Importing step files

Rhino Rhino for Windows
1

Hello, I work with coworkers that use Solidworks. Sometimes when I import a step file from them I find that if I do a sub object select of an edge, the edge is broken into pieces instead of one solid curve.

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This object if I would have modeled it in Rhino would have selected the entire edge circle. As I have imported it, it has been broken into two pieces. This is not a problem for me, but when I send it back as a step or x_t file, they are not able to edit my new model. Is there a setting I need to change when I import the step file? Or is it just an incompatibility of programs when swapping file types?

Thanks
Kevin

2

I think is just for moving files, you will always have issues like that and even worse cases. one thing I often do working with imported files is to explode some areas and rebuildEdges.
Also for files made in Solidworks, it often split the cylinders in halfs, I don’t know why. but is not just the edge.
Other thing I pay atention is the edge tolerance of each object in rhino, when I import a model , some "joined"edges are forced out of that tolerance like the “join edges” do inside rhino. that’s why RebuildEdges fix some problems and shows some new.
One way to check the edge tolerance in rhino is the command : _testMarkOTEdges, it will pace a Dot where the edges are out of the file tolerance.

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I did like you said, exploded, rebuilt edges, joined it, and testmarkotedges, still a lot of errors

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Is this just poorly modeled pieces, import issues? Trying to understand how I can get around this, they want me to ditch Rhino and use Solidworks.

Also the testmarkotedges does not auto fill when I type it out. I have never hear of it either. Where can I find more info about commands like that one?

4

is a test command, it will not autocomplete, I found it here in the forum. I think @pascal mentioned it.
one way to solve edges out of tolerance is to explode the surfaces or extract them, extend each one and split them again using the new intersection. it also depends on the file tolerance.
I had files with 0.1 tolerance while I should work with 0.001 that’s a nightmare to solve and rebuild. specially in huge files.

In some cases is better to extract the surfaces, UntrimAll, split and join.
other cases I use , explode, shrinktrimmedsrf and join again.
other cases, explode, DivideAlongCreases ( tangent=yes), Shrinktrimmedsrf join.
other cases , all the above haha.

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