Poor Mans Autocad solid converter

If you have solids software that imports Autocad files (For example I use CADKEY). You may find it doesn’t support autocad solids. So if your customer gives you a .dwg based solid model, what do you do ? Well us mastercamers could bring it in to MC, than convert / Write a .SAT that we could read into our other modeler right ? Well not if we didn’t pony up the dough for the solids option in Mastercam.

Heres the tip …

1. Open the .dwg file in mastercam by using File / Converters / Autodesk.
2. After the conversion you will be prompted to “Delete” intermediate SAT files. (Do not delete them.)
3. Launch your other modeler.
4. Choose import / .sat
5. in the file open dialog box, Navigate to MC9\Data\
you will see 1 .sat file for each solid that was converted during the .dwg -> .mc9 conversion process. You can import these into your modeling software.

Happy Camming

CAM
:cool:

H4X!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL, nice trick, I wonder if CNC knows about this hole.. :D

'Rekd teh File/Save As..

Rekd,
I guess they do now?
Unless you decide to delete it, I've read it now, it's ok to do that, Just kidding.
Hopefully they will leave it as it is. That extra layout for the solids is one expense that could be delayed (until later) if you wanted to purchase MC for programming, and needed to receive DWG files from Autocad, (which is one of my problems in considering software). That extra money is one of the reasons I'm still evaluating other software.
I'm sure the Solids will be necessary for most shops eventually, and this hole would allow shops to use "MasterCam" as you described, and then add on solids later when they needed solids for the applications it was created for.
You could call it a good "Public Relations" decision.