Solidworks Office Premium File Formats, Features, and Benefits?
I paid a prototyping company to design a CAD drawing prototype for my recently designed technical invention. The company used Solidworks Office Premium to design the drawing. The company signed a non-compete/confidentiality agreement prior to performing services. Upon completion, I was provided a CD--which contains files in the following formats:
.EASM
.SLDASM
.SLDPRT
Those files open using the free eDrawings program.
For the purpose of physical prototype development, other prototyping companies want to see my drawings. They request drawings in file format .STL. I do not have that.
1-What are the assigned file extensions and their associations of files created using Solidworks Office Premium?
2-What file format(s) would manufacturers request of me?
3-Does this program version has a feature that allows it to generate a written report or assembly instructions?
4-When one pays for CAD (virtual prototype), what should they receive for the money paid?
1).easm e drawings assembly, what you view with your free viewer the other files are native part and assembly files.
2) Most manufacturers will request .dxf .dwg for 2D data and .step. igs, parasoild or .stl for 3D data. It’s no skin of their back to produce the 3D files. 2D files you will most likely have to pay to be produced.
3) Your assembly instructions are usually stored in an assembly drawing. If you didn’t pay for any detailed drawings I wouldn’t expect to see such a “report” from them. If you do; request pdfs and native file, and .dxfs of component pieces.
4) The terminology that you use is unfamiliar to me, but the company provided you with the native Solidworks files which is what I would expect. If I however did not own a copy of solidworks I would have requested the 3D file extensions listed above to communicate with other suppliers. This should be free or a very very very small fee.
The assembly instruction or anything 2D actually requires a drafter to do other than file save (select format) depending on the complexity of your project an assembly drawing with bill or materials, etc. would be nice saved in a .pdf format and native file.
Being an engineer, 2D prints rule the world you can put tolerances and material specs etc that you cannot in a 3D model. 2D prints are like a contract between you and the manufacturer. It seems like you just got models made which depending on the project might be fine.
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