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With Mastercam and VisiCAD/CAM software, I could always save to WMF, DWG,
IGES. (I do understand the tiering of the products you are discussing.)
WMF, DWG, and IGES should be widely supported by the DTP industry. However,
there is a reason CATIA and other such formats are somewhat proprietary:
they need to include a tonne more information than the standard WMF has.
Thus, a simple conversion may take a while or cost a bundle, as you found
out.
Finally, if the DTP'er has the CAD/CAM application on their workstation, you
could use something like OLE to insert a linked object into the DTP
software. Does this work for you?
All the best.
Sean
sean -at- quodata -dot- com
P.S. why don't you give the respective CAD/CAM manufacturers a call and ask
their tech writers how they include geometry in their books?
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: Doreen Kephart [mailto:dkephart -at- PRAUSA -dot- COM]
>>>Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 1999 4:50 PM
>>>To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
>>>Subject: Converting files from CATIA
>>>
>>>
>>>I am looking for information on converting native CATIA (a
>>>sophisticated
>>>computer aided design program favored by Chrysler and
>>>Boeing) files into a
>>>format easily read by mainstream publishing and illustration
>>>software. <SNIP>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: Doreen Kephart [mailto:dkephart -at- PRAUSA -dot- COM]
>>>Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 1999 4:50 PM
>>>To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
>>>Subject: Converting files from CATIA
>>>
>>>
>>>I am looking for information on converting native CATIA (a
>>>sophisticated
>>>computer aided design program favored by Chrysler and
>>>Boeing) files into a
>>>format easily read by mainstream publishing and illustration
>>>software. A client
>>>of mine is trying to solve this problem so they can pull
>>>automotive drawings
>>>into technical manuals. They have two current solutions:
>>>convert to an IGES
>>>format, which takes 15 hours per drawing to process ; or,
>>>purchasing a filtering
>>>program such as Studio9 by Wavefront, which may have an
>>>initial purchase price
>>>of 10-25k, plus an additional license per seat where it is
>>>used. Has anyone
>>>else found a better way to handle this? The situation
>>>doesn't end with CATIA.
>>>Because they also do work with GM and Ford, they also have
>>>to cope with
>>>Unigraphics and SDRC-Ideas, respectively.
>>>
>>>I subscribe to the digest version, so if you have questions,
>>>either write to me
>>>offline, or please pardon the delay.
>>>
>>>Doreen Kephart
>>>PRA, Marine City, MI
>>>810-765-1181 dkephart -at- prausa -dot- com
>>>
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>>>==============
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