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3D CAD Importer	|	Extensions |	Import From<br>Disk Files? | Import From<br>Live Application?

<a href="/solutions/autodesk_inventor.htm" class=fft>Autodesk Inventor</a> |	.iam (assemblies),<br>.ipt (parts) |	CHK | CHK
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The <a href="/solutions/autodesk_inventor.htm">Autodesk Inventor import converter</a> module allows geometry, 
hierarchy and materials (assembly data) to be imported from native disk-based Autodesk Inventor files 
or from a running copy of the Autodesk Inventor 3D solid modeling application using the Autodesk Inventor 
automation API. No intermediate files are used in the translation.

<p> Also refer to Okino's <a href="/conv/imp_dwf.htm">DWF-3D importer</a> as an equally good and 
supported method to convert data from Inventor.  

<p>If you do not have a copy of Autodesk Inventor installed on your computer then you will need to install the Inventor "Apprentice Server" COM component module. This module allows Okino's Inventor importer to import data from .iam assembly files and/or .ipt part files without need for a full resident copy of Autodesk Inventor. This "Apprentice Server" is distributed by Autodesk in an installer called "Design Tracking". References to this page can be found 
on the Okino demo downloads WEB page. 

<p>Features of the Autodesk Inventor importer:

<ul>
<li> Import from a live running copy of Autodesk Inventor, or from native Autodesk Inventor .iam and .ipt files on disk (no copy of Autodesk Inventor required for this latter feature). 
<br><br>
<li> Imports and retains: assembly hierarchy information and assembly names, as well as  BREP structure of the source model (bodies and faces). Can query accurate vertex normals, uv texture coordinates and UV tangent vectors from Autodesk Inventor directly. 
<br><br>
<li> The quality of the model (the number of polygons) can be controlled when importing from Autodesk Inventor or from disk-based files. 
<br><br>
<li> Okino's "CAD Scene and Hierarchy Optimization System" has been integrated right into the Autodesk Inventor importer. This is most important when importing large CAD models into 3ds Max, Maya or Lightwave. These animation packages tend to have performance problems then the source CAD model is large, and/or has a large number of individual parts (which is often the case with the BREP model topology of data provided by Autodesk Inventor). 
<br><br>
<li> The native PolyTrans plug-in systems for 3ds Max (PolyTrans-for-3dsMax) and Maya (PolyTrans-for-Maya) have been refined since 1998 specifically for importing large CAD assembly models from Autodesk Inventor. This has come about partly from our good software users, and also from the main Okino CAD programmers who have been specializing in CAD to non-CAD conversion software since 1988. 
<br><br>
<li> Complete control over material parameter modification on an automatic basis. Many CAD systems like Autodesk Inventor have basic material parameters (like color, ambient + diffuse shading coefficients, opacity, etc) but when they are transferred over to a rendering and animation system they often look "too bright" or "highly ambient". This can be expected and is quite normal. The material tweak parameters easily allow such saturated shading values to be automatically compensated.
</ul>
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<a href="/conv/imp_dwf.htm" class=fft>Autodesk DWF-3D</a> (for AutoCAD, Navisworks, Revit & Inventor) | .dwf, .hsf | CHK | NOCHK
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This <a href="/conv/imp_dwf.htm">DWF-3D importer</a> is considered by Okino to be our most important 
CAD importer for handling data from AutoCAD, Navisworks, Revit and optionally Autodesk Inventor. Okino 
wrote the first and primary implementation of DWF-3D over a long period of 6 years. Its development focus 
has been to import the absolute most humongous of DWF-3D files and then have the data highly 
optimized for downstream programs which just can't handle such files. Common examples are very large  
oil & gas rigs, entire ships and architectural models. The converter will also import from HOOPS .hsf files.   

<p>This is not "just another 3D importer" but rather something we consider a "god send" to us and our  
customers. Whereas DXF and DWG are some of the worst file formats for general data translation, DWF-3D 
is one of the very best 3D file formats available. DWF-3D is actually an empty 'container file format', as  
is Adobe PDF, which uses the extensive and concise HOOPS 3D HSF format to capture and convey the 3D data.   

<p> It is <b>highly</b> recommended that you use DWF-3D file format to export out of AutoCAD and not 
the DXF or DWG file formats. For Navisworks and Revit, always use DWF-3D and never FBX format. For 
Autodesk Inventor, either use Okino's native <a href="/solutions/autodesk_inventor.htm">Inventor  
importer</a> or DWF-3D.

<p> Please also refer to the corresponding <a href="/conv/exp_dwf.htm">DWF-3D export converter</a>. 
NOTES-END

<a href="/conv/imp_dxf.htm" class=fft>Autodesk DXF & DWG (all versions)</a> | .dxf, .dwg | CHK | NOCHK
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The <a href="/conv/imp_dxf.htm">DWG import converter</a> is an intelligent and complex converter which 
will read in DWG/DXF files containing 2d, 2-1/2d or 3d entities and transform them into optimized, 
grouped meshes of 3d polygons.

<p> Please note that the base-level NuGraf and PolyTrans programs only import the DXF R12 file format 
whereas the CAD/Pack license adds in support up to the current version of DXF and DWG. 

<p>Highlights of the converter are as follows:

<ul>
<li>Conformance to AutoCAD versions going back as far as the oldest 2.5 format.
<br><br>
<li>Reads both ASCII and binary versions of the DXF/DWG format.
<br><br>
<li>The 'scan mode' option allows the DXF/DWG file to be pre-scanned for color 
numbers, layer names and block names.
<br><br>
<li>Retains blocks and instances within the imported database (no object replication).
<br><br>
<li>Creates cameras from the VIEW entries found in the DXF/DWG file. The cameras 
are compliant with the unpublished AutoCAD 'VIEW' algorithm for perspective
cameras.
<br><br>
<li>Reads in the most popular and important DXF/DWG entity and converts them into optimized 3d polygon meshes by a variety of means.
<br><br>
<li>Allows 2d entities with no width or thickness to be intelligently converted 
into 3d polygons of very narrow width. This allows, for example, 2d 
drafting diagrams to be imported and rendered in 3-dimensions. It can also 
be used, for example, to import GIS data that consists of DEM terrain and 
simple 3d polylines (very powerful!). This feature 
is quite useful since 3D AutoCAD diagrams often use 2d lines and 2d 
arcs to add fine detail to a scene; without this feature such detail would 
be non-existent within the 3d imported scene. 
<br><br>
<li>All adjoining polylines which have been assigned &quot;width&quot; are properly mitred. The only other 3d DXF/DWG 
converter that is known to have this capability is that provided with Autodesk's 
3D Studio. Mitring adjusts the angle of abutting polygons so that they fit together 
snuggly (as with the corners of a picture frame). The mitring code handles every 
possible case, including 2d mitring (widened polylines) and 3d mitring (widened polylines 
which are subsequently extruded upwards).
<br><br>
<li>The converter is extemely memory efficient.
<br><br>
<li> If ACIS solid entities are stored in the DWG file then they will be decrypted and turned into polygon meshes prior to import. 
</ul>
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<a href="/conv/imp_iges.htm" class=fft>Okino IGES</a> (Trimmed Surfaces)|	.iges, .igs |	CHK | NOCHK
NOTES-START
This <a href="/conv/imp_iges.htm">complex geometry import converter</a> reads in "Trimmed Surface" 
IGES files including the most used NURBS entities, their related trim curve information, geometry 
hierarchy connectivity and polygonal data. It was the core back-bone of Okino CAD conversions during the 
90's and early 2000's era. However, all IGES conversions are now preferred to be handled by the 
IGES-solids importer in the Okino Granite/Pack module. 

<p>Features of this Okino IGES "Trimmmed Surface" import converter:
<ul>
<li>  All of the major 3d geometry entities, such as tabulated surface, surface of 
revolution, parametric spline surface and all NURB entities are imported and 
converted to clean and legal trimmed NURB patches.
 <br><br>
<li>  The reader fully recreates the geometrical hierarchy of an IGES file via entities 308 
(subfigure definitive) and 408 (subfigure instance) in an efficient manner using the 
instance/object capabilities of the NuGraf/PolyTrans internal database manager. 
This allows the IGES reader to define an object once (such as a bolt) then have it 
instanced many times; thus, there only has to be one copy of the geometry in 
memory even though there are many virtual copies of it in the scene.
 <br><br>
<li>  The IGES specification does not provide an efficient method to store meshed 
polygonal data. Rather, each single polygon is typically written to an IGES file 
within its own entity (#106, copious data). When reading in an IGES file, this 
converter will flag all of these polygons which belong to a single subfigure 
definition and accumulate them into an efficient 'Indexed Polygon' mesh primitive 
rather than create a new object for each polygon read in.
 <br><br>
<li>  All polygons which do not belong to a subfigure definition will be accumulated and 
stored in a single indexed polygon mesh with an instance name of 'lone polygons'.
 <br><br>
<li>  If a circular arc is not subordinate to another entity (ie: it is not used as a trim 
curve on a NURB surface) then it is turned into a planar NURB patch surface with a 
circular boundary. The same holds true for composite curves and conic arcs which 
are closed.
 <br><br>
<li>  External file references are handled, in a recursive manner. This allows sets of IGES files, hierarchically linked via one main "root" IGES file, to be imported and its hierarchy recreated. This is most often used for files coming from Pro/Engineer.
</ul>
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<a href="/conv/imp_se.htm" class=fft>Solid Edge</a> |	.asm (assemblies),<br>.prt (parts) |	CHK | CHK
NOTES-START
The <a href="/conv/imp_se.htm">Solid Edge import converter</a> module allows geometry, hierarchy and materials (assembly data) to be imported from native disk-based Solid Edge files or from a running copy of the Solid Edge 3D solid modeling application using the Solid Edge automation API. No intermediate files are used in the translation.

<p>Features of the Solid Edge import converter:

<ul>
<li> Import from a live running copy of Solid Edge, or from native Solid Edge .asm and .prt files on disk (no copy of Solid Edge required for this latter feature). 
<br><br>
<li> Imports and retains: assembly hierarchy information and assembly names, as well as  BREP structure of the source model (bodies and faces). Can query accurate vertex normals, uv texture coordinates and UV tangent vectors from Solid Edge directly. 
<br><br>
<li> The quality of the model (the number of polygons) can be controlled when importing from Solid Edge (but not when importing from files directly on disk). 
<br><br>
<li> If one part is instantiated N times in the Solid Edge assembly tree then this importer will recognize such a situation and use Okino's core database master/instance capability to import the part just once and instantiate it N times. 
<br><br>
<li> The native PolyTrans plug-in systems for 3ds Max (PolyTrans-for-3dsMax) and Maya (PolyTrans-for-Maya) have been refined since 1998 specifically for importing large CAD assembly models from Solid Edge. This has come about partly from our good software users, and also from the main Okino CAD programmers who have been specializing in CAD to non-CAD conversion software since 1988. 
<br><br>
<li> A good number of important options that can be (optionally) set prior to import, to control most situations that could be encountered with Solid Edge data import. Many options have come about from end-user requirements or situations. 
<br><br>
<li> Complete control over material parameter modification on an automatic basis. Many CAD systems like Solid Edge have basic material parameters (like color, ambient + diffuse shading coefficients, opacity, etc) but when they are transferred over to a rendering and animation system they often look "too bright" or "highly ambient". This can be expected and is quite normal. The material tweak parameters easily allow such saturated shading values to be automatically compensated.
<br><br>
<li> If you are importing the Solid Edge data into Okino's PolyTrans or NuGraf software then it is possible to "refresh" or "update" the scene data directly from Solid Edge without having to re-import the whole scene again. 
</ul>
NOTES-END

<a href="/solutions/solidworks.htm" class=fft>SolidWorks</a> |	.sldasm (assemblies),<br>.sldprt (parts) |	CHK | CHK
NOTES-START
The <a href="/solutions/solidworks.htm">SolidWorks import converter</a> module allows geometry, hierarchy and materials (assembly data) to be imported from native disk-based SolidWorks files or from a running copy of the SolidWorks 3D solid modeling application using the SolidWorks automation API. No intermediate files are used in the translation.

<p>Features of the SolidWorks import converter:

<ul>
<li> One of the most well developed, customer-requested and supported CAD importers written by Okino.
<br><br>
<li> Import from a live running copy of SolidWorks, or from native SolidWorks .sldasm and .sldprt files on disk (no copy of SolidWorks required for this latter feature). 
<br><br>
<li> Imports and retains: assembly hierarchy information and assembly names, as well as  BREP structure of the source model (bodies and faces). Can query accurate vertex normals, uv texture coordinates and UV tangent vectors from SolidWorks directly. 
<br><br>
<li> The quality of the model (the number of polygons) can be controlled when importing from SolidWorks (but not when importing from files directly on disk).
<br><br> 
<li> If one part is instantiated N times in the SolidWorks assembly tree then this importer will recognize such a situation and use Okino's core database master/instance capability to import the part just once and instantiate it N times. This feature can be disabled so that assembly-level part modifications within SolidWorks (and using the automation import mode) can be imported, such as per-instance colors and feature changes (such as per-part hole cuts). 
<br><br>
<li> Okino's "CAD Scene and Hierarchy Optimization System" has been integrated right into the SolidWorks importer. This is most important when importing large CAD models into 3ds Max, Maya or Lightwave. These animation packages tend to have performance problems then the source CAD model is large, and/or has a large number of individual parts (which is often the case with the BREP model topology of data provided by SolidWorks). 
<br><br>
<li> The native PolyTrans plug-in systems for 3ds Max (PolyTrans-for-3dsMax) and Maya (PolyTrans-for-Maya) have been refined since 1998 specifically for importing large CAD assembly models from SolidWorks. This has come about partly from our good software users, and also from the main Okino CAD programmers who have been specializing in CAD to non-CAD conversion software since 1988. 
<br><br>
<li> A good number of important options that can be (optionally) set prior to import, to control most situations that could be encountered with SolidWorks data import. Many options have come about from end-user requirements or situations. 
<br><br>
<li> Complete control over material parameter modification on an automatic basis. Many CAD systems like SolidWorks have basic material parameters (like color, ambient + diffuse shading coefficients, opacity, etc) but when they are transferred over to a rendering and animation system they often look "too bright" or "highly ambient". This can be expected and is quite normal. The material tweak parameters easily allow such saturated shading values to be automatically compensated.
<br><br>
<li> If you are importing the SolidWorks data into Okino's PolyTrans or NuGraf software then it is possible to "refresh" or "update" the scene data directly from SolidWorks without having to re-import the whole scene again. 
</ul>
NOTES-END