8/6/2000 Tip #8

This tip is on Add-ins.  In the support I have done, I have been amazed at how many do not use or even know of the add-ins in SolidWorks.  Many are free and just added in when installing a service pack and some are purchased (i.e. CosmosWorks, CamWorks, PhotoWorks).  Since the latter part of SolidWorks 99 SolidWorks has been adding more and more FREE add-ins into this list found under Tools à Add-ins.  A list of all that has been released up to SP6 and a short explanation from SolidWorks help.  If you would like more info on any of them please check out the SolidWorks help under the help pull down in the program

Choose a link below to see its definition:

SldTrans 1.0: Imports Feature Data from Pro/Engineer part files into SolidWorks. (Obsolete, now in Open Dialog)

SldUg 1.0: Imports Parasolid data from a Unigraphics II file. (Obsolete, now in Open Dialog)

SolidWorks 2D Emulator:    Command-line access for SolidWorks 2000

SolidWorks 3D Meeting:    Online meeting tool for SolidWorks 2000 (Obsolete)

SolidWorks CGR:    Catia CGR Translator (Obsolete, now in Open Dialog)

SolidWorks DXF3D:    ACIS from DXF Translator (Obsolete, not in Open Dialog)

SolidWorks HCG:    Catia HCG (Highly Compressed Graphics Files) (Obsolete, not in Open Dialog)

SolidWorks Inventor: AutoDesk Inventor® part import Translator (Obsolete, not in Open Dialog)

SolidWorks MDT: AutoDesk MDT® Translator (Obsolete, not in Open Dialog)

SolidWorks MTS: SolidWorks- MetaStream Export

SolidWorks SE: SolidWorks- SolidEdge® Part Translator (Obsolete, not in Open Dialog)

SolidWorks ZGL: SolidWorks- RealityWave export (Obsolete)

SldTrans 1.0: Imports Feature Data from Pro/Engineer part files into SolidWorks.

The Add-In module SldTrans 1.0 imports a part or assembly file from Pro/ENGINEER® into a SolidWorks part or assembly document. The attributes, features, sketches, and dimensions of the Pro/ENGINEER® part are imported. If all of the features in the file are not supported, you can choose to import the file as either a solid body or a surface model.

When importing an assembly, you can control how to import individual components. Sub-assemblies are supported as well.

Some known limitations are as follows:

Only versions 17 through 20 of Pro/ENGINEER are supported.

Assembly features are not supported.

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SldUg 1.0: Imports Parasolid data from a Unigraphics II file.

The Add-In module SldUg 1.0 imports the Parasolid information of a Unigraphics® II part or assembly into a SolidWorks part or assembly document. Only the Parasolid information is extracted, not the proprietary feature information of a Unigraphics II part.

You can import:

Parts from Unigraphics II version 10 through version 16

Assemblies from version 10 through version 15

You have the option to import Unigraphics files as either one single SolidWorks part, or as multiple SolidWorks parts.

Single SolidWorks part

One SolidWorks part is created that has one surface body for each body in the Unigraphics file.

Multiple SolidWorks parts

One SolidWorks part is created for each solid in the Unigraphics file

All tool bodies are placed in a separate part, and suppressed so they don't appear in the assembly

One SolidWorks assembly is created

Parts located on an invisible layer in the Unigraphics file are suppressed in the SolidWorks assembly.

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SolidWorks 2D Emulator:    Command-line access for SolidWorks 2000

The Add-In module SolidWorks 2D Emulator adds a command line at the bottom of the screen to emulate the AutoDesk® AutoCAD command line.  It has a lot of the default commands that AutoCAD® has.

Known limitation:

Will cancel out some of the 3D features in SolidWorks while the add-in is loaded. (i.e. if a tool button or pull down doesn't work turn off the add-in an all should be good.)

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SolidWorks 3D Meeting: Online meeting tool for SolidWorks 2000

Now the option for Net meeting is available in SolidWorks so collaboration between you and your customer or vender is easier

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SolidWorks CGR:    Catia CGR Translator

This add-in module enables you to export SolidWorks documents to CATIA® graphics (CGR) files that users can view in CATIA, CATweb, and DMU Navigator. You can export only parts and assemblies with the CGR translator.

Support includes CATIA version 5, release 3, and above.

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SolidWorks DXF3D:    ACIS from DXF Translator

This add-in module extracts ACIS information from a DXF part file, if that information exists in the file, and imports it into a SolidWorks part. SolidWorks does not create the ACIS information.

Support includes, but is not limited to, AutoCAD® R14 and above.

Note the fol lowing add-in limitations:

It is not a 2D to 3D converter.

It does not import 2D or wireframe data from DXF files.

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SolidWorks HCG:    Catia HCG (Highly Compressed Graphics Files)

This add-in module enables you to export SolidWorks documents to Highly Compressed Graphics (HCG) files. HCG files, used by CATIA® in CATweb, are optimized for transmission over the Web. You can export only parts and assemblies with the HCG translator.

The exported files contain graphical information only; you cannot edit these files.

Support includes CATIA version 5, release 3, and above.

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SolidWorks Inventor: AutoDesk Inventor® part import Translator

This add-in module imports AutoDesk Inventor® part files into SolidWorks part documents. The imported part files contain only geometry; features are not imported.

Support includes through version AutoDesk Inventor R2.

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SolidWorks MDT: AutoDesk MDT® Translator

This add-in module imports part and assembly information from a Mechanical Desktop® (MDT) file into a SolidWorks part or assembly document. You must have MDT installed on your desktop, but it does not have to be running, to use the MDT translator.

MDT files can contain a combination of part, assembly, and drawing files. The MDT translator provides different conversion options, depending upon the contents of the MDT file.

Only MDT version 4 is supported.

NOTE:    Because MDT version 4 does not support Windows 2000; the MDT translator is not supported on the Windows 2000 platform.

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SolidWorks MTS: SolidWorks- MetaStream Export

This add-in module exports SolidWorks part or assembly documents to Metastream (.mts) files. You can view Metastream files over the Internet using the Metastream viewer. The Metastream files contain the compressed geometry of the model.

The Metastream (MTS) translator also creates an .mtx file, which is in XML. This is the animation and attribute file of the model. The exported files contain graphical information only; you cannot edit these files.

Support includes Metastream version MTS3.

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SolidWorks SE: SolidWorks- SolidEdge® Part Translator

This add-in module imports the Parasolid information of a Solid Edge® part into a SolidWorks part. Only the Parasolid information is extracted, not the proprietary feature information of a Solid Edge part. You can import Parasolid information from Solid Edge parts up to and including Solid Edge version 8.

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SolidWorks ZGL: SolidWorks- RealityWave export

This add-in module exports SolidWorks part or assembly documents to RealityWave's ZGL file format. After exporting the document, you must save the ZGL file into a RealityWave database (VizStream Server). This converts the ZGL file into RealityWave's streaming format that you then can view over the Internet with the RealityWave viewer.

The exported files contain graphical information only; you cannot edit these files.

Support includes RealityWave version 2.0.

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