Help with .IGS files

[swannytheswan]

I am just learning CNC and I have a IGS file that I want to write toolpaths on to but it won't let me. I tried create>curves but it only changed about 3/4 of the lines and the ones that did change aren't chaining well. can anyone help me out.

[Patternboy]

Hi swannytheswan,
what version of Mastercam do you use, and your igs file, is it a 2d or 3d drawing. what kind of toolpath do you want to use.

[WallyL7]

Aaahhhh. The joys of the IGES file. This used to be a bear in V9, but I haven't really had many issues in X (most likely since I work with engineers that use solidworks).

If you can open it up with solidworks or something, just save it as a parasolid, then re-open it with mastercam and it will be a nice simple solid model.

[cadcam]

Oh the Iges or it's real name (iguess)

Wally the Eng use Solid works and give you Iguess files?

[WallyL7]

No. Years ago, when I was at a job shop, the customers would often give us iges files (easiest for them to protect, I believe). That was when we would have to screw around with getting them into a clean format that Mastercam liked.

My company designs and sells its own product, and we use solidworks. X4mu2 didn't seem to like solidparts very much, and would often give errors when opening. Sometimes I would still have to save them through solidworks as a parasolid(PART.X_T) - - just like the iges needs. Mastercam loves those parts as the file is small but still has what you want for machining.

Customers still seem to want to give suppliers IGES files, unless asked for another format. Most will comply if you ask them for a different format. It has just been so common in the past, that they tend to give you that one.

I'm not sure if mastercam will allow you to create a solid out of it, or even save it as a different format(I only have so many hours in a day to mess with things that I can't stand...like igs files...). If you need some help, you can pm me and we can get it cleaned up for you.


Now that I re-read what you were asking, cadcam...lol ... the simple answer is duh - they use solidworks and give me solidpart files...my bad. Should have explained that.

[swannytheswan]

so I guess I could have given ya'll more info. I have Mastercam X4 the part is a solid but when I bring it up in mastercam it shows it as all surfaces I have tried going to solids>from solids but it isn't changing them all and the ones they do change are rough to chain. Also I don't have solid works so can't open it and save it as a para solid.

[WallyL7]

Again, I've been there with Iges myself. If you can post it here I can try to save it as a parasolid if you want. That would probably solve all your headaches. Mastercam won't like it ever, but solidworks can probably handle the conversion.

[Patternboy]

I use IGS file with X4, and I never had problem machining surfaces on my CNC Router, if you want to machine surfaces? what toolpath do you use? if you want to machine surfaces, you got to have level 3 in X4, so you can select all surfaces for machining.

[Donkey Hotey]

Why aren't you using .STP format? I use it daily for Catia V5 conversions as well as Solidworks. IGES is the old, common format. STEP is what you should be using.

[Jaxbubba]

First thing to do with any Igs format file is hit the icon Delete Duplicates. Igs file imports in Mastercam are notorious for creating duplicate entities. You will still have to clean up a few things to get it to chain correctly, but by deleting all duplicate entities will really help with your chaining problems. If that doesn't work one other thing that I have had to do with difficult files is to save them as a DXF format file and then import the DXF file and try using it to chain the boundary. I always hit the icon Delete Duplicates on any format file that I import into MasterCam. Hope this helps

[WallyL7]

You should be good to go with the parasolid I emailed you. Like I said, it is normally just easier to start with a better format...

There shouldn't be any issue with chaining either, but you may want to delete all lines/arcs/splines, just leaving the solid, then create curve on all edges through mastercam for probably the cleanest toolpaths.

Hope it helps...let me know.

[cadcam]

Originally Posted by WallyL7 No. Years ago, when I was at a job shop, the customers would often give us iges files (easiest for them to protect, I believe). That was when we would have to screw around with getting them into a clean format that Mastercam liked. My company designs and sells its own product, and we use solidworks. X4mu2 didn't seem to like solidparts very much, and would often give errors when opening. Sometimes I would still have to save them through solidworks as a parasolid(PART.X_T) - - just like the iges needs. Mastercam loves those parts as the file is small but still has what you want for machining. Customers still seem to want to give suppliers IGES files, unless asked for another format. Most will comply if you ask them for a different format. It has just been so common in the past, that they tend to give you that one. I'm not sure if mastercam will allow you to create a solid out of it, or even save it as a different format(I only have so many hours in a day to mess with things that I can't stand...like igs files...). If you need some help, you can pm me and we can get it cleaned up for you. Now that I re-read what you were asking, cadcam...lol ... the simple answer is duh - they use solidworks and give me solidpart files...my bad. Should have explained that.

Ahh you see what I was asking as I alwas bring in the SLDPRT file. Maters on which version you are running of MC and SW to waht version of the SW file you can bring in.
I am running X5 and support 2011 files.
Thanks for the offer on the help.. Just so you you know I teach Mc at the local collage and on site at shops and home office training. I teach people how to work with these types and enplane all the different types and what they will do for them and how to handle the info they are given.

But Iges used to be the bomb back when I started using MC over 20 years ago. PS can tack a iges surface model and change it into a dumb solid. But the file must be water tight like a solid but you can do it.