Import Settings Dialog Box



To access this dialog box:

  1. Open a project.
  2. Click Project > Models > Import Model.
  3. In the Import dialog box, browse to a model and click Open.

Options available in the Import Settings dialog box depend on the type of model you import.

Geometry tab

Part Grouping    
  Part grouping Groups geometry into parts based on your choice of layers, appearances, and divisions in the source model. Lets you import SOLIDWORKS .SLDPRT or .SLDASM files.

Options are:

  • Component/Part/Body
    • Creates nested SOLIDWORKS Visualize groups for SOLIDWORKS assembly components down to the SOLIDWORKS parts and bodies.
    • Creates nested groups for subassembly components, mirror components, pattern components, and SOLIDWORKS folders.
    • Refines SOLIDWORKS Visualize parts based on appearance assignments in each SOLIDWORKS body.
    • Imports saved SOLIDWORKS configurations, animations, and supports Monitor File functionality.
  • Appearance
    • Creates a SOLIDWORKS Visualize part based on every unique SOLIDWORKS appearance.
    • Combines SOLIDWORKS geometry having the same appearance into a single SOLIDWORKS Visualize part.
    • Imports saved SOLIDWORKS configurations.
    • Does not import saved SOLIDWORKS animations and does not support Monitor File functionality.

Imported part names are based on their ancestry. Before SOLIDWORKS Visualize 2023, the name was based on the imported appearance.
  Monitor File Automatically updates models when the original file is updated and saved in the 3D software. The software notifies you when models are externally updated, and you can accept or ignore the change.
  Snap to floor Automatically snaps the lowest point of your model to the floor of your Visualize scene.
  Apply Auto-Paint Applies auto-paint (that is, the software assigns an appearance) based on the naming pattern of the part or model.
  Instancing (For SOLIDWORKS part and assembly models that contain many copies of the same object, such as duplicate bodies or components.) Uses a single geometry definition for all copies (instances) of the object, rather than complete copies of the geometry definition for each copy of the same object.

Instances require less GPU memory, improve rendering performance, and can reduce file size. If you modify the source geometry, the changes automatically propagate to each instance.

Instances use the shading and material settings from the source object. You can select an instance and reposition, scale, and rotate it. You can assign appearances from the library to specific instances.
Mesh Refinement   Available only with imported geometry (non-SOLIDWORKS files) that support tessellation or mesh refinement.) See Other File Formats.

If you select Default when you initially import a model, you cannot use the Simple or Advanced retessellation. If you select Simple or Advanced on initial import, you cannot use the Default retessellation.
  Default Delivers the fastest import speed while preserving full material properties, including textures. This mode uses either existing tessellation data or default settings.
  Simple Supports basic mesh refinement with limited material properties (color only). You can adjust mesh refinement using a single slider and later retessallate part of the model using the Models tab in the Palette, which provides the same Mesh Refinement controls.
  Advanced Offers more flexibility to customize mesh refinement settings, although material properties are limited to color only. Similar to Simple mode, this mode lets you retessallate parts of the model after import using the Models tab in the Palette.
You can specify:
  • Distance Deviation. Specifies how close the tessellation is to the model curve.
  • Angle Deviation. Specifies the maximum angle between two faces before adding more triangles to get as close as possible to the model curve.
  • Element Size. Specifies whether to use default values for Element Size. When selected, you can specify the maximum length of a triangle edge. Small specifies small edges and triangles and impacts tessellation quality.
Tessellation Settings    
  Quality Determines the accuracy of the results when converting a model to polygons. The higher the quality, the more polygons are used to represent curved surfaces in the model and the smoother the results. Higher tessellation quality can impact file size.
  Advanced Settings Lets you fine-tune how models are tessellated (converted into polygons).

Options are:

  • Tolerance. Defines the maximum distance between a polygon edge and the NURBS surface. Use a low value to create high-quality tessellations.

    A low tolerance value generates a large number of polygons.
  • Maximum length. Defines the maximum length of a polygon edge. Use a lower value for a denser tessellation of flat surfaces.

  • Maximum angle. Defines the maximum angle between normals of adjacent polygons. Use a lower value to prevent small bumps from disappearing.
Design Program Settings   Lets you set the alignment (Vertical Axis and Depth Axis) and the CAD Units to match how the model is set up in the source software.

Units within SOLIDWORKS Visualize are meters.

Appearances tab

To import materials, select on the Appearances tab. To ignore materials, clear on the Appearances tab.
Texture Options    
  Ignore texture references Ignores all textures associated with appearances in the source model.
  Auto search for missing textures Looks for missing textures referenced by appearances in the source model.
  Manual search for missing textures Lets you specify where the software looks for textures referenced by appearances in the source model. Under Texture Auto-Search Paths, click Add Path to specify a location.
Texture Auto-Search Paths Add Path Lets you navigate to and designate auto-search paths.

Animation

Uses the SOLIDWORKS Visualize add-in for SOLIDWORKS CAD to import animations and motion studies into SOLIDWORKS Visualize Professional.

Imports animations and motion studies from SOLIDWORKS Connected into SOLIDWORKS Visualize Connected.

Cameras

By default, all cameras in the source file are imported, if possible. To ignore cameras, clear next to Cameras.

Scene

When enabled, the software lets you import environment, backplate, and lights that are saved with the model. To prevent the stored scene from being imported, clear next to Scene.

Environment

When enabled, the software imports environments that are stored with the model.

To prevent stored environments from being imported, clear next to Environment.
Backplate

When enabled, the software imports a backplate that is stored with the model.

To prevent stored backplate from being imported, clear next to Backplate.
Lights

When enabled, the software imports lights that are stored with the model.

To prevent stored lights from being imported, clear next to Lights.

Decals

When enabled, the software imports decals that are stored with the model.

To prevent stored decals from being imported, clear next to Decals.

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