Solidworks to PDMS

In order to import Solidworks models into PDMS a translation program call Implant-STL is used. Solidworks models first must be saved as STL files then loaded into Implant STL which creates a macro file which is then imported into PDMS. Please review the Implant STL installation user guide found under the !veva " Implant STL #.$ program group% prior to reading the remainder of this document. !lthough powerful% Implant STL is not perfect and the translation process can go poorl& if the following tips are not considered. The goal is to build a Solidworks model that translates into as man& PDMS primitives as possible while eliminating as man& pol&hedrons 'solid bodies shells( as possible. The optimal translated model contains no pol&hedrons and has a small file si)e making it eas& to work with in PDMS. #. *hen saving an STL file '+ile - Save-!s - .stl( for the first time click the ,options- button.

!ll STL files are to be saved as binar& outputs% this reduces file si)e which makes the resultant PDMS model easier to handle. .esolution is alwa&s to be set to /oarse which again reduces file si)e The ,Do not translate STL output data to positive space- option is to be checked as this is the option that will ensure the origin of the Solidworks model and the PDMS model are the same. The ,Save all components of an assembl& as a single file- option is to be left up to the user as some assemblies ma& become too large or complicated to be a single macro file. If this option is unchecked an STL file will be made for each part file in the assembl& and each would need translation individuall&. The ,/heck for interferences- option 0ust does that% and reports an& interfering parts in the assembl&. 1ou can choose to ignore the message if the interference in the assembl& is warranted. ,2utput coordinate s&stem- is used if &our PDMS coordinate s&stem is different than the one used in Solidworks. Solidworks uses an 3 is right% 1 is up% and 4 is towards the screen coordinate s&stem. If PDMS is different% create the coordinate s&stem needed in Solidworks and name it PDMS. 2nce saved the new coordinate s&stem can be selected during the .stl e5port process. 6ote '+or the office a PDMS coordinate has alread& been made for an& new parts7assemblies created in Solidworks(. 2nce the .stl file is created b& Solidworks the e5tension must be renamed 'using windows e5plorer or similar( to lowercase prior to opening it in Implant STL or it won8t work. *hen modeling parts7assemblies in Solidworks% the use of ,merge results- in feature geometr& should be kept to a minimum. Merged features will be recogni)ed as solid bodies and shells% where as unmerged features will be recogni)ed as c&linders% bo5es% and other more desirable primitives. *hen creating holes and other cut7negative st&le geometr&% use features such as hole wi)ard and cut-e5trude% etc9 .efrain from creating holes in features as part of its sketch. Implant looks for features in a model and not at the sketches. :ole geometr& made in features at the sketch level will cause that feature to be translated as an e5trusion or a pol&hedron as opposed to another primitive. S<uare holes in a model will create a PDMS e5trusion. *herever possible 0ust model solid s<uare ob0ects and refrain from shelling or hollowing them out. Solid ob0ects are more easil& recogni)ed b& Implant as bo5es and p&ramids. *hen modeling in PDMS% a solid 'positive( ob0ect re<uires an individual negative7cut ob0ect to create a hole and each solid ob0ect

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re<uires its own negative. :owever in Solidworks a single negative7cut feature can cut through man& solid features and Implant will translate this into several positive ob0ects each with its own negative. Therefore it is more desirable to model a single cut feature through man& solid features wherever possible. >. ?ecause the first feature made in a Solidworks does not have a ,merge results- option an& round cut features made from the same sketch plane as the positive feature will be translated as pol&hedrons. Therefore an& cut features made in the first feature should be made from the opposite side. Implant can translate multiple round cut features in a single solid feature into multiple negative primitives% but the limit is restricted to =. +or whatever reason% > or more cut features will force Implant to translate the model into a pol&hedron. *hen c&lindrical features in Solidworks are translated b& Implant a ratio of diameter vs. height is used to determine whether or not the feature is translated as an e5trusion or a PDMS c&linder. If the height of the c&lindrical features is less than B of the diameter Implant will translate the feature as an e5trusion. Likewise if the height is greater than B of the diameter the feature will become a PDMS c&linder. In addition it has been recentl& discovered that if a c&lindrical feature is modeled in the negative planar direction 'that is to sa& the opposite direction from the arrow side of the Solidworks coordinate triad( the resulting translation will become a c&linder as opposed to a PDMS e5trusion. '6ote this is still be verified(

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The macro file that is created b& Implant STL will b& default create an ,CDEI'e<uipment( out of an& .stl file. The macro can be opened and e<ui% changed to sube 'sub-e<uipment( or an& other logical name used in PDMS Design. 2nce the macro has been created% open PDMS Design. Select the proper place in the hierarch& and using the command window enter FmGspaceH followed b& the path and filename of the macro to import &our Solidworks model.