Working With Meshes
Contents
Currently Supported Mesh Types
The native file type supported for 3D models in Flowcode is a *.MESH file. Flowcode also has a converter which will convert more commonly used file types, such as;
- STEP
- IGES
- ASCII STL File *.STL
- Binary STL *.STL
- Object File *.OBJ
Support for Assemblies
Flowcode also supports 3D assemblies. In previous versions, users were required to manually import all 3D parts/ objects separately. Now, users can import a single assembly into Flowcode and each individual part will be given a unique handle. The physical location of the parts on the simulation panel will also stay the same relative to the original assembly file.
The process for importing a single object, or an assembly is seen below;
Adding a mesh to a panel
A compatible file can simply be dragged onto the system panel or dashboard panel and this will generate a .MESH resource file containing the object in a format that Flowcode can work with.
The system panel also has a Mesh primitive which automatically pops up a open file dialogue window when dragged onto the panel allowing you to specify an external mesh file.
SketchUp
There is a blog post available which details how to add meshes from SketchUp. The SketchUp file is converted to a supported file using the freely available STL export plug-in for SketchUp.
Blog - XY Plotter 2 – 3D Model
Solidworks
There is a blog post available which details how to add meshes from Solidworks.
Blog - Flowcode 6 Compatibility With Solidworks
DesignSpark
There is a blog post available which details how to add meshes from DesignSpark.
Blog - Electro-Mechanical simulations using both Flowcode and DesignSpark Mechanical
