importing 3D model from CAD software?

[SylvainT]

Hi all,
I'd like to import a 3D model of an object that was designed in the CATIA software (the computer-assisted design soft)... Is there anyway to convert the fileformat from CATIA (or something that can be exported from CATIA) into something than can be read by anatomist?
Thanks in advance,
Sylvain
ps: I don't know anything about CAD file formats, I can look for more info, but I just wanted to know whether that had already been done before

[Olivier Coulon]

Hello Sylvain,
just a partial answer : if Catia can export a format that is readable by Blender (free software), then we have python plugins to convert from blender to our mesh format. There might be a simpler solution, though.

Olivier

[SylvainT]

Hi Olivier (thanks for the remote answer ),

I do have a VRML file exported from Catia, and VRML is listed in the list of formats supported by Blender, so that should do it! What's the recipe after importing the mesh into Blender?

Cheers,

Sylvain

[riviere]

Hi Sylvain,

AIMS has VRML IO, but only for writing... too bad, isnt't it ?
The Blender conversion is a script written by Yann a few years ago. They are in <brainvisa_pack>/share/aims-3.1/blender. There is a mesh_import.py and a mesh_export.py script. They are Blender extensions, they should be run from within Blender (for instance run "blender -P mesh_export.py")

But, since you are speaking about Blender, the simplest now is certainly to export from Blender as Stanford PLY format: aims/anatomist can read this format.

Denis

[SylvainT]

ok, denis, thanks, it sounds like that should do it!!
for now, I'm having problems getting blender to work on my ubuntu system (pretty sure it's a graphic card driver issue);
I'll let you know how it unfolds...
cheers,
sylvain