About Groups, Selections Sets and Layers

Groups and selections sets can me mapped at import and export.

Groups (Selection Sets) can be activated under General, in the STEP Exchange section of the Preferences.

Check recommended practices, licensing and application protocol requirements in Requirements.

Note: Since 3DEXPERIENCE does not support layers and selection sets on tessellated geometry, do not expect to export layers or selections sets on tessellated geometry.

This page discusses:

Import

Groups can be imported as selection sets.

For each APPLIED_GROUP_ASSIGNMENT pointing to a group and a list of entities in the STEP file, a selection set is created. This selection set is named with the name of the pointed GROUP entity and includes all pointed entities.

Export

Selection sets can be exported as groups.

For each selection set, an entity APPLIED_GROUP_ASSIGNMENT is created. This entity points to a GROUP entity and to a list of exported geometric entities. The attribute NAME of the entity GROUP is defined by the name of the selection set.

Notes:
  • When a body is contained in a selection set:
    • A GROUP entity is created in the STEP file for that selection set.
    • All the entities of the body exported in STEP are put into that GROUP.
  • When an exported entity is contained in a selection set:
    • A GROUP entity is created in the STEP file for that selection set.
    • The entity is put into that GROUP.
  • A solid resulting from a PartBody is exported in a group if, and only if, the PartBody is in the selection set corresponding to the group. If a feature of a PartBody is in a selection set, it is not taken into account during export.

Layers

Layers can be imported and exported.

At Import

  • A layer is created for each layer present in the STEP file.
  • All entities included in a layer in the STEP file are included in the corresponding layer.
  • The number of the layer imported is defined by STEP PRESENTATION_LAYER_ASSIGMENT.ID. This is a string representing an integer. A layer over 999 is replaced by layer 0.
  • When a layer is declared in STEP as INVISIBLE (listed by the INVISIBILITY entity), entities belonging to this layer are created in the NoShow space.
  • No layer filter is created.

At Export

  • Layers on exported entities are supported.
  • The visibility of layers is not taken into account. All layers are handled in the same way, event if filters are defined.
  • The number of layer is mapped with STEP attribute PRESENTATION_LAYER_ASSIGNMENT.ID.