Configuration Settings

The XML settings file is used by Converter to configure import parameters during conversion from CAD to StreamCache data. It can be set as a command line parameter, --xml_settings to converter.exe, or programmatically in SC_Import_Options.

Access to all Exchange parameters can be found in the file itself.

To use the file in Converter, use the --xml_settings command-line option when invoking converter.exe.

To use this as a libConverter parameter, it can be set as a field in the SC_Import_Options structure.

NOTE: When editing the parameters for the conversion, your defaults are provided by Exchange. If a parameter exists in the XML file, that value will be used. If the parameter does not exist, the default provided by Exchange will be used.

For a comprehensive parameter list, please reference the Exchange API A3DRWParamsLoadData here.

Below is a settings file example which avoids loading PMI and loads all SolidWorks configurations:

<A3DRWParamsLoadData>
        <A3DRWParamsGeneralData>
                <m_bReadPmis>
                        false
                </m_bReadPmis>
        </A3DRWParamsGeneralData>
        <A3DRWParamsSpecificLoadData>
                <A3DRWParamsSolidworksData>
                        <m_bLoadAllConfigsData>
                                true
                        </m_bLoadAllConfigsData>
                </A3DRWParamsSolidworksData>
        </A3DRWParamsSpecificLoadData>
</A3DRWParamsLoadData>

Below is an example settings file which enables:

  • low tessellation level

  • healing activated for STEP files

  • FamilyTable loaded with accelerator or tessellation if possible for Creo files

  • Boolean operations for assemblies activated for Creo files

  • home view computed for Creo files

  • Inventor tessellation loaded

<A3DRWParamsLoadData>
        <A3DRWParamsSpecificLoadData>
                <A3DRWParamsProEData>
                        <m_eFamilyTables>
                                1
                        </m_eFamilyTables>
                        <m_bBoolOpUseGenericIfNoTess>
                                true
                        </m_bBoolOpUseGenericIfNoTess>
                        <m_bComputeHomeView>
                                true
                        </m_bComputeHomeView>
                </A3DRWParamsProEData>
                <A3DRWParamsInventorData>
                        <m_bUseTessForFile>
                                true
                        </m_bUseTessForFile>
                </A3DRWParamsInventorData>
                <A3DRWParamsStepData>
                        <m_bHealOrientations>
                                true
                        </m_bHealOrientations>
                </A3DRWParamsStepData>
        </A3DRWParamsSpecificLoadData>
        <A3DRWParamsTessellationData>
                <m_eTessellationLevelOfDetail>
                        1
                </m_eTessellationLevelOfDetail>
        </A3DRWParamsTessellationData>
</A3DRWParamsLoadData>

Below is an example settings file for BIM formats.

  • IFC files use a Japanese code page for text encoding.

  • IFC relationships are read.

  • IFC opening are read.

  • Revit files ignore DWG linked files.

  • Revit files compute their physical properties (heavy workload).

  • Attributes and metadata are read for all formats.

<A3DRWParamsLoadData>
        <A3DRWParamsSpecificLoadData>
                <A3DRWParamsIFCData>
                        <m_pcCodePageName>
                                EUC-JP
                        </m_pcCodePageName>
                        <m_bReadRelationships>
                                true
                        </m_bReadRelationships>
                        <m_bReadOpeningElements>
                                true
                        </m_bReadOpeningElements>
                </A3DRWParamsIFCData>
                <A3DRWParamsRevitData>
                        <m_uiLinkFlags>
                                4
                        </m_uiLinkFlags>
                        <m_ePhysicalProperties>
                                1
                        </m_ePhysicalProperties>
                </A3DRWParamsRevitData>
        </A3DRWParamsSpecificLoadData>
        <A3DRWParamsGeneralData>
                <m_bReadAttributes>
                        true
                </m_bReadAttributes>
        </A3DRWParamsGeneralData>
</A3DRWParamsLoadData>

Warning

This advanced feature for Converter may demand high system requirements for certain options and impact the workflow due to the load on the system. Be careful with the settings you choose as they could incur a significant load on the system.

In particular, high levels of tessellation are not appropriate for web viewing due to the limitations of the web browser environment - such as its memory limit and or its bandwidth capacity. Please be aware of this and expect some slowed functionality or time delay during the use of this feature. In order to avoid unwanted errors as mentioned here, advanced users can reference the SC_Import_Options parameter tessellation_quality.

PNG image generation will not be affected by most of the parameters, however if parameters such as surfaces and PMIs are removed, these will affect the image generation.

Currently, the XML settings file overrides most existing Converter command line options. We anticipate future releases and updates to fix this issue. We recommend only use the XML settings file to avoid conflicting parameters.