Exporting Clouds of Points or Meshes

 

This task shows you how to export:
  • The available export formats are:
    • Ascii RGB,
    • Ascii User Format,
    • Ascii Free,
    • Cgo,
    • STL (binary).
  • This command is available in Digitized Shape Editor, Shape Sculptor and STL Rapid Prototyping. However STL Rapid Prototyping lets you export to STL only.
  • Ascii formats export a cloud of points or a set of scans to an ASCII_free file, either as :
    • scans, if the selection contains only a scan or a set of scans,
    • a cloud of points, if the selection contains only a cloud of points,
    • scans, if the selection contains both.
  • Scans are exported with the following delimiters: G08 for the start and G09 for the end. 
  • a cloud of points to a Cgo file,
  • a mesh to a binary STL file.
Open the ExportScan1.CATPart model the from the samples directory.
 

Export Clouds of Points or Meshes

  1. Click Export . The Cloud Export dialog box is displayed.

  2. Select the cloud of points or the mesh you want to export.

    • Select elements either from the specification tree of the graphic area.
    • Click to display the Element(s) to export dialog box.
      • The elements to export are listed in this dialog box.
      • Select an element from the specification tree or the graphic area to add it to the list.
      • Select an element in the Element(s) to export dialog box, then click Remove to remove it from the list.
      • Click Close to end the selection and revert to the main dialog box.

    The name of the element selected (if only one) or the number of elements selected (if several) are listed in the Element(s) field.
  • If you select a composite element (Geometrical set, CATPart, CATProduct...) only its visible sub-elements (clouds of points or meshes) will be exported.
  • If you select a CATProduct, elements in unloaded CATParts will not be exported.
  • If you select a single element (cloud of point or mesh), it will be exported, even if it is in the No Show mode.
 

  1. Select Grouped if you want to export all elements into a single file (this is the default option)
    or Distinct if you want to export each element into a distinct file.

  2. Select the format of the export and the name of the output file:

    • Click .... The Save as dialog box opens.
    • Type the name of the output file in the File name field.
    • Select the format of export from the Save as type drop-down list.
    • Click Save to revert to the main dialog box.
  • The export file is created with the extension of the format selected.
  • If you have selected Grouped, the name of the output file is the File Name you have typed, followed by the format extension. For example, if you export:

    and type export as File name, you will create:
  • If you have selected Distinct, the name of the output files will be prefix_NameOfElement_suffix you type the prefix in the File name field,
    the name of the element is taken from the elements selected,
    the suffix is a figure corresponding to the place of the elements in the specification tree.
    For example, if you export:

    and type prefix as File name, you will create:
 

  1. Select in which Axis System you want to export the selection:

    • Absolute: the selection will be exported using the axis system of the root of the document,
    • Current: the selection will be exported using the current axis system,
    • Part(s): the selection will be exported using the current axis system of each CATPart containing the selected elements. This option is available only is Distinct is selected.

  2. Click OK. The export files are created.
    If you have selected a format that is not coherent with the elements selected, a message is displayed, and the files are not created, or contain only the compatible elements.

Define the User Format

  1. Proceed as explained above.
    In the Save as dialog box, enter a File name and select Ascii User Format(*.asc) in the Save as type drop down list.

    User Defined Format becomes available.

  2. Click User Defined Format. The Export dialog box changes to:

  3. Select the information you want to include in the User Format.
    A sample of the output is given in the Export Format field.
    By default, with no option selected, it looks like this:

    • Header adds the Header you have entered.
    • Entity Name adds the name of the scan.
    • Point Number writes the rank of each point of the scan on the first position of each line, before the coordinates.
    • Separation Row creates a separation row made of the defined Ascii character.
    • Separation Column creates a separation row made of the defined Ascii character.
    • Column Width defines the width of column (below it has been set to 10 instead of 1 by default),
    • Decimal Place defines the place of decimal (below it has been set to 3).
    • You can select several options:
    • They are modal

  4. Click OK to validate the export.