CATIA v4 Model and Assembly File Importer Custom importer by DATAKIT (France)

To read the press release for this import converter, please click here.

This is an optional import converter for Okino's PolyTrans and NuGraf software packages. It is developed and sold by DATAKIT (France). A demo version of the plug-in can be downloaded from their WEB site.

Overview

This geometry import converter reads in CATIA v4.xx binary format files in their entirety. The converter extracts and converts CATIA data to equivalent Okino PolyTrans/NuGraf internal data representations.

CATIA is a CAD (Computer Aided Design) / CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) software created by DASSAULT SYSTEMES. It is used for product design. CATIA files can have the following file extensions : .model .dlv and .exp.

The .model files are generally used for one part files while .dlv and .exp files are used for multipart creation.

Supported Entities Imported

This importer can translate the following CATIA entities:

• Solids (also mock-up solids)
• Volumes
• Faces
• Curves
  • Lines
  • Circles
  • Hyperbolas / Parabolas / Ellipses
  • NURBS curves
• Surfaces
  • Planes
  • Parametric surfaces
  • NURBS surfaces
• Skins
• Dittos (components used for assemblies)

All these entities are translated into NURBS curves and NURBS surfaces during import (and not to pure polygon meshes).

This importer can also translate multipart files and can convert hidden entities. It respects CATIA name entities and colours. Lastly, the converter can manage the Layer Filters, which are used to select groups of entities.

Main Dialog Box Options

The following informations explain the various options of the Main dialog box:

Select the part to import

Some CATIA files can have several parts in one file. This combo box lets you select the part that you want to convert.

Select Entities

These checkboxes let you select entities which will be imported. If a checkbox is enabled, the entity type will be imported. The "All Entities" and "None" buttons let you select or deselect all entities at once.

Read Mock-Up Solids

If this checkbox is checked, the converter will translate the mock-up solids which are faceted representations.

Enable Layer Filters

If this checkbox is checked, the Layer Filters Dialog Box will be displayed after this dialog box.

Hidden Entities

These radio buttons lets you decide how Hidden Entities will be imported. They can be selectedt as hidden (no change), visible, or can be deleted during translation.

Layer Filters Dialog Box Options

The following informations explain the various options of the Layer Filters dialog box:

Layer Filters available

This list box gathers all Layer Filters available in the CATIA part. You can select a Layer Filter by clicking on its name.

Layers processed

This edit box shows all CATIA layers that will be processed. These layers are gathered in Layer Filters (separated by a line feed). There are 255 layers in a CATIA part (0-254).

"All Filters" and "None Filter" Buttons

These buttons let you select or deselect at once all filters. If there are no filters selected then the importer will not convert any entities.

Configuration File Description

The "imp_datakit_catia.ini" configuration file is a ASCII file composed of several paragraphs. A paragraph begins with its name between "[]". It ends with another paragraph or the end of file. Each value in the paragraph is defined by : Value name = value. The value names are in uppercase and without space.

Here is a small example:

[FILTRAGE DE DOMAINE]
DRAW=0
FACES=0
SURFACES=0
FILAIRE=0
SOLID=0
COURBE_LIM_3D=1
COTATION=0
ANNOTATION=0

According to the interfaces only certain paragraphs and certain values are used.

In the CATIA V4 to Okino converter interface only these paragraphs are used:

[TOLERANCE]
[CATIA CONF]
[FILTRAGE DE DOMAINE]
[TRANSFORMATION ENTITES]
[SUPPRESSION ENTITES]
[FILTRAGE ENTITE]
[FILTRAGE LAYER]
[FILTRAGE NUMERO ENTITE]
[OKINO CONF]

Please refer to the "imp_datakit_catia.hlp" file for further explanations about this .ini file (this online help is only a partial explanation).