easiest way to create simplified .STEP files of assemblies

[Mike Gera]

I often (enough) get requests for .STEP files of various complex assemblies from the outside world.

I don't like sending them for obvious reasons, but sometimes, it must be done.

Is there a way to create a "dumbed-down", simple .STEP file that doesn't give away too much detail?

In addition to TMI, file size is also a concern.

I'm hoping for a solution in a fully automated form, not somewhere where I have to pick-and-choose what I want.

I did try exporting a .STEP in wireframe format, but when I tried to import it into SW as a test, there was nothing there.

Thanks for any help.

[gupta9665]

Save assembly as part (with external faces option) and then save that part file as STEP. Test run few cases and then you can use a macro if this suits you. I remember creating such macro and only change required would be to set the option for external faces.

[Mike Gera]

Thanks, Deepak.

I’ll give that a try.

[Alin]

I am a big fan of the new Defeature/Silhouette. It is not 100% automatic, but you can get an optimized model in minutes.

[jcapriotti]

I am a big fan of the new Defeature/Silhouette. It is not 100% automatic, but you can get an optimized model in minutes.

"Save as" is quick, but Defeature gives you more control.

[Alin]

Another technique, that works well for assemblies who can be well defined in three orthogonal drawing views, is to insert the imported assembly into a new assembly and also add a new part.
Edit the new part and open 3 sketches on three orthogonal planes. Use the Silhouette Entities to extract the outline of the assembly in all three directions, then extrude each of the three sketches as separate bodies and combine/common the results.

[Alin]

Of course, the same thing can be accomplished faster using Defeature/Silhouette with Tight Fit Outline and Multiple Directions.

[mattpeneguy]

@Alin,
My Defeature doesn't look like that. Can you do that with the attached part and upload it, or upload the part you did that with?
I'm on 2020.

[Alin]

@Alin,
My Defeature doesn't look like that. Can you do that with the attached part and upload it, or upload the part you did that with?
I'm on 2020.

Defeature/Silhouette is available only in the assembly environment. If you need it for defeaturing a part, simply insert it in a dummy assembly and then have fun simplifying it. Just remember to select bodies instead of components.

[Alin]

Defeature/Silhouette is available only in the assembly environment. If you need it for defeaturing a part, simply insert it in a dummy assembly and then have fun simplifying it. Just remember to select bodies instead of components.