Repairing imported models

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In this video, you’ll:

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clean up an imported assembly structure,

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isolate key components for an imported design,

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and create manifold bodies from open surfaces.

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Often when surface bodies are exported and imported into a new CAD program,

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errors in the file can appear.

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These errors must be repaired before beginning a simulation.

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Open the files Repairing Imported Models Stitch.f3d

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and Repairing Imported Models Patch.f3d.

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Ensure that the workspace is set to Design, and then open the Surface contextual tab.

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When a CAD file is imported and appears as a surface body,

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it is easily identified in the Browser by the surface body symbol.

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Often, extra surfaces may appear that can be deleted before proceeding with simulation.

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But before you begin removing these extra surfaces,

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the Validate command may be used to identify and repair small defects.

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Validate verifies the quality of an imported model.

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It reviews the selected bodies, attempts to repair bad surfaces,

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and then stitches together any surfaces that can create quilts or solids.

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To access this, from the Toolbar, expand Inspect

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and, from the drop-down, select Validate.

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The Validate dialog displays.

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In the canvas, select the single body.

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Then, back in the dialog, enable Repair.

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With Repair enabled, more options display.

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Ensure Gap Healing is enabled, as well as Refit Bad Surfaces.

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Click OK.

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An indicator displays with a Validate Summary.

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In this example, it states no issues were found.

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Click OK.

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It is important to note that Validate is only available

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in the Design workspace when Design History is turned off.

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Because of this, it is good practice to Validate before removing extra surfaces.

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After validation, it is time to remove the extra surfaces.

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From the Browser, under Bodies, toggle OFF the visibility of Body2.

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Now, select extraneous surfaces, such as the pockets.

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You can do this manually, by picking in the canvas,

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or, from the Browser, select Side 2 - Pockets.

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Once the pockets are selected, in the Browser, right-click Side 2 – Pockets

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and, from the shortcut menu, select Delete.

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A warning dialog displays, prompting you to delete the group and expand its contents,

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or delete both the group and its contents.

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Select Delete contents.

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With the extra surfaces deleted, back in the Browser, toggle ON the visibility of Body40.

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Now, right-click the top level in the browser and turn on Capture Design History.

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Bodies that are not missing any surfaces can be combined and converted to a solid body using the Stitch command.

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In the canvas, use a window selection to select all surfaces of the model.

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Then, from the Toolbar, in the Surface tab, Modify panel, select Stitch.

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The Stitch dialog displays with the selected surfaces active.

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Click OK.

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In the Browser, under Bodies, where previously there were several bodies, there is now only a single body.

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At this point, it is good practice to save your file.

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Now, on the Application Bar, open the Repairing Imported Models Patch tab.

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Again, ensure the Design workspace is active.

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When working in the Surface contextual toolbar,

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Patch and Loft are commonly used to repair imported models that are missing surfaces.

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Using the Patch command, simple holes in surface models can be filled and stitched to combine them into a solid body.

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To begin, in the Create panel, select Patch.

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The Patch dialog displays.

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In the canvas, double-click to select a boundary to patch.

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Back in the dialog, click OK.

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The hole is now patched.

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From the Toolbar, Create panel, select Patch again.

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In the canvas, select another boundary to patch.

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After you make the selection, click OK to patch the surface.

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Using the Loft command, you can connect two profiles to fill a gap between surfaces.

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From the Toolbar, expand Create.

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From the drop-down, select Loft.

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The Loft dialog displays.

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In the canvas, pan and zoom the model to better access the areas you need to repair.

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Select two profiles and then, in the dialog, click OK.

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Open the Loft dialog again. Pan and zoom to fill another gap between edges.

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Select the profiles and then, in the dialog, click OK.

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After all patching and lofting is complete, in the canvas, use a window selection to select the entire model.

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Then, from the Toolbar, Modify panel, select Stitch.

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The Stitch dialog displays.

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Select OK.

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Then, in the Browser, expand Bodies.

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The surface patches and lofts are now combined into a single body. Save your file.