KS3: When will SolidWorks importer be fixed?

[Speedster]

When will the SolidWorks Importer be fixed? 

In all KS3 versions, including the latest 3.0.90, I cannot drag/drop or use the import command. Usually crashes, or if not, takes 5 - 10 minutes and comes in with parts missing and lofted geometry missing.  2nd or more imports usually will not import, and if they do they are at very strange scales, like 2886 or something.  I'm using SW2011, SP3, and have not yet tested SW2012.  OBJ files created in SimLab from my SW models import just fine, but of course without the SW tree.

My workaround has been to import first (drag/drop) into KS2, save it and close it.  Then I reopen it into KS3 with the "open with" command.  Works every time.  But not if you don't have KS2.

FYI: yesterday I followed this procedure with a 468 MB assembly file.  Being a very large model with 1,286 parts, I knew it was going to be nasty, but little did I know!  Import took 3 1/2 hours (I knew it would take time, so I just let it chug away), due to the 22,629,661 poly count, not due to KS!  Bip file is 1.64 GB!  Now the fun begins on the largest project I've ever done.  I point this out only because there were no problems importing into KS2, and never have been.

Bill G

[Speedster]

Well, the KeyShot Team just dropped the KS3 plug-in for SolidWorks, as well as the other CAD apps.  Works like a champ!  Fast, with all parts, lofts, etc.  Solves most of the import issues.  Good job!  Check the KS blog for details.

Unfortunately, we (or I) still can't drag/drop into KS3.  Or add models without major problems.

Oh well, I hope that fix is next...

Bill G

[guest84672]

We will have an update to the SolidWorks importer and other importers shortly. Doing final testing now.

[Jeff H]

Any word on when SolidWorks 2012 importer will be fixed for KS2?

[guest84672]

KeyShot 2 will not support SolidWorks 2012.

[idesignstuff]

We've just installed KS3 here with PTC WF4, and we are having some issues importing either from the wf plugin or from direct imports.
Big machinery, big asm's and we are frustrated with the lack of support for simplified reps.

I'm under a deadline and want to be able to use the sub-assemblies to help me streamline applying shaders, but I can't apply to geometry that doesn't import...

[guest84672]

Can you be more specific? What in particular doesn't import?

[idesignstuff]

Thomas, I'm trying to render a piece of heavy construction equipment. It is a pretty big assembly in Pro/e. Thousands of parts.  If I try to bring in the master rep, it freezes. When I try to bring in a simplified rep, it comes through after a comparably long time, but most of the useful geometry is missing, and I have a lot of bolts and washers hanging in space since the parts they hold together are not there.

If I use the old keyshot plugin, pre model-tree, it takes about 1-2 minutes and comes right up complete. Then, I don't have the model tree structure, but I have the models in. So then I can save the bip, and open it in KS3.

I'd like to try out the new features but can't till the plugin or native importer start working as expected.

Thanks.

[KeyShot]

Have you tried adjusting the tessellation setting (under advanced in the import menu)?

[idesignstuff]

Yes, I've tried .2 and .4

I have no idea what units these relate to, but there you go.
I like my circles to be circular, so I don't like to use bigger numbers.
Do you have a recommended setting?

Is this your best solution?

[KeyShot]

If you can share the model with us then we can take a look at it. Please remember that the tessellation quality slider in KeyShot gives you a finer tessellation with higher values. You can see the number of polygons in the heads-up display.

Also, note that you can use the KeyShot 2 importer by selecting 'use old importer' in the advanced settings of the import menu. This importer will be faster as it directly reads the tessellated information our of the SolidWorks file.

[itsterril]

just discovered that if i bring in the entire model it will work, however if i am in a simp rep in ProE, then that is where i run into problems.

Also have noticed that the keyhshot 3 plugin will regenerate the ProE model before it exports. Because of the file size and data sets that we work with, it talks a long time and creates problems. Can that be turned off somehow?

In the Keyshot 2 ProE plug in, it would ask for which simp rep you want to export to Keyshot. Can we get that feature back and resolve this. We work with extremely large data sets and have to almost always work in a simp rep mode.