While Google SketchUp is not a professional CAD tool it has the advantage of being free and, because of that, it is used by a large number of people. Recently, some of my customers where asked by their own customers to supply SolidWorks models for review in Sketch-up format.
There is one problem with this request – none of file formats that SolidWorks can export to are on the Sketch-Up import list. There are commercial converters from SolidWorks to Sketch-up but they come at a cost.
Fortunately, we found a way to exchange data between SolidWorks and SketchUp - just follow this workflow:
1. Save your SolidWorks model as ACIS (.SAT extension).
Save as ACIS
Note: Make sure that the Options are set as per this image:
Save as ACIS Options
2. Open DraftSight. If you have not installed this free 2D Editor, please use this link for doing so:
Download DraftSight
3. In DraftSight’s command line type: “IMPORTSAT” and press <ENTER>. Locate the ACIS file you saved at step #1 and import it in DraftSight.
Import the ACIS file in DraftSight
4. Save this file again in DWG format.
5. Open SketchUp
6. Import the DWG file you saved at STEP #4.
Import DWG into SketchUp
7. That’s all. You have successfully imported your SolidWorks model into SketchUp.
Congratulations! You did it!
Related posts tagged with: Insert SolidWorks in SketchUp, Sketch-Up, SolidWorks
12 Comments (+add yours?)
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Thank you very much for this tip! I wanted to design a sheet metal enclosure in Solidworks and then verify that all the components (already made in Sketchup) fit inside nicely. This is exactly what I wanted, thanks a lot!
Cheers,
Philip
Glad you liked it. Since I posted it I noticed that in the new version 8, this workflow works only for the Sketch-up Pro. Looks like Google removed the DXF/DWG import option from the free version of the Sketch-up.
thank you very much!
a great tutorial for worldwide user groups.
an excellent and practical advice indeed.
keep working!
best of luck
You can actually do this without downloading DraftSight or any 3rd party plug-ins.
In Solidworks Save assembly or part as SAT file.
Open DWGeditor which is a separate program that comes bundled with Solidworks for processing Autocad docs.
In DWG editor select File>ACIS in…
Select your SAT file.
File>save as>DXF
In Sketchup pro
File>import>select your saved DXF
Everything should come in grouped by part and solid body. If you have curved surface and want to get rid of all the additional complex surface line work just select the sub component/group, right click>smooth/soften edges and set it to something under 89.
done and done…
Well, this doesn’t work… got me to download the software though… Really wish I could try with the DWG Editor, unfortunately I am on an educational version of SW.
If I can just say, I understand the need to drive traffic so that programs can be tested, marketed, etc., but I just spent 4+ hours trying to make this happen for a project and have nothing to show. Not super cool… I am jus sayin’. I hope I am wrong here…
Todd William Wells
Hi Todd,
I can tell you that the workflow presented in the article worked for me on March 15th when I posted it. I found this solution in order to help another user and I thought I will share it with everybody else.
Can you tell me what steps of the procedure did not work for you? If you are right, I will update the article right away.
Thanks,
Alin
Hi – i am having trouble importing the .sat file into “draftsight”. After i have typed “importsat” the “model” tab is empty but the remaining 2 tabs are ocupied by unwanted elevation “sketches” of the model. Any help would be great, cheers.
Hi and thanks a lot. It did work for me (sketchup 8 pro)
You just made my evening after 2 hours of wondering around.
Merci
Franek
After some tests… this technique has worked with simple drawings, but I read an article that suggests files larger then 15mb may cause a crash upon importation to Sketchup (I can confirm this happening to me with files of 25mb)… here is the posting… http://support.google.com/sketchup/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=38578
I am not a CAD user, I don’t make the drawings, someone else does…
My Question: Can I use DraftSight to “reduce” the detail of a drawing and thus reduce its output size? I am using this for animation purposes so hidden geometry is not required for 99% of my projects… I just need to show the drawings from the outside…
Great tip! I have used this technique many times and it works great. Once you turn the “smoothing” up a bit in sketchup the models look like they were natively built in sketchup.
Worked for me with Solidworks 2010 and Sketchup Pro Version 7. When saving the .DWG file in DraftSight, I had to use the 2007-2009 DWG version, instead of the newest. Sketchup would not import otherwise. The tip about smoothing surfaces is really handy.
I’ll also say that once it is Sketchup my models tend to be the wrong size. Use the tape measure tool to measure a known measurement on the model. Then without clicking anything else, type the correct measurement and hit enter. It will ask if you want to resize your model. Click yes, done.