Import Geometry      

This command allows you to import an IGES, STEP, or VDAF file.

Select the Import Geometry icon from the Geometry Workbench toolbar and the dialog shown below will open.  Select an IGES, STEP, or VDAF file and press Open.  Alternatively, if you select New Forming Analysis from the Start Menu the dialog will open as well. 

During import FormingSuite will separate the model geometry into Points, Lines, Domains, and Boundaries.  A domain is a group of connected and/or tangent surfaces.  If the model geometry is a solid, there will be multiple domains.  One domain will contain all the surfaces representing the top surface, another domain will contain all the surfaces representing the bottom surface, and finally a third domain will contain all the surfaces representing the thickness surface. 

Importing a Solid Model

After FormingSuite has separated the model geometry into the top, bottom, and thickness surface you then need to generate the skin (surface quilt).  To generate the skin select the Next:  Generate Skin from the wizard or select the Create Skin icon from the Geometry Workbench toolbar to open the Geometry - Skin Dialog (shown below).

Once the dialog is open you need to select which surface (top or bottom) that you would like to use.  To this you can either select the domain from the Feature Tree or you can select the domain by clicking on the side of the model that you would like to use.  In either case, the selected domain will be highlighted.

Importing a Surface Model

When you import a surface model it will also be separated into domains.  When you generate the skin when there is only one domain (surface model), either through the wizard or by using the icon, you will also need to specify if the surface is the mid-plane, top or bottom surface using the Geometry - Material Location Dialog (shown below), which is automatically opened after you define the domain.

The material location is middle by default.  To specify the top or bottom surface select the Side radio button and the direction arrow will display which side of material is being defined.  Use the Flip Side button to reverse the direction.