#Exportind 3DS files
2 messages in this thread
To Everybody or Anybody,
I would appreciate some assistance on the following matter.
I have been using the ACIS modeler in AutoCAD r13 lately for drawing fairly
complex mechanical machinery to animate in 3DS. Some of the simpler shapes
export with little or no problem in a short time. (several seconds). Some of
the more complex shapes that may have had booleans completed on them would not
export. I have left the machine to run for several hours with no response. I
got one response saying that there were too many vertices to create the shape.
I then tried to export them after using the hide command on them. The whole
machine exported in several seconds! The only shape that didn't export was the
one that was completely hidden. Normally this would have been fine but, the
shape was so few in faces that my cylinder section of the hopper looked more
octagonal that cylindrical.
I have sifted through the manuals and have found no documentation regarding the
control of the mesh complexity. No command, no prompt, or no system variable.
AME had some control over mesh density, I find it hard to understand why
Autodesk has not given some control over the mesh to the person creating the
mesh.
The few pieces that I exported without the hide command executed on it first
were jammed packed with faces. This is not a problem. I can reduce faces in
3DS but I cannot increase the mesh density in such a way to made and curved
object appear circular or cylindrical. After this message I will try to export
after using the shade and/or rend
Neil,
I hope this information will help you get your models into 3DS I'll try to
cover any problems you might stumble on.
>> I got one response saying that there were too many vertices to create the
shape.<<
3DS does not allow objects to have more than 64K faces or vertices so make
sure that your ACAD objects are separated by layer or color and they are not
larger than the 64K limit.
Here are a few more tips from Dave Aguilar, other Asoft Forum member.
>>>
a) keep an AME version of the drawing saved. explode the AME object (all the
blocks) iteratively until you get down to the 3DFACE level. import these.
b) make sure to have a high setting for SOLWDENS before SOLMESHing
c) make sure no entities with "thicknesses" are being transferred.
d) whenever possible, use xSURF commands instead to create open surfaces with
a high setting for SURFTAB1 and SURFTAB2. in other words, if the objects you
are transferring are completely enclosed 3d boundaries, AME can do a fairly
reliable translation to DXF. if you are doing open surfaces though, use xSURF
commands… (EDGESURF, RULESURF, etc)
e) make sure all boolean ops on AME primitives leave clean vertice welds
before DXF translation is made. check with quick renders in ACAD first to avoid
gaps and open seams.
f) avoid XREFed component model assemblies whenever possible. if you have to,
bind the suckers first (leaving the originals intact as saved files of course)
and explode down to the 3DFACE level again.
g) for blocks and surfaces which are having real trouble translating, remember
that 3DS also has boolean sculpting capabilities. i have often translated
wireframes in ACAD to 3DS for object scultping guidelines in 3DS. this works
too and uses 3DS native construction to weld vertices, etc.
R13 does have 3DSOUT and 3DSIN commands to export/import directly to 3DS
files, but it's also using ACIS modeler, not AME. as long as you're using AME,
R13's tranfer functions won't be much more help than R12's.
hope this helps.
-dave
>>>
-Mike