Export 3D in step format for designing a box.

[oscargomezf]

Hi everyone,

I've just finished a PCB design. My customer wants a box for the PCB so I'm going to be in charge of managing this issue.
At first sight, I thought it was easy to manage with that because Altium is able to generate a 3D file, so if your 3D model is good enough it will be easy for a mechanical engineer design a box, but it seems to be that the person I'm asking for a budget to design the box cannot open the .step file because it's too big. He told me that there are a lot of components and he can't work with this file.

He is using SolidWorks and he suggested that I delete as many components as I can, in order to try to manage the .step file in a better way. But I can't believe that the step file generated with Altium isn't good enough for this proposal.

I was talking with a workmate and he told that he had the same problem with another SolidWorks designer.

Is there any way to generate a light step file for design a box?

Best regards.

[alferdvidal]

Hello
I think there are two ways to do this:
Firstly, the components that prevent it from being clogged can be removed from the spreadsheet so that the document is light and then converted to a step-by-step document.
Secondly, send them to me to convert to the Salid-Work Book.
My email: [email protected]

[robertferanec]

oscargomezf. I remember, that when I used to work in one company, the mechanical guys also had problems to work with 3D PCB models in SolidWorks. I think, the biggest problem was, that PCB had many objects (components, tracks, vias, ..) and to make it usable, they always had to remove unnecessary objects (e.g. vias) or they merge them and created one big object with several sub-objects. I think, they always were able to do it, it just took a long time.

In your case, if the 3D PCB file can not be even imported, maybe I would try to open the 3D PCB in a different software, merged the objects and export it again. Then I would try SolidWorks.

PS: Possibly try to export the 3D PCB from an older Altium, maybe that could also help.