I’m importing STEP models from the mcmaster-carr website using SimLab Step Importer. The models import fine but are several layers of components deep. When i try to explode them to clean them up it seems to lock up. It doesn’t do it for all models i think i’ve narrowed it down to threads. Threads on bolts or a tapped feature, is it just too much for sketchup to handle, is it the importing? has anyone had similiar problems or know how to fix it?
If possible, can you provide an example of the skp for our evaluation?
CD
Try temporarily scaling up the model before operation? Those thread must have a lot of very short segments.
Try to explode one at a time, not several at once.
Be patient. Exploding a component containing mass amounts of tiny geometry can take a while.
Back in the day (paper drafting) threads were portrayed schematically.
No one drew detailed threads unless it was absolutely necessary.
Today, many CAD/3D applications create detailed threads in a blink.
To me, it seems a lot of unnecessary detail gets tossed in simply because we can.
Creating mass amounts of tiny geometry (like modeling screw threads) will slow model performance.
If you don’t need that level of detail in your model, then replace the overly complex geometry.
You could Save As the offending component.
Bring the offending component into a new file and clean it up, then Save As again, overwriting the existing.
Then, back in the main model file, Reload the simplified component.