#Body of water cad model software#

#Body of water cad model software#

On a basic level, thanks to the product structure information there is a collapsible tree view at the left side of the screen in most CAD software packages.

Product structure is a hierarchy of single objects called parts and groups of interconnected objects called assemblies. Another example of diversity in CAD topology is that while in STEP the outer boundary is mandatory and has its own entity (FACE_OUTER_BOUND), another format may have no such requirement, e.g. Instead, there is an Edge List that doesnРІР‚в„ўt provide Faces connectivity while converting.

For example, in IGES there is no such entity as Edge. But there are always exceptions to the rule. The common topological data structure of a CAD model stems from the fact that each Edge is connected to several Faces, which ensures Faces connectivity and is a prerequisite for forming Solids. Format-specific supportР”Вepending on the CAD format there can be different types of topological entities and different requirements to their representation. Good topology allows predictable modification and animation and has less memory footprint. While geometry defines a body form, topology defines trimming of underlying geometry and stores connectivity information. Topological shapes include bodies (solid, sheet, wireframe, acorn) and elements (shells, faces, edges, etc). Topology is only a factor for B-Rep representations. Format-specific supportР”В¬AD file formats differ in their geometry representation scope: IGES supports B-Reps, STL and VRML - polygons, whereas JT may contain both. It stores the information about dimensions and geometric properties of parts: volume, surface area, center of mass. Geometrical entities are a framework for the future visualization. Earlier, we published a blog post, describing the particularities of conversion polygonal formats to B-Rep. Mesh model, on the other hand, is a B-RepРІР‚в„ўs twin with all precise boundaries replaced with a set of approximated facets. B-Rep bodies are defined via a set of precise geometrical entities and topological entities. The two most common ways to represent 3D data in CAD files are meshes and B-Rep, also known as polygonal and boundary representations. Neutral CAD formatsР”ВXFIFCIGESJTSTEP3D PDF3DS3MFColladaFBXOBJPLYPRCSTLU3DUSDVRMLX3DglTFР”В¬ATIADWGPTC CreoSiemens NXSolid EdgeSolidworks3D XMLР”В¬AD model of a helicopter main gearbox Geometry representation Kernel formats work best with the software that is built on top of the corresponding kernel. A CAD modeling kernel is a component of a modeling software, defining how it mathematically describes a shape. Kernel formats are derived from popular geometric modelling kernels, ACIS and Parasolid being the most common ones. In order to import them in 3rd party CAD tools conversion is required. SOLIDWORKS, CATIA and DWG, are produced by major CAD vendors. For instance, IGES is developed by the National Bureau of Standards, while STEP is a product of CAX IF. The specifications for those formats are publicly available and maintained by companies or consortiums. Neutral file formats, like STEP and IGES, were elaborated as industry standards readable by most of the CAD modelling platforms. There are neutral, native and РІР‚СљkernelРІР‚Сњ CAD file formats.

The defining characteristic of a CAD file is its format. It might consist of 2D or 3D data and is used by designers, engineers, manufacturers, scientists, and digital artists. Most common CAD file formats and extensionsР”В¬AD (Computer-Aided Design) file is an output of a CAD software, containing information about a designed object.So since you are already here, go on in and enjoy! Table of content WeРІР‚в„ўve already shared a dozen blog posts on this topic, but weРІР‚в„ўd like to streamline all the information so that you could use it as a CAD files handbook. Over the years weРІР‚в„ўve accumulated a lot of knowledge on what CAD files can be like, what their peculiarities are, and where some of them would and would not be efficient.