How to best handle quilts made in Pro/E
 

I have some complex geometry made with surfacing in Pro/E. When I try to import the file into CFDesign using the Granite configuration I get the standard error "PTC Granite kernel cannot process the quilt geometry". When I try the Pro/Mechanica configuration I get the standard tesselation errors.

I've tried exporting the files as NEU & STEP and then re-importing them but still end up with the same errors, sometimes even more.

How are we supposed to deal with geometry that is not simply prismatic?

he Big :)

well i used to be a Pro/E user not to long ago until i thanfully switched back to SW in my new work place ... :)

in any case what i found useful when i encountered your problem in the past was (and i emphesis this) -
1. save the file as a parasolid or STEP.
2. open the file with SolidWorks (most work places some sort of version, so that they can open or manipulate files from contractors that use SW without a problem)
3. save the file again this time useing SW as an X_T (parasolid)
4. then opening the in CFDesign

i know it is an ugly work-around... but it worked and its the best i can offer

Thanx yoavmatia. I don't have a SW license available unfortunately. (since I've always used Pro/E I find myself on the other side of the SW/Pro-E fence)

I did get a response from a tech that suggested this using a shrinkwrap to smooth out any weird surfaces or to make sure when I export the STEP to only export 'solids' and no surfaces. I haven't tried this yet. And unfortunately I don't have shrinkwrap in my base package.

He also said there is new technology in CFDesign 2012 called Fusion that helps with this sort of problem. I don't have that either, though.

Hello Tony.. If you have access to Autodesk Simulation CFD 2012(former CFdesign), Fusion installs automatically. Sounds liek the issue is that you need to create solid geometry from the surfaces

Hey Derrek. I believe all the surfaces have been used to create solid geometry. There were some cosmetic features that were suppressed, but the error still remains. I don't see any quilts visible at all in the model.

Unfortunately we cannot afford maintenance at the moment so we are stuck on 2010/2011. I think I've had the same issue before and have sent it in to BRNI for help and they have fixed the problem, but I don't really know how they did it.

CFdesign can process quilt geometries using the "mechanica" kernel. It is an option when you start CFdesign from Pro/E. I used it extensively for 2-D modeling. I can't speak for 3-D modeling, but in 2-D, using this option means that Pro/E meshes your model instead of CFdesign. I found that this configuration was quite touchy in the Spring 2011 version, but it worked. Most of the time in 3-D, I have simply had to make my own 'clean' geometry for CFdesign.

-Zachariah

Zachariah,
I am aware of the Mechanica option as I stated in my original post. Unfortunately, I get errors with that method too. I would think that using the Mechanica option would be the most reliable but that doesn't seem to be the case.

I see. Occasionally, ramping up the model accuracy in Pro/E helped me get geometry to mesh. If you want a science project, you could probably use OpenFOAM with snappyHexMesh and an STL file. The learning curve is a bit of a challenge through. Best of luck.

Hi Big

well, like i said as the first reply to the thread.

i used to be a Pro/E for 2.5 years, thanfully switched back to SW :)

i know your on the other side ot the Pro/E VS. SW fence.
however, since i see you are still stuck with the same problem!?!

i would strongly recomend you take the the solution/work-around i used to do when ever i stumbled to your exact problem... say what you may - it works.
(see my initial reply up in the begining of the thread)

interesting...

I have been doing a lot of external flows extensively using surfaces... (wings, fuselages and tails)...
the Pro/E model has a lot of surfaces used for construction.. on hidden layers.. and I get the same warning when I start up... but none of the domain that gets meshed is defined by a surface... so I click "OK" and carry on.... (Merged surfaces are used to cut [via solidify/cut] from the domain)

can you post any screen snaps?