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Lou Dina
Known Participant
March 31, 2010
Question

Importing SolidWorks 3D Image into Illustrator??

  • March 31, 2010
  • 2 replies
  • 26172 views

A customer has Solidworks 2010 (3-D CAD program) and created a complicated 3D model that he wants to use in a brochure. Solidworks creates color, shading and does a nice job, but the colors are ugly and apparently cannot be changed inside Solidworks.

I need to get this image into Illustrator CS4 (Mac platform) in vector format so I can change the colors. They can send me a DXF format, which comes over as vector data, but it loses all color, shading, and each little line segment and curve is a discreet object. I found I can convert it to a smart paint object, but that is not really ideal and will take a lot of time to redo.

Though Solidworks has a PDF, EPS and AI export feature, it rasterizes it first before converting, so it comes over like a digital camera image as one big bitmap blob. That won't work.

Does anyone know how to export a full color vector based image from solidworks, and them import it into Illustrator so I can retain shading, etc, and just change the colors?

Any help appreciated.

Thanks, Lou

    This topic has been closed for replies.

    2 replies

    A
    antiriad
    Participant
    October 7, 2010

    This is a reply to an OLD post, but the post *was* marked as unanswered, after all.

    The answer is - Dassault have written a plugin for  Photoshop (CS3 - CS5, both x86 and x64) called 3DVIA.

    This plugin allows Solidworks and Photoshop to talk to each other directly.

    I have not verified it's capabilities but if you want to install it and give it a try visit http://www.3dvia.com/products/3dvia-for-adobe-photoshop/

    Regards,

    Ben.

    W
    Wade_Zimmerman1
    Inspiring
    March 31, 2010

    You would either need a plug in like strata has or bring it into Photoshop as a 3D Model.

    You can paint a model in Photoshop and keep it a 3D model.

    L
    Lou DinaAuthor
    Known Participant
    March 31, 2010

    Thanks for the response, Wade.

    The customer sent me a 3D PDF generated and exported from SolidWorks. I can open it in Acrobat Pro, rotate it in 3D, the lighting changes, etc...very cool.

    But I cannot open or place that file in either Photoshop or Illustrator. Or, more accurately, I can open or place, but I don't see anything at all. If I try to open the 3D PDF file directly in Photoshop, I get a clear background, with the words "Enable 3D View" and that's it.  I tried exporting and Save As from Acrobat Pro in EPS and PS format, but they come over blank in either PS or Illy.

    Neither the customer nor I have strata.

    Thanks,

    Lou

    L
    Lou DinaAuthor
    Known Participant
    April 1, 2010

    Ahaaa......I have CS4 but do NOT have CS4 Extended, so I suspect I am locked out of 3D-land. Would that explain why I can't open a 3D file in Photoshop or Illustrator?

    Curious, however, that it opens fine in Acrobat and that I can't export it in a vector format that will come into Acrobat (or just haven't figured out HOW to do it yet).

    Any suggestions?

    Lou

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