ROBOGUIDE
CAD File Converter
for IGES format (folder version)
handbook
2001/3/30
?. INTRODUCTION TO THE CAD FILE CONVERTER FOR IGES FORMAT ... 3
?. RUNNING THE CAD FILE CONVERTER FOR IGES FORMAT.................... 4
,. QUITTING THE CAD FILE CONVERTER FOR IGES FORMAT. .................. 4 !. OPERATING THE CAD FILE CONVERTER FOR IGES FORMAT ................ 5
!.?. SETTING CONVERSION MODE ........................................................................5 !.?. SETTING CONVERSION PARAMETERS .............................................................6 !.,. SETTING SOURCE FOLDER FOR CONVERSION ...............................................9 !.!. SETTING DESTINATION FOLDER FOR CONVERSION RESULT ...................... 10
!.,. ABOUT THE NAMING RULE OF RESULT FILES ............................................ 10 !.(. PERFORMING FILE CONVERSION ................................................................. 11 !.;. ERROR CODES AND THE LOG FILE .............................................................. 12 ,. NOTES .......................................................................................................... 14
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?. Introduction to The CAD File Converter for IGES Format
If you have any CAD software which generates IGES formatted files, The CAD File Converter for IGES Format converts those files into specific formats for ROBOGUIDE, and vice versa.
Specific formats for ROBOGUIDE are:
(1) F2D format that transmits 2-dimensional form data
(2) F3D format that transmits 3-dimensional form data
F2D Format
IGES Format CAD File ROBOGUIDE Converter
F3D Format
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?. Running The CAD File Converter for IGES Format
Find The CAD File Converter execution file ("IgesTransFoldE.exe") from Windows file browser, and double-click its icon.
Below is the main panel of The File Converter. To convert IGES formatted file into F2D/F3D formatted files, see Topic 4 in this document.
,. Quitting The CAD File Converter for IGES Format.
You may quit The CAD File Converter by three ways:
(1) Click the "Quit" button on the main panel (at right bottom)
(2) Click the X button on the main panel (at right top)
(3) Click the left-top icon on the main panel, then choose "Close" in the File Menu
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!. Operating The CAD File Converter for IGES Format
!.?. Setting Conversion Mode
Current Conversion Mode is displayed below the "Conversion Mode" line on the main panel.
Possible Conversion Modes are shown as follows.
Conversion Mode contents
IGES to F2D converting IGES formatted file into F2D formatted file
IGES to F3D converting IGES formatted file into F3D formatted file
F2D to IGES converting F2D formatted file into IGES formatted file
F3D to IGES converting F3D formatted file into IGES formatted file
In order to change Conversion Mode, click "Set Mode" button on the main panel (at bottom).
Below is the setting dialog, and you choose Conversion Mode you want. Click OK or Cancel to leave this dialog.
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!.?. Setting Conversion Parameters
To see/change Conversion Parameters, click "Parameters" button on the main panel (at bottom).
Below is the setting dialog.
(A) Entities of figure data
This concerns conversion settings for each element of figure data in IGES formatted file. Default setting is "NORMAL" as shown above.
Each element has such attribute as "Independent" or "Dependent." Usually, The CAD File Converter concerns "Independent" elements on conversion. "Dependent" elements are converted only if their parent elements are "Independent". Elements with which The CAD File Converter deals are listed in "5. Notes." Note that even the listed elements may not converted if they are "Dependent" and their parents are not listed. In order to convert such elements, you must choose some other specific parameter shown below than the default one.
When you choose other parameter than "NORMAL," you must realize some types of information will be lost. For example, such information as connection, feature values, and other geometrical information between figures; e.g. relation between a Trimmed Surface Entity(Type144) and the surface entity that is to be trimmed.
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Elements Conversion Result
Parameter
NORMAL Default setting. Converts "Independent" elements and their
children.
ALL Converts entities with visible attribute, even if they are
"Independent" or "Dependent".
SURFACE Converts entities which constitute a Plain Entity (Type108), a
Simple Closed Planer Curve Entity (Type106, form 63),
a Parametric Spline Surface Entity (Type114), a Rational
B-Spline Surface Entity (Type128), a Trimmed Surface Entity
(Type144).
TRIMMED SURFACE Converts a trimmed surface entity (Type144) only, regardless of
dependency attribute.
(B) Number of Division
On converting such figures like Circular Arcs, Curved lines, and Surfaces, into F2D/F3D format, The CAD File Converter approximates them by straight lines or plain surfaces. At this point, The Converter applies this parameter to the original figures.
Its default setting is 12.
(C) Version
Choose the version number of IGES format. Default setting is "V5.0". You should choose "CADAM" only if your IGES file is from CADAM.
(D)ACL
This is the precision parameter on converting figure elements. Default setting is 0.5.
(E) Thickness
To make ROBOGUIDE possible to test interference and display on reading converted data, you must specify either type of processing. Default setting is “NO” process.
Thickness setting Result
NO Output data by adding reverse P-LOOP surface behind the object
surface (default).
YES Output data by thickening the object surface (as if it were a thin
rectangular parallelepiped)
* This setting should be tried only if NO PROCESS setting does not
work. Also note that the converted file size will be increased with this
setting compared to “NO” process.
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(F) Thick Size
If you choose “YES” process for the Thickness setting, you should specify the thick size value here.
You cannot put value here when Thickness setting is “NO” process.
(G)Object Divide
If you choose “YES” for dividing objects, the converter makes some objects in the F3D file. Possible Dividing actions are shown as follows.
?Independent elements [402-form7] and [408] are converted objects each other.
?Other all Independent elements are converted as same (one) object.
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!.,. Setting Source Folder for Conversion
The CAD File Converter processes all of the objective files in the designated folder at once. Therefore, you must specify the folder which contains original files, before you start conversion.
The Source Folder setting is possible by either ways:
(1) Type folder path name in the Source Folder box.on the main panel
(2) Click the "Reference" button right to the Source Folder box. Then the folder
browsing dialog box is appeared as shown below. You may choose the Source
Folder using this dialog box.
* Operation for this dialog box is the same as that for general Windows folder
selection dialog box.
* Once you choose the Source Folder, also the Destination Folder is set to the same
folder. If you are going to change the Destination Folder, see the next topic (4.4).
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!.!. Setting Destination Folder for Conversion Result
Conversion results are put to the Destination Folder according to the original files in the Source Folder.
As written in 4.3, the Destination Folder is set to the same as the Source Folder. You may specify The Destination Folder setting by either ways:
(1) Type folder path name in the Destination Folder box.on the main panel
(2) Click the "Reference" button right to the Destination Folder box. Then the folder
browsing dialog box is appeared as shown below. You may choose the Destination Folder using this dialog box.
* Operation for this dialog box is the same as that for general Windows folder
selection dialog box.
!.,. About the Naming Rule of Result Files
Converted files are named automatically using their original file names by changing their file name extensions. Extension changing rules are as follows:
(1) IGES to F2D: extension is changed into ".f2d"
(2) IGES to F3D: extension is changed into ".f3d"
(3) F2D to IGES: extension is changed into ".igs"
(4) F3D to IGES: extension is changed into ".igs"
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