Converting 3DS Solid/Mesh to Wireframe object

[FindAPath]

WinXP SP2, Acad2006.

For several days now I've been trying to figure this out. There has got to be an easier way to convert the 3D Polyface Mesh that you get when you import a 3DS file using 3dsin. When I use 3dsin, I get the 3D Polyface mesh and it looks attrocious and cannot be imported into the simulation software. For what we need, we need the models to be in wireframe so they can be exported to our simulation software.

[FindAPath]

Any ideas?


Beuller...Beuller?

[Random1]

I dont know how to use 3ds so ive never had the problem

sorry,

Random1

[FindAPath]

Nobody?

[StykFacE]

are you talking about 3D Studio MAX???

[CarlB]

What entities do you need to export to your simulation software? Wireframe is a way to display 3d and generally means using just lines and curves - 2d opjects in 3d space.

[FindAPath]

Yeah, I guess it would be 3ds Max....I don't have access to that software, and we are provided with the files in .3ds format.

We need the objects as a basic outline, i.e. no wiremeshing, just the external lines.

Sorry if I'm a little bit vauge here, but I have to maintain a high level of secrecy due to the manner of work involved.

[StykFacE]

ah, i got ya. are you wanting to do a flat view? or keep it in 3D view? if you want it in 3D view you're screwed (as far as i know) but if you want to have different flat views (i.e. - front, side, top) then Express Tools has a nice option to flatten 3D objects, letting you delete unnecessary lines.

[Spacepig]

Hi FindAPath...(or should I call you "007" due to the level of secrecy? :-) )

Considering the amount of information you've provided, it's diffiult to give you a comprehensive answer, but I'll do my best.

When you import a 3ds file (and yes it is created from 3d studio usually), depending on the options you choose to define the entities in AutoCAD, the model will come in initially as blocks. If you explode these blocks they become 3d faces not a 3d mesh...

The only way I can readily think of to create a mesh based on the points defined by these 3d faces would be to use the 3dmesh command and manually recreate the shape using the endpoints of the faces, but for a complex shape this would prove impractical. If you could define the problem a bit better, for example - what is it you're doing with these meshes in autocad, perhaps a work-round could be thought up. Alternatively have you thought of asking for the files in a different format that may be of more use to you???

Spacepig

[FindAPath]

Ahh...Thanks SP...that's actually how we do it currently, but we were looking into the possibility of something less time consuming.

I'll talk with the guy who asked me to look into this and see if it would be possible to get the files in a different format. Which format would be best for what I'm looking to do?

A little more information: I work for a consulting firm, and we do vehicle and other equipment testing. The drawings we are recieving are 3D models of test subjects, and we are trying to import them into an animation/simulation program so we can create a digital re-creation of the test (or the events that required our services) for the clients. However, when we import a rendered or surfaced 3D object into the ani/sim software, it gets all screwy. I'm not really sure I can give too much more specific information without risking a violation of confidentiality.