AutoCad compatibility

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Posted by Elaine Anselm.

Engineer on team #191, X-Cats, from Jos Wilson High School and Xerox.

Posted on 1/27/2000 2:52 PM MST



Is anyone using the Inventor software provided by Autodesk? It does not appear to be directly compatible with 3D Studio Max. We are unable to save files from Inventor in a format that is direclty accessible by Max. It appears we need to save the files in Step or SAT format, read them into Autocad then export them from there in a format readable by MAX. If anyone has a better solution, please let me know.
Thanks

Elaine

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Posted by Andres Teene.

Engineer on team #159 from Poudre High School and LSi Logic.

Posted on 1/27/2000 3:39 PM MST


In Reply to: AutoCad compatibility posted by Elaine Anselm on 1/27/2000 2:52 PM MST:



I'm also having a problem importing AutoCad dwg files into Inventor. It looks like I need AutoCad installed on my system to translate the .dwg files. Any suggestions.

Thanks Andres

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Posted by Kevin Sevcik.

Other on team #57, Tigers, from BT Washington and the High School for Engineering Professions and Exxon, Kellog Brown & Root, Powell Electrical.

Posted on 1/27/2000 5:49 PM MST


In Reply to: Re: AutoCad compatibility posted by Andres Teene on 1/27/2000 3:39 PM MST:



You should send an e-mail to Laura Lodon, the AutoDesk/Discreet FIRST contact. I've e-mailed her occasionally, and she's always been helpful. I'm sure f she can't get an answer for you, she knows who can. Her e-mail is laura.london@autodesk.com

Personally, I've just been using last year's version of Mech Desk. It worked perfectly fine last year, and if it ain't broke....

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Posted by Elaine Anselm.

Engineer on team #191, X-Cats, from Jos Wilson High School and Xerox.

Posted on 1/28/2000 8:17 AM MST


In Reply to: Re: AutoCad compatibility posted by Andres Teene on 1/27/2000 3:39 PM MST:



I posted a note out on the Kinetix webboard and got the response below - you cannot directly translate between Inventor and 3D Studio MAX. There was an interesting response to that post which I have also included below.
One thing about Inventor is that it is amazingly easy to learn. We have kids who have not used CAD before November up on it doing very sophisticated drawings. We are doing the subsystem designs and are attempting a big picture integration using Inventor. The students are doing all of it.

Wish the tranlation to MAX were as straight forward.

'Product Support' wrote in message
news:51092.13474@support.ktx.com...
> Hi Elaine,
>
> There is no direct export into 3DSMAX from Inventor.
>
> If you're lucky enough to have AutoCAD, you'll have to bring the file
into AutoCAD, and out of AutoCAD.
>
> I believe that Inventor can create an .SAT file for AutoCAD, and that
from AutoCAD you create the .DWG for 3DSMAX.
>
> Regards,
>
> Nik


Ok Nik, Let me get this straight, You've given a bunch of students Inventor
and Max3, They are told to use these tools in the FIRST competition. There
is no way to communicate an inventor file into max3 so there solid designs
that are created in Inventor need to be re-created in max3????

What are you trying to do to these kids? the competition is about robotics
not about the difficulties of file translation. They'll learn that when
they
get their first engineering job. Maybe discreet* better get a couple of
developers going on a ACIS (.sat) plugin for max...

In the meantime maybe autodesk should setup an online translation service
for these kids or be prepared to wash mucho eggo from corporate faces.....

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Posted by Joe Johnson.   [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]


Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.

Posted on 1/28/2000 11:07 AM MST


In Reply to: Re: AutoCad compatibility posted by Elaine Anselm on 1/28/2000 8:17 AM MST:



Zen Master Elaine,

Actually, it is very interesting to read of this dilemna for the students on your team. It was equally interesting to read the suppliers response.

It could have been a conversation at any CAD tube at any supplier to the Auto Industry.

Ford uses IDEAS, DaimlerChrysler uses Catia, GM uses UG. Others use still others.

The supplier base runs the gamut of packages from Freeware to full blown CAD/CAM/CAE packages costing 100's of thousands in license fees per year.

BUT... we NEVER seem to have as easy a time as we like getting data out of one system and into anothe. It is a big expensive headache.

It is a tough lesson to learn, but perhaps some of these kids will have a 'better idea' in college and provide us all with a door to get out of this corner we have painted ourselves into.

A guy can dream, can't he?

Joe J.