Mechanical Desktop
Files
The MDT translator imports part and assembly information from Mechanical
Desktopâ
(MDT) files as SolidWorks part or assembly documents. You must have MDT
installed on your desktop, but it does not have to be running, to use
the MDT translator.
The MDT translator is integrated into the DXF/DWG
Import Wizard.
If you import large assemblies from MDT,
SolidWorks recommends you do the following:
Start Mechanical Desktop and open the MDT file
inside the MDT application before you import the file into the SolidWorks
application.
Set the MDT temporary files path to a drive where
you have sufficient space (1GB minimum).
Increase the paging file size to appropriate limits.
This is relevant mainly for low configuration systems.
MDT files can contain a combination of part, assembly, and drawing files.
The MDT translator provides different conversion options, depending upon
the contents of the MDT file. The MDT translator supports import of MDT
assembly relations.
The MDT translator supports the following items during import:
Large MDT assembly files, in excess of 130MB in
size, depending on the complexity of the data.
All types of mates, including point-to-point and
line-to-line mates.
MDT combined features, which are sometimes referred
to as toolbodies.
MDT tapped hole features (cosmetic thread annotation).
MDT design tables (Design Variable Tables - Global
Variable Sheets).
MDT Work Features (Work Planes, Work Axes, and
Work Points).
MDT pattern
features, which creates multiple disjoint bodies.
If you have been
using AutoCAD on your computer, open Mechanical Desktop before opening
an MDT file in SolidWorks so SolidWorks recognizes the file as an MDT
file and not an AutoCAD file.
Version Information
The MDT translator supports MDT 4.0 or higher.
To open an MDT file:
Click Open (Standard toolbar)
or File, Open.
In the
dialog box, set Files of type
to DXF (*.dxf) or DWG
(*.dwg) files, browse to a file, then click Open.
In the
DXF/DWG Import
Wizard, select Import MDT data from
file (imports as parts, assemblies and/or drawings), then click
Next.
If you do not have Mechanical Desktop installed, the option
to import MDT data is not available.
On the
Document Settings screen, select
options for the Model
and layout
tabs, then click Finish.