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How to import SolidWorks models into 3DVIA
People all over the world create lots of 3D models for lots of different reasons. 3D models are the building blocks of many industries that we depend on to make the things we use and to make the things we relax and have fun with too. Educational use of 3D models is exploding too as new tools become available to even more users eager to let their imagination loose to create better ways to learn.
3DVIA.com is a place where all of those creators and their 3D models can come together to show their results, explore other parts of the 3D model creation world and to learn from each other. Imagination and fun drive the users, which makes 3DVIA.com a place to enjoy yourself!
SolidWorks is an excellent tool for creating 3D models. Those models are used throughout the conceptualization, development, manufacturing, marketing and sales of many of products that we use every day. It is also a creative tool that is used for lots of fun projects. Many SolidWorks models have been uploaded to 3DVIA.com already (you can find them all at one time using this link).
One thing you may notice about some of the uploaded SolidWorks models, is that the models aren’t oriented in a natural way. They’re often lying on their side or on their back. This post is meant to help you avoid that when you upload your SolidWorks models.
The first image shows a model (by “anonymous”) as oriented in SolidWorks after I downloaded it from 3D Content Central. After I created a 3DXML file in SolidWorks (by using the drop-down list in either SolidWorks 2007 or 2008 to “Save as type:” 3DXML), I uploaded it to my free 3DVIA.com account. The second and third images show the results when I displayed it in first the 3D XML Player and then the 3DVIA Player.
What happened? It all comes down to where your axes are in your SolidWorks model. SolidWorks uses the Reference Triad to indicate this. The following is from SolidWorks Help (with my highlight of the triad).
If you don’t see a triad at all in your models, use the simple 1-2 steps shown in the image above to turn the triad back on.
The image below shows the DEFAULT SolidWorks triad on the left, and the way we want it to be oriented on the right.
Depending on your default part and assembly template files, your triad may be in a totally different orientation. Whatever spatial orientation your files are in, you can download and use the appropriate SolidWorks assembly file template below to easily get good upload results without changing your own templates.
sw_2007_3dvia_upload.ASMDOT or sw_2008_3dvia_upload.ASMDOT
Just be sure to put them where you can find them and use “Tools>Options>System Options>File Locations>Default Templates” to make their location easily accessible within SolidWorks.
Each template’s default opening screen has the triad placed correctly and a standard view added (just hit the space bar to see the list), so that you can easily go back to the “3DVIA Upload” view.
Whether you have a SolidWorks part or assembly, the fastest way to get it oriented correctly is to open a new assembly using the new downloaded template. If your model is already open and shows as a choice to insert into your new assembly, then select it and click the green check. This will put the model at the origin in your new assembly.
Or, you can split your viewing screen (”Window>Tile Horizontally”), so that you can see your model and the new assembly. Click on your model’s title in the Feature Manager Design Tree and drag and drop it onto the origin in the Feature Manager Design Tree of the new file. Don’t worry about orientation, just get it in there.
Save it with some appropriate name so that you won’t forget that it has been re-oriented.
Now, go into the Feature Manager Design Tree of the new file and right click on the name of the item that you brought in and then click on “Float” in the resulting list of choices.
All of the mates you carefully set up in the parent model will stay locked as you spin the model to the orientation that you want it to show up on 3DVIA.com using “Rotate Component” or “Move with triad”. You are only trying to get it in the ballpark, not exactly where you want it.
I use “Rotate Component” because I can whip it around in all three axes, rather than one at a time. While you do this, your reference triad should not move. Do not use “Rotate View” or you’ll have to go back to the pre-set view to correct your triad position.
Next, you’ll need to mate the planes to match your new view. This will ensure that your model sits on the floor, rather than being at an odd angle. Depending on your naming conventions, you may have “Front, Top, and Right”; “1,2, and 3″; or goodness only knows what else. Just match up the closest plane in the model to the closest plane in the assembly. Create coincident mates one by one until your model is locked in .
Now, after a ctrl Q and a save, you’ll be ready to save it as a 3DXML file. Please note that the shadows still won’t show correctly until the file is saved, closed, and reopened.
When your 3DXML file is uploaded to your model selection at 3DVIA.com, it will display correctly in the thumbnail and in both 3D players.
There are always many ways to do anything in SolidWorks, so feel free to follow your own path, based on your own experience. This is just one reliable way to get good results.
Please be aware that 3DVIA.com has an upload file size limit of 10MB, so be sure to check the size of your file before you try to upload it. The upload process will assume that the file is within the limit, so it chugs merrily along (while you wait and wait) and then, at the end, if it’s too big it gives you an error.
If your file is too big you can zip it and (as long as the resulting zip file is now less than 10MB) you should be OK to upload.
Now you can quickly modify and upload your SolidWorks models to 3DVIA.com and know that other folks will see them the way you intended. Have fun exploring all of the other models – there’s a lot to see.
P.S. Feel free to contact me directly if you have questions or suggestions.
24 Responses »
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Great post – I look forward to see what people will start posting.
Thanks, I’m hoping for some good stuff too.
Great post, but when I download a file from 3DVia, under the Solidworks tag you sent the link, I cannot open it in Solidworks. Is there a way to upload Solidworks parts to 3Dvia and still keep the parametric data of all the parts features?
that would really help product design collaboration!
Thanks
Hello Henrique,
Thanks for the comment and for asking a good question. SolidWorks does not support opening 3DXML files – only saving them. Currently, there is no way to keep the SolidWorks parametric data as it is being convererted to 3DXML.
“3D XML is a universal, lightweight XML-based format …” (from the FAQ section) and is not meant to replace or substitute for the original file.
If the model came from http://www.3DContentCentral.com (often mentioned in the description area), you can usually find the model there and download it in SolidWorks and many other formats.
3DVIA.com does allow some design collaboration, since many more people within organizations have free, quick, and easy access to the 3DVIA.com web site and can view the parts/assemblies in 3D without downloading and installing any heavyweight software.
We do hope that people will use 3DVIA.com more and more as a gathering place to view and collaborate on 3D models.
Please let me know if I haven’t answered your question or if I can provide more details.
Don
Thanks for the quick answer!
You are certainly welcome!
learn me how i can make 3d game.
saNdy,right?ok
a game is not so easy to do,but with the appropiate programs there may be chances to make a good one.
first you need a pitch,an idea to start from.you can’t make a game of your own,so the credits sound like
you must got a team
even the baddest mods made in STEAM,a very usefu tool are having a whole little army in the back, there.but as i noticed,many tend to simply download a model, then simply don’t know what to do with it.
…
typical whan you are not prepared.i already have in my class a folk wich came to maths-informatic only to do gams…as i saw,he has not even the smallest spark,so i consider me a genius near him(no relly,i am).you can simply take a normal job,but in te free time to play
no complications.nobody,but NOBODY obligates you to make a game,and if this is your dream,be sure you first know how and if you CAN
as a concept artist(or a cub one) i know the best what is happening.and most of the licenses for programs are expensive so just leave it if you know you don’t have anything to do in this world :)
This is a very interesting Website:) Does anyone know if 3DVia models are compatible with DarkBASIC Professional programming language? If so, then how do I access the sourc code for the 3D models from your website? Thanks for your time.
It is very good
Harry – That is a tough question. Sorry for the delay in responding, but after asking several people, mgbaron gave the best available clue:
You can view the source of a 3DXML file in a text editor if you first change the 3dxml extension to zip and then unzip it.
I hope this points you in a productive direction. Let us know if we can help further.
Don
PhongPhi – Thanks. I hope to see some of your SolidWorks models here soon! – Don
Don – Thanks for the info! – Harry
Harry – you’re certainly welcome. Don
great tip, tnx a lot!!!!
You’re welcome studiomoccoro! I’m looking forward to seeing what you add!
Don
Sandy, your question answered at last – check out studying with QANTM College. I am studying with them in Melbourne, Australia for no money upfront. They have different campuses on several continents.
Thank you peterv9 for the lead. It’s always good to hear about educational opportunities from the folks who are experiencing them.
Here’s a direct link to the college: http://www.qantm.com.au/home/index.cfm
Hi all
I am working on LASER data which I captured from TLS (Terrestrial LASER Scanner) survey of some architectural site. Now I want to do build a 3D model of the same site. I want to know whether 3D modeling of LASER data is possible in 3DVIA. If yes then how and if no then what are the other open source free s/w are available for my task.
Looking for some positive response…
Thanks…
What form is the scan data in? What file format? How big is the file?
I’m really jealous, I’ve always wanted to do terrestrial scanning, but all the equipment was too expensive. What equipment did you use?
Don
I hve used Optech’s ILRIS-3D Laser Scanner. It has provided a s/w in which we can change data format in *.pif, *.xyz, *.RAW, *.ptx, *.3dv, *.bwp, *.s3d, *.ptc, *.blf, *.iva, *.ifx . The file has million of data point (i.e. it has huge amount of data). the size of file is in MB
Thank you for the extra details. I have asked the people who would know here and everyone is coming up empty-handed as far as the open-source part of it.
Does anyone else have any suggestions?
I have a problem with imported Sketchup models. I noticed that I can’t repaint the surfaces of the model in 3DVia. Is it even Possible?
Unfortunately, no. Even if you import your own 3DVIA Shape model into another Shape model, you cannot repaint it in the new Shape model. Each model’s colors and textures are meant to be worked on at the model level, not at the scene level.
With SketchUp models, I open them in SketchUp, rework them there and then re-export them and upload them to 3DVIA. It is more steps, but I can also save them as different models and have them available later too.
Does this answer your questions?