[DREXENG2015]

Hi all,

I am trying make a modification into an existing piece of material with complex geometry. I have a cad file for both the existing part, and a separate cad file for the part with the changes I want to make.

What I want to do is have the stock that I start with be the original cad file, and the finished part be the modified cad file.

I figure they must have built this feature into the software if say for example one needs to machine a casting.

I see the option in stock wizard to pick an ".stl" file, but it seems to screw up my dimensions when I open it. Is there a way I can open the stock just as an .step, just like I do for the part to be machined?

Thanks!

[mmoe]

Just put the part on a layer in your CAD file, make sure the part is one big part (not a bunch of surfaces), then use the "Pick Solid Model" option in the stock setup wizard. There will be a button that says something like "Select Model", which you click on. Turn the layer on (if it's not already) with the stock model, select the model, then right click on the screen and choose "OK". Turn off the layer with the stock on it and it will be as if it's not even there anymore, but the Bobcad stock will be the correct shape.

You can also export a file in STL format from the simulation once you've done work on it, then open that as the new stock for further toolpaths. That's what I suspect the STL option for stock setup is for, rather than for what you're trying to do.

[DREXENG2015]

That is a great idea, thanks a lot! I will give that a try.

[DREXENG2015]

Hi could I bother for a little more help in getting this to work? I was up until about 4am last night trying to figure it out lol.

I am just not sure how to get the two parts into layers. So I start by opening an .step of the part I want in its finished state, and opening the part that will be the stock. So now I have to separate .step files loaded in bobcad. I also saved each of them as their on .bbcd file. I tried "merging" the two files. Is this the correct thing to do? If I hit "merge" I now have a file with the two solid entites in 1 file "stock" and "finished" parts. I can overlap he two items, but I am not sure how to declare each one as it's own layer. Sorry I have only been using BobCAD for about a month.

Thank You!

[bobcad guy]

drex, do you know how to make a layer? in your layer manager, you will have a layer named " cad " which you can rename "raw stock", or just leave it cad layer, aslong as you know what it is. copy the part you want as stock on to the empty screen, of the new file. all you should have now is a new file containing the "raw stock" model. now as always, save, and name the file, so you can be sure not to lose it. next, in your layer manager, add a layer, and name in " modified" , then turn the modified layer on, and the raw stock layer off by moving the check mark to modified layer, and clicking the box next to raw stock to turn it off. you should now have a blank screen again. the "raw" layer is hidden, but still there. now copy the "modified " model into the blank layer. you now can toggle between screens and turn each model on or off as needed. I assume your very new to bobcad, to not understand layer management, it might be easier if you just post a file of the models, and ask someone to "show" you how to do it, and then you'll get a little more understanding of it.

[jrmach]

One way,,open "new file"/save as............
r click/add new layer/......#1
r click/add new layer/.....,,#2
file/open/.bbcd 1/select whole model/edit/copy/"new file"/paste/highlight model/r click/modify attributes/layer........1
rinse/repeat

note your CAD layer can be one of those layers

[mmoe]

Well, with STEP files it's a little more complicated. The part and the stock will need to be on separate files, so you'll then open each one individually. Steps seem to get opened as one giant entity, so there is no way to separate them after they get opened, at least that's how it works at my end. I suppose you could break them into surfaces from within the one file, which would also break the part into surfaces (no big deal), but just to make it simple I would stick to an individual file for the part and one for the stock. The main thing is that for whatever reason, a STEP file needs to be made into surfaces using the "Unstitch Solid to Surfaces" function in the Utilities menu. Here's a quick video showing how to do it:

Bobcad V26 Solid Model as Stock - YouTube

Edit:
Not sure if you know how to rotate the view without going to the rotate view button. You should be able to rotate the view around by simply holding the middle "wheel" button down on you mouse. Also, to translate the part to match the stock using snaps, set the translate to "Sketch/Enter". You just select the stock first, click OK on the translate dialog window (where the CAM tree usually is), then carefully select a point on the part that will be coincident with a point on the stock model, then click on the same point on the stock model itself. All shown in the video, but just to clarify what's going on.

[BurrMan]

One way,,open "new file"/save as............
r click/add new layer/......#1
r click/add new layer/.....,,#2
file/open/.bbcd 1/select whole model/edit/copy/"new file"/paste/highlight model/r click/modify attributes/layer........1
rinse/repeat

note your CAD layer can be one of those layers

The rudiment.

[DREXENG2015]

That is so awesome that opens up so many new capabilities for me especially what I am trying to do right now. Thanks so much for all of your help that was extremely generous. I got it to work now, thanks again.

[DREXENG2015]

I am actually running into another problem, so I have the both the stock and part in separate layers, I think the stitching to surfaces worked. When I go to to "select solid model" in stock wizard and I highlight my stock I hit enter, and I just get a message "Please select solid model" and then I can't do anything from there. Can I ask what you used to record the video? So I can post up what I am trying to do?

[jrmach]

If you can share with us,,,upload the .bbcd files.You will have to .zip

[DREXENG2015]

Wish I could, unfortunately it is pretty proprietary stuff. I'll figure it out eventually.

[SBC Cycle]

I am actually running into another problem, so I have the both the stock and part in separate layers, I think the stitching to surfaces worked. When I go to to "select solid model" in stock wizard and I highlight my stock I hit enter, and I just get a message "Please select solid model" and then I can't do anything from there. Can I ask what you used to record the video? So I can post up what I am trying to do?

I'm going to guess and say that during the stitching process there was a gap in the model somewhere.

In your first post you said that you had two separate file. There shouldn't be a need to do any stitching or unstitching. I would open the model with the changes first. Immediately save as a BBCD file but leave it open. Open up your file that represents the stock. Select it and Edit-Copy (or Control + C). Go back to your first file and create the new layer and make it active. Then simply Edit - Paste (or Control + V) to that layer and name it "STOCK".

I believe mmoe suggested the unstitch option because that's what you would have to do with a multi-body STEP file in BobCAD. They get "welded" together on import in BobCAD when some CAD programs allow them to stay separate.

[DREXENG2015]

I finally got it to work, I have no idea what was wrong before because I basically got it to work by the same method that wasn't working lol. Anyway, thanks everyone for your help I really appreciate it!

[mmoe]

I'm going to guess and say that during the stitching process there was a gap in the model somewhere.

In your first post you said that you had two separate file. There shouldn't be a need to do any stitching or unstitching. I would open the model with the changes first. Immediately save as a BBCD file but leave it open. Open up your file that represents the stock. Select it and Edit-Copy (or Control + C). Go back to your first file and create the new layer and make it active. Then simply Edit - Paste (or Control + V) to that layer and name it "STOCK".

I believe mmoe suggested the unstitch option because that's what you would have to do with a multi-body STEP file in BobCAD. They get "welded" together on import in BobCAD when some CAD programs allow them to stay separate.

The STEP model seems to require being unstitched into surfaces or it will give the same error the OP was getting. I don't know why Bobcad won't consider a STEP file a solid for that purpose, but it appears that is just won't. Even if they start in two different files and are separate entities, an assembled STEP entity gives the error "Please Select a Solid Model". If you break that same STEP into surfaces, then select the entire group of surfaces, the error does not happen but you do get your stock definition. I usually use IGES models and import them as curves and surfaces these days (not as a solid), so I normally have not encountered that error. I'll have to test out whether a solid IGES, SAT or 3DM causes the same problem. Otherwise, I just know that if you select a mass defined as surfaces that create a solid, you'll get a correctly sized stock, so if there are problems, that is the fix.

[SBC Cycle]

Hmm, I've not noticed that before. I have plenty of STEP files to test, I'll try a couple out to see what's going on. I'll admit that I rarely use the "Solid Model" as stock (I'm usually using the "STL" option) so that one must have slipped by me.