CAD Forum

I dowloaded a 3D parasolid model of a 17mm potentiometer from traceparts. I tryed to import it in Solidwrks but it is imported in inches instead of mm.
If I use part template in mm, the file is converted from inch to mm (scaled x24.5). If I use part template in inches, the part will use inches instead of mm (diameter of part is 17" instead of 17mm).
I tried to use 'file specified units' in import options without success. I've read somewhere that parasolid format always uses mm.
I have the feeling that the part has been built in inches and somehow exported in mm without applying unit conversion!
Apparently there is no way to convert mm to inches or viceversa rather then apply 'scale' feature to the part.
Any suggestion?
Thanks
Sergio

Everything seems normal to me.

Problem is that the part should be external diameter 17mm

Scale it down

@sergio.monti

Instead of converting have a separate templates (mm & inch). It will solve the issue.

Instead of converting have a separate templates (mm & inch). It will solve the issue.

As you can see from my original message, I tried but it doesn't work!

Frederick_Law wrote: ↑Tue Jun 01, 2021 8:38 am Scale it down

It seems to be the only way!!

Just wondering if there is any other workflow I'm missing...

Frederick_Law wrote: ↑Tue Jun 01, 2021 8:38 am Scale it down

I wish to know whether it will work. Because OP needs external diameter 17mm. See this video.

Download the file and try.

sergio.monti wrote: ↑Tue Jun 01, 2021 6:38 am I dowloaded a 3D parasolid model of a 17mm potentiometer from traceparts. I tryed to import it in Solidwrks but it is imported in inches instead of mm.
If I use part template in mm, the file is converted from inch to mm (scaled x24.5). If I use part template in inches, the part will use inches instead of mm (diameter of part is 17" instead of 17mm).
I tried to use 'file specified units' in import options without success.
image.png
I've read somewhere that parasolid format always uses mm.
I have the feeling that the part has been built in inches and somehow exported in mm without applying unit conversion!
Apparently there is no way to convert mm to inches or viceversa rather then apply 'scale' feature to the part.
Any suggestion?
Thanks
Sergio

Hello Sergio,

Yeah, strange. It could be that the original system auto scaled up to or a user was in error in setting the scale? Where did you get this file?

As I recall all files brought into SolidWorks will use the default template settings for a standard SolidWorks file.

.step, .x_t, etc, files opened in SolidWorks will present entirely as a .sld*** file template and use whichever specified template measurement.

I think this is a source file issue and not a SW issue. I think that under the hood the units for parasolids is meters, regardless of what units the user is using. I would guess that .step files are the same way. I believe there are neutral formats that do not specify (or assume) a unit, and just a number gets exported. In that case, the template settings would determine the units, maybe not even asking regardless of the import unit setting selected. This would be useful if the numbers were in inches, for instance, and millimeters were desired. I think if you wanted the opposite, you would have to come up with an antiinch template to do the scaling.

I think the units on this file got screwed up prior to export to parasolid. The expedient thing to do is just scale the model to make it right. If you don't want the scale feature, scale the model and then reexport as a parasolid and then reimport.

I am not certain about any of this, so anyone who knows better is welcome to correct me.