Converting Solid, Surface or Graphics Bodies to Mesh

You can convert a standard SOLIDWORKS body or graphics body to a mesh BREP body using the Convert to Mesh Body tool.

Because the tools for editing mesh BREP bodies are limited, you should do as much modeling as possible with the standard SOLIDWORKS BREP body before converting it to a mesh BREP body. After the conversion, you are limited to modifying the mesh BREP bodies using Boolean operations.
In many instances, hybrid modeling may eliminate the need to convert standard BREP to mesh BREP, which was often used to compare a standard BREP body to a mesh BREP body. With hybrid modeling, you can add standard BREP geometry directly to a mesh BREP body.

To use the Convert to Mesh Body tool:

  1. With the standard SOLIDWORKS BREP body or graphic body open, click Insert > Feature > Convert to Mesh Body .
  2. For Selected Bodies , select solid, surface, graphics closed, or open bodies.

    You cannot select mixed body types. You can only convert one body type at a time.

  3. Make sure Keep original body is selected if you want to maintain a reference copy of the original solid or surface body in the model.
  4. For graphics bodies, select Group facets into faces to group facets into multiple faces. The faces will match the faces of the original standard SOLIDWORKS BREP body. Clear the option if you want to convert the mesh into a single face.
  5. Move the Mesh Refinement slider toward Coarse for fewer, larger facets on the mesh, and toward Fine, for more, smaller facets.

    A preview of the mesh displays in the graphics area for the selected bodies.

    Coarse
    Fine

    This option is useful if you have two standard SOLIDWORKS BREP bodies of significant different sizes. After you convert the first body to a mesh BREP body with facets of a certain size, you could convert the second standard SOLIDWORKS BREP body to a mesh BREP body, and adjust the mesh refinement, so that the mesh size of the second converted body is close to the mesh size of the first.

  6. Instead of using the slider, you can adjust the facets in the mesh by:
    1. Selecting Advanced Mesh Refinement and specifying the Maximum Distance Deviation and Maximum Angle Deviation of the facets.
    2. Selecting Define Maximum Element Size and specifying the maximum length of the fins.
  7. Click .

The Body-Convert to Mesh Body feature is added to the FeatureManager design tree.