0:00 Import the SolidWorks file.
0:15 Converted all layers to a regular mesh item.
0:27 Freeze all item transforms.
0:40 Remove imported normals.
1:15 Remove all the internal parts. and save as .LWO reorganizing the model into its various layers.
2:30 Export to LWO.
2:45 Close, reopen and reorganize the .LWO model into its various layers.
5:26 I started to change the material surface for all the cells at once, but then remembered that each set needs to have its own material,
so you can skip past this if you want.
6:50 Re-align the model.
7:40 Re-center and save the .LWO.
8:00 Isolate each set of cells into their own layer.
I am selecting only the top of the cells. I cut the selected cells, create a new layer by using the n key and paste the cells into this new layer.
The side and back of these cells will get another material.
Each layer gets named after the side of the cubesat they reside on, starting with Minu-Z.
Placing the solitary @ symbol after the name, tells LwConvert that the layer won’t need to have global articulations added to it.
Note: STK and modo use a different up vector. This can cause some confusion in modo.
For a satellite in STK , the three axis X,Y,Z correspond to Minus Z, X, Minus Y in modo
9:09 I begin working on the cells that are on what I believe to be the Plus Y side of model, once converted to STK.
Not having done this in a while, I begin checking to see if I’m selecting the correct side.
I wind up guessing wrong, but don’t figure it out until later. Plus-Y was really Minus-Y and vice versa.
12:15 Create specific materials for each set of cells.
Setting a material in modo is done by using the m key.
Name each material the same as the layer name for consistency.
The actual color can be anything you like.
13:50 Set material for side and back of cells.
14:25 Cut the back and side of the cells and paste them into the layer containing the body of the cubesat.
14:30 More consolidation. Rename the first or main layer to that of the cubesat.
15:15 Parent cell item layers to the Parent layer.
15:25 Globally change material settings. Set all diffuse to be equal. Remove smoothing. Check that none are transparent.
Most important. Remove any Luminous Intensity from all polygons or it will affect your results in STK’s Solar Power Tool.
16:35 Check dimensions and save.
17:10 Convert to MDL with LwConvert. Use “Spacecraft, Aircraft” model type.
17:20 Import into “Modeler 9″ for visual inspection.
17:43 Import into TextPad or similar text editor
18:03 Click on the desired polys, use Ctrl-RightMouse to determine where in the text file the geometry you just selected is.
They will flash red. The line number the polys reside on will be displayed in the info window below.
Modeler defines them as being the Plus Z panels and says that they are on line 101145.
But, when you go there in TextPad, the Component isn’t there.
Note: This is when I first discover that I got the poly selection wrong back in modo
19:00 I select the polys on what I think is the Minus-Y side, but Modeler says that it is Plus-Y.
I went into the text editor and went to the line number as indicated and did come to Component SlrPnl_Plus_Y
Manually add the names of the solar panels. One for each of the four cell components.
20:00 Reload and select next set of cells. This time it is Plus Z
21:25 Went back into modo to switch layer name Minus-Y with Plus-Y. Also needed to re-assign the correct material for each layer.
24:10 Satisfied with the edits, I re-save the .LWO file and re-converted that to .MDL.
24:39 Started re-assigning solar panel names again, saving and reloading each time.
27:00 Set up Solar Panel Groups
29:00 Run Solar Power report in STK
Here is the link to the master ancillary file.
It contains all the elements one would need to set up their DAE file for use in STK.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/2l26quh9kcfsrvo/master.anc
Just make sure that the ancillary has the same name as the .DAE file and that it stays in the same directory.
-s
Post time: Feb-08-2017