Part model can't be exported

joe_morton · ‎Mar 31, 2022

Wondering if anyone else has seen a similar issue to this and knows the cause.

An engineer shared a complex model with me today and said that when he saved out a STEP file, the STEP was empty. I was able to reproduce the same behavior on my machine. Not only for STEP files, but also for IGES and parasolid as well. For all of these, the "save as" runs instantly, and creates an file with no geometry in it.

I did find a workaround. We're using Creo 7.0.2.0, so I was able to save the single body in the model to a new part file. In that part file, I was able to save out a STEP file. Of note, the STEP file did have an error in the geometry, but at least it saved something out.

Any ideas as to why the original file couldn't be saved out, but a new part with essentially a copy geometry of the original part's body was able to?

remy · ‎Apr 01, 2022

First how do you come to the conclusion that the exported file is empty? Is the file size 0 Ko?

Answering that question will help target the culprit process whether the issue lays in the export indeed or in the import.

joe_morton · ‎Apr 01, 2022

Fair point, the file created isn't completely empty - it's 4kb.

Here's the text of the file, (my username and company info removed):

ISO-10303-21;
HEADER;
FILE_DESCRIPTION((''),'2;1');
FILE_NAME('HOUSING','2022-04-01T09:26:53',('username'),('company'),
'CREO PARAMETRIC BY PTC INC, 2020281','CREO PARAMETRIC BY PTC INC, 2020281','');
FILE_SCHEMA(('AUTOMOTIVE_DESIGN { 1 0 10303 214 1 1 1 1 }'));
ENDSEC;
DATA;
#17=PLANE_ANGLE_MEASURE_WITH_UNIT(PLANE_ANGLE_MEASURE(1.745329251994E-2),#16);
#18=(CONVERSION_BASED_UNIT('DEGREE',#17)NAMED_UNIT(*)PLANE_ANGLE_UNIT());
#20=UNCERTAINTY_MEASURE_WITH_UNIT(LENGTH_MEASURE(3.E-3),#15,
'distance_accuracy_value',
'Maximum model space distance between geometric entities at asserted connectivities');
#22=CARTESIAN_POINT('',(0.E0,0.E0,0.E0));
#23=DIRECTION('',(0.E0,0.E0,1.E0));
#24=DIRECTION('',(1.E0,0.E0,0.E0));
#27=APPLICATION_CONTEXT('automotive_design');
#28=APPLICATION_PROTOCOL_DEFINITION('international standard',
'automotive_design',2001,#27);
#29=PRODUCT_DEFINITION_CONTEXT('part definition',#27,'design');
#30=PRODUCT_CONTEXT('',#27,'mechanical');
#31=PRODUCT('HOUSING','HOUSING','NOT SPECIFIED',(#30));
#32=PRODUCT_DEFINITION_FORMATION('1','LAST_VERSION',#31);
#36=DERIVED_UNIT_ELEMENT(#35,2.E0);
#37=DERIVED_UNIT((#36));
#38=MEASURE_REPRESENTATION_ITEM('surface area measure',AREA_MEASURE(
2.438342617655E4),#37);
#43=DERIVED_UNIT_ELEMENT(#42,3.E0);
#44=DERIVED_UNIT((#43));
#45=MEASURE_REPRESENTATION_ITEM('volume measure',VOLUME_MEASURE
(1.673112590905E4),#44);
#49=CARTESIAN_POINT('centre point',(-2.005419692565E-1,9.975618035E0,
8.418573478761E0));
#54=PRODUCT_RELATED_PRODUCT_CATEGORY('part','',(#31));
#1=DRAUGHTING_PRE_DEFINED_COLOUR('green');
#2=COLOUR_RGB('',1.1E-2,1.2E-2,1.E0);
#3=COLOUR_RGB('',4.1E-1,2.61589E-1,1.12848E-1);
#4=COLOUR_RGB('',5.04854E-1,1.5455E-2,1.5455E-2);
#5=COLOUR_RGB('',5.607843399048E-1,6.862745285034E-1,5.607843399048E-1);
#6=COLOUR_RGB('',6.35294E-1,6.86275E-1,7.4902E-1);
#7=COLOUR_RGB('',6.40777E-1,6.40777E-1,6.40777E-1);
#8=COLOUR_RGB('',6.69062E-1,6.69903E-1,6.55217E-1);
#9=COLOUR_RGB('',9.21569E-1,7.05882E-1,4.70588E-1);
#10=DRAUGHTING_PRE_DEFINED_COLOUR('red');
#11=DRAUGHTING_PRE_DEFINED_COLOUR('yellow');
#12=COLOUR_RGB('',1.E0,1.E0,5.3E-1);
#13=COLOUR_RGB('',1.E0,1.E0,9.49E-1);
#14=DRAUGHTING_PRE_DEFINED_COLOUR('white');
#15=(LENGTH_UNIT()NAMED_UNIT(*)SI_UNIT(.MILLI.,.METRE.));
#16=(NAMED_UNIT(*)PLANE_ANGLE_UNIT()SI_UNIT($,.RADIAN.));
#19=(NAMED_UNIT(*)SI_UNIT($,.STERADIAN.)SOLID_ANGLE_UNIT());
#21=(GEOMETRIC_REPRESENTATION_CONTEXT(3)GLOBAL_UNCERTAINTY_ASSIGNED_CONTEXT(
(#20))GLOBAL_UNIT_ASSIGNED_CONTEXT((#15,#18,#19))REPRESENTATION_CONTEXT('ID1',
'3'));
#25=AXIS2_PLACEMENT_3D('',#22,#23,#24);
#26=SHAPE_REPRESENTATION('',(#25),#21);
#33=PRODUCT_DEFINITION('part definition','',#32,#29);
#34=PRODUCT_DEFINITION_SHAPE('','SHAPE FOR HOUSING.',#33);
#35=(LENGTH_UNIT()NAMED_UNIT(*)SI_UNIT(.MILLI.,.METRE.));
#39=PROPERTY_DEFINITION('geometric validation property','area of HOUSING',#34);
#40=REPRESENTATION('surface area',(#38),#21);
#41=PROPERTY_DEFINITION_REPRESENTATION(#39,#40);
#42=(LENGTH_UNIT()NAMED_UNIT(*)SI_UNIT(.MILLI.,.METRE.));
#46=PROPERTY_DEFINITION('geometric validation property','volume of HOUSING',
#34);
#47=REPRESENTATION('volume',(#45),#21);
#48=PROPERTY_DEFINITION_REPRESENTATION(#46,#47);
#50=PROPERTY_DEFINITION('geometric validation property','centroid of HOUSING',
#34);
#51=REPRESENTATION('centroid',(#49),#21);
#52=PROPERTY_DEFINITION_REPRESENTATION(#50,#51);
#53=SHAPE_DEFINITION_REPRESENTATION(#34,#26);
ENDSEC;
END-ISO-10303-21;

remy · ‎Apr 04, 2022

Thank you for sharing the content of the STEP file, it enabled me to create file out of it.
It fails to open in Creo indeed and so does Creo View.

Running third party NIST STEP analyzer, the file contains 54 entities mainly properties.

it opens indeed empty.

Our knowledge base yields some articles:

Testing the .neu file format as a pivot: https://www.ptc.com/en/support/article/cs54136
Unchecking the option Components as mapped items in STEP Export Profile Settings window under Advanced > Assembly component preferences https://www.ptc.com/en/support/article/cs320289

The model is certainly too large and too confidential to be shared in this thread, which is legitimate.

If you need to deep dive in that issue, i recommend to file a case. This will enable us to get the model and form an opinion on the spot vs poking around (randomly).

joe_morton · ‎Apr 04, 2022

I appreciate you taking the time to look into this. It doesn't look like either of the articles you shared apply to our situation. I'll open a ticket if we see the issue again in the future with a different file. For now, we have a workaround for this file.