeature. Any blend angle less than or equal to the specified value is removed and replaced with straight edges in the translation process.

Minimum Blend Radius

Specifies the blend radius value to defeature. Any blend radius less than or equal to the specified value is removed in the translation process. The blend radius can either be constant or variable. Any combination of variable radius and constant radius blends can exist in a sequence of edges.

For example, type 90 as the Minimum Blend Angle and 3 (millimeters) for the Minimum Blend Radius.

This causes blended objects with 90 degree or less angles, and with less than a 3-millimeter radius to be removed and replaced with straight edges.

Chamfers

A chamfer is a beveled edge connecting two surfaces and is typically 45-degrees. Chamfers are used to remove the sharp edges on a material.

Defeature Chamfers

Turns defeaturing of chamfers on or off. Clear the option to turn off defeaturing for chamfers. The chamfer options are not available until you check this option.

Miminum Chamfer Angle

Specifies the chamfer angle value to defeature. Any chamfer angle less than or equal to the specified value is removed and replaced with straight edges in the translation process. For example, if you type 90, any chamfer with 90 degrees or less angles are removed and replaced with straight edges and lines.

One way to calculate the Minimum Chamfer Angle value:

  1. Select a chamfered object in your source data that represents the minimum size to defeature.

  2. Add the values of two angles making up the corner or straight edges to be formed.

  3. Enter the resulting value in the Minimum Chamfer Angle box.

Minimum Chamfer Width

Specifies the chamfer width value to defeature. A chamfer radius less than or equal to the specified value is removed in the translation process.

For example, type 90 degrees for the Minimum Chamfer Angle and 3 mm for the Minimum Chamfer Width. Chamfers at a 90 degree or less angle and less than a 3-millimeter width are replaced with straight edges.

Holes

A hole is a hollow space or an opening in a solid body or surface. There are simple and complex holes. A simple hole (shown below) does not have any connection with other features such as a chamfer or blend. When holes are selected for defeaturing, the software can recognize simple holes and removes them in the resulting translation.

Hole Defeaturing LImitations - Complex Holes

Complex holes are connected to other features and may not be defeatured. The example below shows a complex hole connected with a chamfer.

A complex hole may not get defeatured because the software does not recognize it. For this instance (hole and chamfer connection), you can select both Chamfers and Holes for defeaturing so that the software recognizes and removes the holes.

However, there are other cases in which complex holes cannot be defeatured because the boundary geometry is also complex. In the example below, the chamfer around the hole opening crosses a fillet, which creates a geometry too complex for recognition.

Additional Hole Limitation and Notes

  • Holes (cylindrical, conical, spherical, and toroidal) that are split along or across the axis because of interaction with other features are recognized as a single hole only if they are completely overlapping along their axis.

  • Partial overlap holes are not recognized as a single hole feature.

  • Filleted holes are recognized as toroidal holes and not as a hole and a fillet.

  • Partial spherical holes where the angle of wrap is less than 360 degrees are not recognized. If a spherical hole is cut, it is recognized only if the cut is normal to the axis.

  • Partial holes are not supported. If at least 75% of a hole intersects a feature edge, it is a partial hole.

Defeature Holes

Turns defeaturing of holes on or off. Clear the option to turn off defeaturing. The hole options are not available until you check this option.

Defeature Spherical Holes

Removes spherical holes along with other holes on a part.

Minimum Hole Diameter

Specifies the hole diameter value to defeature. Any hole diameter less than or equal to the specified value is removed in the translation process.

For example, type 3 (millimeters) for the Minimum Hole Diameter.

This causes holes with a diameter of 3 millimeters or less to be filled.