[emireles_moldesfrontera_com]

I’m working on a project that involves importing a very large STEP file (a full production line) into RoboDK.

I first tried importing the assembly using the RoboDK CAD plugin, but I encountered the same performance and object-property issues described below. I then imported the assembly as a single STEP object and used Split object, which correctly generated many individual objects (this is what I want). However, after splitting, when I click on each object, no object details/properties appear. The properties only show up if I right-click the object and use Convert to object. When I do this, the icon changes from a cylinder to a cube, and then the object properties become visible.

The issue is that converting each object individually is very time-consuming, and when I try to convert many objects at once, RoboDK either freezes, crashes, or becomes “Not Responding.”

Questions:

1. Is there a way to access object properties after splitting without converting each object manually?
   
2. Is there a recommended workflow for handling very large STEP assemblies (e.g., production lines) to avoid crashes and performance issues?
   
3. Is the cylinder → cube icon change expected behavior when converting objects?
   
4. The imported STEP was oriented incorrectly, so I rotated the object using a reference frame to fix the orientation.
   
5. Is this the correct approach, or should the orientation be fixed by aligning the object reference frame instead of rotating the geometry?
   

I’ve attached a screenshot of my station for reference and the station itself for reference.
Thank you in advance for any guidance.

[Albert]

When importing STEP or IGES files you can customize the accuracy in the menu Tools-Options-CAD. You should increase this tolerance before you load the 3D model so that it creates simpler geometry.

You can also use the simplify mesh Add-in to simplify the geometry even further.
https://robodk.com/addin/com.robodk.app.simplifymesh

To handle very large STEP assemblies, we recommend importing the assembly in smaller parts if possible. Also, consider simplifying the CAD model before import to reduce complexity.

If you can share the original STEP file we may be able to better give you advice.

You can also find some tips to improve the display performance here:
https://robodk.com/doc/en/General.html#FastFPS

[emireles_moldesfrontera_com]

Hello Albert,
Thank you for your response.
I wanted to clarify the situation I am running into. If I use Simplify Geometry, the model is reduced to about 37 objects, but the resulting geometry is incorrect and not usable. If I do not simplify and instead use Split, the import results in 5000 objects, which is too many to manage, I tried using simplify mesh after this but it simply takes too long or the app crashes.

I also tried importing the assembly in smaller parts, but when I upload all of them, some components appear duplicated and I am not sure how to control or prevent this.

I have tried fast import settings and display performance options, but the issue persists. Unfortunately, I am unable to share the STEP file for some reason.

At this point, I am unsure of the recommended workflow for handling an assembly of this size without either losing geometry accuracy or ending up with an excessive number of objects.
Any guidance would be appreciated.
Best regards,
Estefania Mireles

[Albert]

You can increase the tolerances for the fast import settings to make the geometry even simpler.

Can you send us your 3D model? You can attach it as a link to download. We can better take a look.