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I thought I remembered someone on here mentioning a macro they used to clean all of the junk out of McMaster Carr part files. If someone could point me to that macro, or even that thread, I would appreciate it.

SPerman wrote: ↑Thu Jan 26, 2023 1:28 pm I thought I remembered someone on here mentioning a macro they used to clean all of the junk out of McMaster Carr part files. If someone could point me to that macro, or even that thread, I would appreciate it.

I don't use a macro. I just save the part as a parasolid and then overwrite the original Solidworks file. Works like a charm.

I was hoping for one of these:

You're assuming McMaster model are consistent.

I don't use a macro. I just save the part as a parasolid and then overwrite the original Solidworks file. Works like a charm.

Download STEP?

That works for most items. I like having the history tree on fasteners so that I can suppress the threads.

The biggest problem with McMaster Carr models is the visual properties are maxed out. Setting these two sliders in the middle will cut the file size to 30% of what it is initially. Suppressing the helix will cut that in half again.

I have a macro for reducing image quality.

MattW wrote: ↑Thu Jan 26, 2023 5:06 pm The biggest problem with McMaster Carr models is the visual properties are maxed out.
image.png

Setting these two sliders in the middle will cut the file size to 30% of what it is initially. Suppressing the helix will cut that in half again.

I have a macro for reducing image quality.

Exactly! Also, delete all equations in the file.

Share one sample file and what changes you would need and then I will try to create one

Don't download models from MMC or vendors. Start with a parent model and copy it to make all similar part types. Then they can be easily swapped out in the where used. Importing steps or SW models from everywhere will never likely not have same geometry IDs.

For example, in our data set a 1/4-20 x 1.00 SHCS and a 3/8-16 x 1.50 HHCS should have same face IDs for the cylinder that represents threads as well as the face under the head should have same ID on each. Anything else makes for a lot of lost time in product maint.

gupta9665 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 27, 2023 12:16 am Share one sample file and what changes you would need and then I will try to create one

Basically, you want to get rid of unneeded design table data, update graphics slider to something lower, possibly suppress a helix (if applicable), and possibly get rid of equation data.

Randomly picked a few.

Frederick_Law wrote: ↑Mon Jan 30, 2023 10:49 am Randomly picked a few.

Can you add finished version of these files as well i.e. after making the required changes.

Sorry, I don't have SW. I just get them from McMaster Carr.
I'll let other clean that up.
Or upload what they use.

After thinking about it over the weekend, what I want is to strip away everything that isn't directly related to the geometry (custom properties, equations, backgrounds, scenes, decals, etc.) Given that request, I think the easiest thing to do is as Fred suggested earlier, import a format that doesn't come with all of that overhead. For fasteners, I will have to decide what is the best way to eliminate the threads. (For those, maybe I will import the sw file, suppress the helix, then save as a step and re-import.)

SPerman wrote: ↑Mon Jan 30, 2023 3:56 pm After thinking about it over the weekend, what I want is to strip away everything that isn't directly related to the geometry (custom properties, equations, backgrounds, scenes, decals, etc.) Given that request, I think the easiest thing to do is as Fred suggested earlier, import a format that doesn't come with all of that overhead. For fasteners, I will have to decide what is the best way to eliminate the threads. (For those, maybe I will import the sw file, suppress the helix, then save as a step and re-import.)

or, saveas a parasolid (native, fast and no translation)