p.s.: A short test from a colleague with SW2016 shows me that REPRESENTATION_RELATIONSHIP_WITH_TRANSFORMATION/SHAPE_REPRESENTATION_RELATIONSHIP is supported and works fine.

>> rather than BOLT01, BOLT02, BOLT03

Solidworks (and others eg. Geomagic Design, Catia, Creo, etc) do this because how they process data. If you have an assembly in Solidworks and add a bolt from a library you can pattern the bolt as you like, the BOM will indicate x number of bolt one are in your assembly.

This doesn't work when importing a step assembly. The software will read each bolt as a single entity, thus creating bolt 1, bolt 2, bolt 3, etc even if they are all the same.

This will impact your BOM too as each bolt will register as a separate entry i.e. 1x M10x30, 1x M10x30, 1x M10x30, 1x M10x30, 1x M10x30, etc. I get this all this time with imported step assemblies.

Hello Sebastian,
>>>>>>>This doesn't work when importing a step assembly
Not in general - If the export supports the mentioned feature, the assembly structure will be reconstructed. That works also for sub-assemblies.

I have tested it actually with with SW, Geomagic and know it from my good old Catia V5 times (in deep mourning ...). I would test it also with NX(I hate it!!), but my actual employer uses an 3rd part converter:-(

Have a nice day
Karsten

Hi,

I haven't used Solidworks for some time but it should be as simple as it is in Solidedge and Inventor.

Solidedge calls it 'replace part and Inventor calls it 'replace component'.

Once you have imported the STEP file into the program, you save that. So, if you have one hundred M5 screws in the assembly (it will have named them M5 Screw_1, M5 Screw_2 and so on or something like it), then select the 99 screws after M5 Screw_1 and it should be as simple as RMB and replace part (using the M5 Screw_1 as the part to replace with). As all the screws are the same, they should all be orientated the correct way when replaced. And resave again.

Hope that helps.

At least some Solidworks SLDPRT parts can be opened by Geomagic Design (formerly Alibre),
exported to Step, and then opened by MoI.

- Brian