Import: IGES File

Description

Imports an IGES (Initial Graphics Exchange Specification) file with file extension of .igs or .iges.

Only geometry data is imported; finite element entities are not imported.

Text format IGES revision 5.3 and earlier are supported.

Dialog

Name

Opens the file dialog to locate and select the IGES file to be imported. Note that files can also be imported by using drag-and-drop directly onto the Strand7 model window or startup screen (see Strand7 Interface: Startup Screen).

Relative Tolerance

A length tolerance is used to set the accuracy of various operations performed during import. These include curve fitting (setting the accuracy of an interpolated curve), vertex insertion on edges (setting the maximum allowable mismatch between the point on the edge and the corresponding vertex point), and the zipping of overlapping edges. This length tolerance is calculated as the Relative Tolerance times the maximum dimension of the bounding box of the imported geometry. A smaller tolerance produces a more accurate geometry (where possible), but fewer edges may be zipped. Zipping of edges can always be performed after importing, if required, using Clean Tools: Geometry. The default value is 1.0E-6.

Default Property Number

The property number assigned to all imported geometry faces if no other instructions are found.

Groups

All geometry imports into Strand7 are placed into a new group, as a child group of the root group. The name of this new group will be based on the name and type of the imported file, and is referred to as the default import group. The imported IGES file may have a grouping structure of its own, in which case this structure can be imported as child groups of the default import group.

The following grouping options are available for an imported IGES file:

None

Imported geometry is assigned to the default import group; grouping information in the import file is ignored.
Auto

IGES subfigures are used if available.

If subfigures are not available, IGES levels are used.

If neither is available, imported geometry is assigned to the default import group.
Subfigures

Subfigure definition entities, subfigure instance entities and assembly information are used for grouping. A new Strand7 group is created for each component of the assembly. The groups may be nested.

If subfigure information is not available, imported geometry is assigned to the default import group.
Levels

Level numbers assigned to faces are used for grouping. A new Strand7 group is created for each level.

If levels information is not available, imported geometry is assigned to the default import group.

IGES Colour as Property

If set, property numbers are assigned to geometry faces based on their colours as defined in the IGES file.

Geometry faces of the same colour are assigned the same property number. Same colour means identical RGB values, and these RGB values are also used to define the property colour of the geometry faces.

The names of automatically generated plate property data sets is also based on these colours; they will be given a name such as "IGES Colour #XXXXXX" where #XXXXXX is a hexadecimal string representing the RGB colour (for example, "IGES Colour #C0C0C0" represents a grey colour).

Match Existing Properties

If set, and IGES Colour as Property is also set, new plate properties are created only if a matching property (i.e., a property with the required colour) does not already exist in the model. This option is useful when importing multiple files into one Strand7 model allowing properties (i.e., colours) from the different imports to be matched.

Convert Unused Curves to Beams

If set, unused curves in the IGES file are imported as beam elements.

Unused curves are curves that are not referenced in the definition of any face in the file. If all curves in the IGES file are referenced, this option has no effect.