The DSTV Assistant for SOLIDWORKS can generate NC data from a wide variety of sources – whether SolidSteel parametric profiles, imported STEP files, or native SOLIDWORKS parts. That is exactly what our video demonstrates.

Getting started is straightforward:
A single click on Start DSTV Assistant opens the menu. The default setting Analyze All captures the entire assembly in one go. Alternatively, individual subassemblies or even individual bodies can be selected. The deliberate use of bodies rather than parts reflects an important distinction: with SOLIDWORKS Multi-Body Parts, for example, each individual component should be identified separately.

The Resolution Setting – What Is It All About?

Among the settings, there is a parameter that may seem cryptic at first glance: the resolution for profile geometry detection.
To set this parameter meaningfully, it is worth briefly understanding how profile detection works internally – because the DSTV Assistant has to answer a fundamental question: at which point along a beam can the profile be identified most reliably?

After the analysis, the overview is divided into three categories:

• SolidSteel parametric Profiles – identified directly and completely

• Identified Bodies – automatically recognised standard profiles and sheets

• Unidentified Bodies – e.g. screws, custom profiles, or non-standard cross-sections

For components that were not identified automatically, the "Provide Information" function is available. A right-click on the component opens a guided dialog where the profile type and axis orientation can be defined.

A quick note on profile abbreviations: the DSTV format originally comes from Germany, which is why some abbreviations are based on German terminology. A plate, for example, is coded as "B" (from the German word "Blech"). A rectangular hollow section carries the code "M" – why not "R"? Honestly, we are not entirely sure ourselves. If you know the answer, feel free to enlighten us.

Detailed Information on DSTV NC Data

The exported files can be visualised as 3D models in an NC viewer – including all holes, cuts, and further machining operations. A straightforward plausibility check before handing off to the machine.

In addition to DSTV NC data for steel profiles, SolidSteel parametric offers a specialised DXF export for sheet metal parts – with automatic equal parts detection, sorting by sheet thickness, and all relevant information included directly in the file name.

The complete workflow – from position number assignment through export to the finished DXF file including flat pattern and bend lines – is covered in detail in the video. The key points at a glance:

• Extruded bodies are automatically converted to SOLIDWORKS Sheet Metal during export

• Output is sorted into subfolders by sheet thickness

• The file name contains order number, position number, and quantity

• Identical parts generate only one file

• Optional: export of the flat pattern with bend lines

SPI and Klietsch have quite a bit in common: we both develop add-ins for SOLIDWORKS and Inventor – our colleagues from the north for sheet metal fabrication, we for steel, vessel, and aluminium construction. Two companies extending the same platforms – just at very different ends of the material spectrum.

SPI SheetMetalWorks extends the sheet metal capabilities of SOLIDWORKS and Autodesk Inventor with manufacturing-specific functions such as more precise flat pattern calculations, automatic design for manufacturability checks, material and tool data management, and reliable processing of complex or imported sheet metal parts. The result is production-ready flat patterns and NC data that automate the transition from design to CAM and CNC manufacturing, reduce rework, and make the entire process chain significantly more efficient.

A recommendation for everyone whose day-to-day engineering work extends beyond steel.

SPI SheetMetal Works for SOLIDWORKS

SPI SheetMetal for Inventor