Stats

  • Locked Locked
  • Replies 19
  • Subscribers 173
  • Views 32755
  • Members are here 0
More Content
This discussion has been locked.
You can no longer post new replies to this discussion. If you have a question you can start a new discussion

problems opening STEP file in solidworks

padmaster

I am trying to open a PCB STEP file in Solidworks 2012 SP05. I am running SPB 16.6 so15 latest hotfix.

When I export from allegro in AP-203, Solidworks tells me "The file being read in is not a AP203 or AP214 file. Do you wish to continue?" I select yes...Solidworks crashes.

When I export from allegro in AP214, Solidworks proceeds to open the file with no warnings.....and then crashes.

When I export from allegro in AP242, Solidworks tells me "The file being read in is not a AP203 or AP214 file. Do you wish to continue?" I select yes...Solidworks crashes. Solidworks 2012 SP05 doesn't appear to recognize the AP242 format in the list of FILE>OPEN options.

Anyone else having these issues? Could this be an issue with my computer?

FYI, I am on the hairy low edge of even being able to do any 3-D modeling. Video card has 256mb memory, XP 32bit system, 2gb ram.

 

  • Can you go into a bit more detail on what you did?

     

    This is my first first board imlementing step files. Most of my step files came from manufacturers web sites and I can open them all fine in a 3rd party program (solidworks and freecad) as well as within pcb editor itself. I'm currently working with standard units for my board (grid's are all in mils) and push out the step file in inches.

    How would I go about changing units for step files or board files to match?

     

    Again, I really appreciate your help.

     

    Thanks

  • Success!

    I performed the following steps:

    1) Tools => Derive connectivity (don't know if this did anything)
    2) Inside the STEP export dialog I changed output units from inches to millimeter.

    Most of my footprints are in metric but this layout is in mils.

    Thanks again everyone.
  • For what it's worth, I can (well the mechanical designers can) open exported step files in Solidworks just fine. I use metric output & metric layout. However all the parts are in wrong places by some fairly large offset.

    A workaround for that is to open the step file in Freecad and then export it as a step file again. After that it works just fine in Solidworks. Open source for teh win.
  • in reply to chads108

    I realize this is an old thread, but did you ever find a solution to your issue?  I am using OrCAD 17.2 (latest) and I have this exact issue.  I export my design to a STEP file, all of the individual components' STEP files come through fine, but they're all located/stacked on top of each other at the board origin.

  • in reply to padmaster

    I am using 16.6 with the latest Hotfix, but I have been using STEP models for the last 2-3 years.

    A few times that I've had issues with STEP models many hot fixes ago: when I bring them into the dra file with mixed units.  The fix I used then was to open the STEP model in freecad, and then export from freecad into a new STEP model.

    I have never had an alignment in the brd if the STEP model is correct in the dra.

    Note: I use the step models for aligning multi board projects, and we export out the final project to the 3D printer people for enclosure builds, and customers.  Have not had any issues.  I use Solidworks 2017 for the aglignment and final 3D model creation.

Cadence Guidelines

Community Guidelines

The Cadence Design Communities support Cadence users and technologists interacting to exchange ideas, news, technical information, and best practices to solve problems and get the most from Cadence technology. The community is open to everyone, and to provide the most value, we require participants to follow our Community Guidelines that facilitate a quality exchange of ideas and information. By accessing, contributing, using or downloading any materials from the site, you agree to be bound by the full Community Guidelines.