Communicator for BricsCAD Settings

Quick answer: The Communicator section of the Settings dialog customizes the behavior of related commands across three areas: setting environment options, controlling data import/export, and toggling post-processing operations. These settings apply whenever EXPORT or IMPORT engages one of the Communicator for BricsCAD file formats.

Performing Import and Export in the Background

Tick this option to keep interacting with BricsCAD while import or export runs. With COMMUNICATORBACKGROUNDMODE on, importing a file inserts its geometrical entities into the document only after you click the filename hyperlink in the notification balloon, which then switches to that document, regenerates the viewport, and zooms to extents. Closing the notification balloon instead cancels the import session and frees the memory the background import had allocated.

Import Settings

General:

System variable	Description
`IMPORTPRODUCTSTRUCTURE`	Controls how a product structure represents for an imported model; “As mechanical components” automatically runs `BMMECH` after import.
`IMPORTCOLORS`	Controls how colors convert during import.
`IMPORTPMI`	Enables importing product and manufacture information.
`IMPORTSTITCH`	Automatically runs `DMSTITCH` on imported models (see `IMPORTIGESSTITCH`).
`IMPORTREPAIR`	Automatically runs `DMAUDITALL` on imported models.
`IMPORTSIMPLIFY`	Automatically runs `DMSIMPLIFY` on imported models, confirming the same command covered on this hub’s Working with Hems page (see also `IMPORTIGESSIMPLIFY`).
`IMPORTHIDDENPARTS`	Controls how hidden parts import.

CATIA V5 options: IMPORTCATIAV5REPRESENTATION (controls imported data; preview graphics only import and show if COMMUNICATORBACKGROUNDMODE is on); IMPORTCATIAV5SEARCHPATHSPREFERENCE (file path priority); IMPORTCATIAV5EDGEATTRIBUTES (edge attribute import, by edge type).

Creo options: IMPORTCREOALTERNATESEARCHPATHS (alternate files used during import, semicolon-separated).

IGES options: IMPORTIGESSTITCH (auto-runs DMSTITCH, overriding IMPORTSTITCH for IGES models when on); IMPORTIGESSIMPLIFY (auto-runs DMSIMPLIFY, overriding IMPORTSIMPLIFY for IGES models when on).

Inventor options: IMPORTINVENTORALTERNATESEARCHPATHS (alternate file system paths, semicolon-separated); IMPORTINVENTORSEARCHPATHSPREFERENCE (search path priority order).

JT options: IMPORTJTREPRESENTATION (data to import).

NX options: IMPORTNXALTERNATESEARCHPATHS (alternate file paths, semicolon-separated); IMPORTNXSEARCHPATHSPREFERENCE (file path priority); IMPORTNXCONFIGURATION (the configuration name to import, defaulting to the part’s own default configuration if left unspecified).

SolidEdge options: IMPORTSOLIDEDGEALTERNATESEARCHPATHS (alternate file paths, semicolon-separated); IMPORTSOLIDEDGESEARCHPATHSPREFERENCE (file path priority order).

SolidWorks® options: IMPORTSOLIDWORKSREPRESENTATION (imported data; preview graphics only import and show if COMMUNICATORBACKGROUNDMODE is on); IMPORTSOLIDWORKSALTERNATESEARCHPATHS (alternate file system paths, semicolon-separated); IMPORTSOLIDWORKSSEARCHPATHSPREFERENCE (search path priority order); IMPORTSOLIDWORKSCONFIGURATION (the configuration name to import, defaulting to the part’s own default configuration if unspecified); IMPORTSOLIDWORKSROTATEYZ (converts a SolidWorks® coordinate system to the current one).

STEP options: IMPORTSTEPROTATEYZ (converts a SolidWorks® coordinate system to the current one, during a STEP import).

See the dedicated system variable articles for more depth on any of these.

Export Settings

General:

System variable	Description
`EXPORTPRODUCTSTRUCTURE`	Controls whether a product structure exports.
`EXPORTHIDDENPARTS`	Controls how hidden parts export.
`EXPORTGEOMETRYFLAGS`	Controls how geometry representations export in IGES and STEP formats.

ACIS options: EXPORTACISFORMATVERSION (the ACIS file version to export to); EXPORTACISASSEMBLYWRITER (the writer used to save ASAT/ASAB files, defaulting to BricsCAD’s internal writer if Communicator isn’t installed).

CATIA options: EXPORTCATIAV4FORMATVERSION (CATIA V4 file version); EXPORTCATIAV5FORMATVERSION (CATIA V5 file version).

Parasolid options: EXPORTPARASOLIDFORMATVERSION (Parasolid file version).

STEP options: EXPORTSTEPFORMATVERSION (STEP file version).

XCGM options: EXPORTXCGMFORMATVERSION (XCGM file version).

3D PDF options: EXPORT3DPDFWRITER (the writer used to save 3D PDF files).

See the dedicated system variable articles for more depth on any of these.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does “As mechanical components” for IMPORTPRODUCTSTRUCTURE do anything automatically? Yes, it automatically runs BMMECH after import.

What happens if I close the notification balloon during a background import? It cancels the import session and frees the memory the background import had allocated.

Can I export ASAT/ASAB files without Communicator for BricsCAD installed? Yes, EXPORTACISASSEMBLYWRITER falls back to BricsCAD’s internal writer in that case.

Does IMPORTSIMPLIFY apply to IGES imports specifically? IMPORTIGESSIMPLIFY overrides it for IGES models specifically when turned on, otherwise IMPORTSIMPLIFY applies as the general setting.