Hey anybody have the kit in cad

[cygnus.x1]

It looks like the PRO-E files made available are in a new format that isn't supported by my SolidWorks Student Edition (2008-2009)

All is not lost!

Some parts from the kit are already in SolidWorks format. Available at http://www.3dcontentcentral.com/part...true&l evel=1
and yes, you need a 3dcontentcentral login but it's Free.

Some parts are in STEP format that SolidWorks can open:

i.e. You can get the C-Base Drive Chassis - Official Drive Base Frame for the 2009 FIRST Robotics Competition. from:
http://www.andymark.biz/am-0205.html

The chassis link is:
C-Base Long CAD File (.stp format, right click and Save As)

The Rover wheels are here:
http://www.andymark.biz/am-0284.html

You can get quite a few of the parts from the http://www.andymark.biz home page, and also if you browse through their site.

Here's how to open STEP files and save them in SolidWorks format (in case you wanted to know):

In SolidWorks, click File > Open, then change the "Files of type" to STEP AP203/214 (*.step, *.stp)
Browse to where you saved the file and click Open.
SolidWorks will open the file and convert it into it's own format which you can then save.

Hope that helps.

[suj]

Originally Posted by cygnus.x1

It looks like the PRO-E files made available are in a new format that isn't supported by my SolidWorks Student Edition (2008-2009)

All is not lost!

Some parts from the kit are already in SolidWorks format. Available at http://www.3dcontentcentral.com/part...true&l evel=1
and yes, you need a 3dcontentcentral login but it's Free.

Some parts are in STEP format that SolidWorks can open:

i.e. You can get the C-Base Drive Chassis - Official Drive Base Frame for the 2009 FIRST Robotics Competition. from:
http://www.andymark.biz/am-0205.html

The chassis link is:
C-Base Long CAD File (.stp format, right click and Save As)

The Rover wheels are here:
http://www.andymark.biz/am-0284.html

You can get quite a few of the parts from the http://www.andymark.biz home page, and also if you browse through their site.

Here's how to open STEP files and save them in SolidWorks format (in case you wanted to know):

In SolidWorks, click File > Open, then change the "Files of type" to STEP AP203/214 (*.step, *.stp)
Browse to where you saved the file and click Open.
SolidWorks will open the file and convert it into it's own format which you can then save.

Hope that helps.

any idea on makeing the speed of opening faster it's pretty laggy

[cygnus.x1]

Originally Posted by suj

any idea on makeing the speed of opening faster it's pretty laggy

It opens fast for me. You might need more memory in your computer or a faster cpu. How much memory do you have? I'm running a Intel Core 2 Duo with 2GB RAM and there is no lag.

You might also try defragging your hard drive to speed up part loads.

[suj]

Originally Posted by cygnus.x1

It opens fast for me. You might need more memory in your computer or a faster cpu. How much memory do you have? I'm running a Intel Core 2 Duo with 2GB RAM and there is no lag.

You might also try defragging your hard drive to speed up part loads.

who knows i'll try a bit later and post the results

[mplanchard]

Even with having to register, www.3DContentCentral.com is a great resource. You will not only use it in FIRST but also if you go on to become a professional designer. If you have non SolidWorks format files, then I would use STEP. Most likely the components you will download are purchased components and you will not modify them. You want these components to be as lightweight as possible. Add reference axis or plane if you need to (Insert, Reference Geometry, Plane). Concentrate on your value added to the design, the parts you have to machine - you are now down to 5 weeks. Marie

[Elgin Clock]

Originally Posted by suj

who knows i'll try a bit later and post the results

Suj, the one time you open the step file it WILL lag a bit of your computer is not "up to speed".
The one time lag is ok, but just let it process the step file completely & correctly, & finish opening.
After it is opened, you will notice that is is now in your working directory as a .sldasm file with seperate .sldprt files for each of the components.

The next time you open that .sldasm file, if it does not open as quick as you would like, there is a way to get around that which I use.

I know this sounds strange, but ANY SolidWorks assembly can be saved as a part file & will open a lot faster the next time since it is now a single file, & not many files spread out over your working directory.

I advise this technique ONLY if you don't need to move any parts on the "assembly" or modify any parts later.
(This will obviously require a bit of insight on your part).

(For example, I just performed this technique on the C-Chassis assembly file because in my application, it is a static item, which I will not need to move or modify any individual parts on.
On the other hand, the Toughboxes, I may want to be able to move around the gears in the future, so keeping it as an assembly was ideal for my application.

Your results may vary, but this has worked for me in the past to keep the files sizes & number of files to a minimum.


Btw, when you click to save an assembly as a part file, select the "All components" in the radio button options within the "save as" dialog box for best resuts or experiment to see what works best for you.

[Jimmy Cao]

Some manufacturers offer models for their own parts, often in .STP format (or, rather, not always in .sldprt/sldasm). I recall Bimba offered actuator models (which I also recall are on 3dcontentcenteral in .sldprt form).

[mplanchard]

Your best bet is to get your model from someone you can trust. The manufacturer, certified suppliers like Bimba and SMC on 3DContentCentral, or you confirm the model to the data sheet.
We redid the 2008 kop based on Ed Sparks models and the suppliers that we could find part numbers for. Ed has good, valid models that you can trust. Unfortunately, SolidWorks models, not from SolidWorks manufacturers can only be worked on only after the kop announcement. But there are many FIRST suppliers that use SolidWorks or produce parts on 3DContentCentral.

Someday I hope to post all FRC models on 3dcontentcentral in multiple languages and multiple file formats - but that politics just didn't work out. We have the technology that would help all teams not matter what software they use.

I am doing a Boston FIRST SolidWorks robot design workshop on Tuesday, maybe I will see more models there and can help you out more. Marie