IGES 2D: Export

This task show you how to save in an IGES 2D file the data contained in a CATDrawing document.
  • IGES 5.1 is the standard used for the generation.
You can find further information in the Advanced Tasks:
  1. Open the CATDrawing document to be saved in IGES format.

  2. Select the File > Save As... command. The Save As dialog box is displayed.

  3. Specify the name of the document in the File name: field.

  4. Set the .ig2 extension in the Save as type field.

  5. Click the Save button to confirm the operation.

The export unit depends on the current unit of your session
(see the Tools > Options > Parameters and Measures/Units panel). 
  • If the current unit belongs to the metric system (millimeter, centimeter, meter, ...)
    the export unit is the millimeter.
  • If the current unit belongs to the Anglo-Saxon system (inch, foot, ...)
    he export unit is the inch.

So select the required type of session unit to export your data in one system or the other.

Limitations in the case of a multi-sheet drawing:

  • When there are several sheets, the name of the file really created is not that entered
    by the user in the Save as dialog box,
    since it is concatenated with that of the sheet.
    Therefore,  it is not possible to check if a file with the same name already exists and
    any existing file will be overwritten without warning.
  • If one of the sheets contains no geometry, no 2D IGES file is created.
  • The number of characters of the name of the result file is limited to 150.
  • If the name of a sheet contains one of the following characters
    or blank space,
    the character will be replaced with _ (underscore).

For more information, please refer to the Exported Sheets option

Report File

After exporting the data to 2D IGES files, the system generates:

  • a report file (name_of_file.rpt) where you can find references about the quality of the transfer.

These files are created in a location referenced by 

  • the USERPROFILE variable on NT. Its default value is 
    Profiles\\user\\Local Settings\\Application \Data\\Dassault Systemes\\CATReport
    on NT (user being you logon id)

What About the Elements You Export?

 

All export options:

If the sheet to export contains no geometry, or only non supported entities, no IG2 file is generated.
The visual clipping of views is not yet supported.

Structured export option only:

  • Dimensions are exported as graphic blocks and are editable as such.

Semantic export option only:

  • Linear dimensions are exported as true dimensions and editable as such.
  • The texts of those dimensions (linear only) are exported with the 2D IGES corresponding font.
  • Circular, angular and curvilinear dimensions are still exported as graphic blocks.
  • Chamfer dimensions are exported as graphic blocks.
  • Dimensions that cannot be exported semantically are exported as graphic blocks.
  Linear dimensions with:
  • underlined text,
  • text with frame,
  • numerical values and decimal values given as fractions,
  • funnels,
  • half-dimensions,
  • with an arrow pointing to the dimension line

are exported as sub-figures.

Semantic and Structured export options:

  • Show/No Show:
    The V5 elements placed in the No Show are not exported. The visible elements are exported.
  • Layers:
    In Structured and Semantic modes, layers are automatically exported.
    The number of the 2D IGES layer is the number of the V5 layer.
  • Filters:
    To avoid missing geometries at export, we recommend that you activate either
    the filter All Visible or the filter None.
  • Texts:
  • All texts are exported as texts
    (even dimension texts in the case of dimensions exported as graphic blocks and annotations),
  • All texts are exported and mapped automatically with the 2D IGES corresponding font.
  • Kanji characters are exported with the 2D IGES 2001 font.
  • The line thickness is automatically mapped, based on V5 current thickness.
The table below sets the mapping between the CATDrawing file elements and the resulting IGES 2D elements.
  V5 2D IGES
  Element Sub-type Graphic export Structured and Semantic export
 

Structures

  Sheet One 2D IGES file per sheet (see option)
  Views Interactive view

The structure is not exported. 

Note that raster views are not supported.

The structure is not exported.
Generative view The structure is not exported. All the geometric entities of the view are gathered into a single subfigure.

The above applies to CGR, approximate, exact views.

Note that raster views are not supported.

  Detail (Component) Details are retrieved through their Dittos. A Detail not referenced by a Ditto is thus lost, a Detail referenced by several Dittos is duplicated in subfigures. The entities included in a Detail are not structured into subfigures.
  Ditto (Instance) The graphical representation of each Ditto is exported to a subfigure
 

Attributes

  Unit The unit of the output file depends on the session current units
  Show/NoShow Only visible elements are exported
  Pick/NoPick NoPick ignored
  Line Type Automatic mapping
  Line Thickness Automatic mapping
  Marker type Ignored
  Color Automatic color
  Text attributes Font

Exported implicitly through the graphic representation of text.

Only the contour of characters is exported.

Default mapping
  Bold, italic Not supported
  Underlined Text + line
  Space (x-scale) Space
  Height Height
  Justification Justification
  Flip Flip
  Frame Text + geometry
  Layer Not supported Layer
 

Annotations

  Dimension Linear  

The geometrical basic elements of each representation are exported. If the representation includes filled areas, only the contour is exported.

Structured mode:

Each graphical representation of the elements is exported to a subfigure

Semantic mode:

Linear dimensions are exported as such.

Circular

Angular

Curvilinear

Structured and Semantic mode:

Each graphical representation of the elements is exported to a subfigure

  Axis line Line with the suitable line type
  Center Line

Each graphical representation of the elements is exported to a subfigure. If the representation includes filled areas, only the contour is exported.

  Thread
  Welding symbol
  Coordinate dimension
  Balloon
  Datum Target
  Datum Feature
  GDT
  Roughness symbol
  Table
  Leader
  Arrow
  Callout
  Text One TEXT (or several TEXTS in case of font or attribute changes) + geometry gathered into a subfigure (see text attributes)
  Area fill

Hatching pattern The geometrical basic elements of each representation are exported The geometrical elements making the hatches are gathered into a subfigure
Dotting pattern
  Image
pattern
Only the contour of the hatches is exported Only the contour of the hatches is exported into a subfigure
  Coloring pattern Only the contour of the hatches is exported Only the contour of the hatches is exported into a subfigure
 

Geometry

  Curve Point POINT (116)
  Line LINE (110)
  Polyline 2D POLYLINE (106)
  Circle CIRCLE (100)
  Arc ARC (100)
  Spline 2D POLYLINE (106)
  NURBS 2D POLYLINE (106)
  Ellipse 2D POLYLINE OR ELLIPSE (104)
  Hyperbola 2D POLYLINE (106)
  Parabola 2D POLYLINE (106)
  Constraints Not supported
 

Miscellaneous

  OLE link Not supported
  Picture (bitmap...) Not supported