"Data exchange between Pro/ENGINEER
and AutoCAD is largely one way street,” explains Deelip Menezes,
Founder and CEO of SYCODE. "Pro/ENGINEER has the ability to read 2D and
3D data from AutoCAD DWG and DXF files. But the reverse is not
possible. This is not that big a problem since data exchange between
AutoCAD and Pro/ENGINEER mostly involves converting a 2D drawing or a
3D solid in AutoCAD to a 3D model in Pro/ENGINEER. However, in recent
releases Autodesk has added significant 3D solid modeling capabilities
to AutoCAD, but has not matched it with the ability to read proprietary
3D data from solid modeling systems like Pro/ENGINEER. Pro/ENGINEER
Import for AutoCAD gives AutoCAD users the ability to open 3D solid
models designed in Pro/ENGINEER and carry out solid modeling operations
on them.”
Pro/ENGINEER Import for AutoCAD can read Pro/ENGINEER part PRT and
assembly ASM files from Pro/ENGINEER version 16 to Pro/ENGINEER
Wildfire 4.0. The plug-in is powered by the widely used 3D InterOp
technology from Spatial. 3D InterOp is the industry standard for
proprietary CAD file format data exchange and is used in almost all the
major CAD systems. Besides data exchange 3D InterOp also offers
powerful repairing and healing features which are extensively used in
Pro/ENGINEER Import for AutoCAD. Repairing involves checking the file
for corrupted data and fixing the invalid data. Healing corrects the
differences in precision. Pro/ENGINEER Import for AutoCAD also creates
a detailed log file which is extremely useful in identifying data
translation problems and aids in locating and fixing errors.
Pro/ENGINEER Import for AutoCAD works with AutoCAD 2000 through to
AutoCAD 2010, 32 Bit as well as 64 Bit and is available as a fully
functional trial. The plug-in comes with an installer and detailed
documentation in the form of a compiled HTML help file which contains a
step-by-step tutorial to get the end user started in the shortest
possible time.
