NX Some components are missing after STEP to NX import, those components get wrong names.

Some components are missing after a STEP assembly originating from Catia is opened in NX. The NX part files representing these components are empty. The geometry of those components are stored in NX part files with different file names and they are not referenced in the assembly.


This occurs using both STEP AP203 and STEP AP214 import translation in NX.

Solution

The reason for this type of issue is that the STEP files contain some so called external references. 
To be able to import these external references properly into NX, you need to add the following setting to the translator definition file, i.e. the step203ug.def or the step214ug.def file.


 OVERWRITE_EXISTING_PARTS = On


PLEASE NOTE: If you add this setting as a line at the end of the .def file, a carriage return <CR> must be added, i.e. it must not be the last line in the file, there must be an empty line after it.

WARNING!!! "OVERWRITE_EXISTING_PARTS = On" means that NX will overwrite any part file with the original component name. In applicable cases, when handling STEP files that originate from NX, (not Catia as discussed in this FAQ), DO NOT translate the STEP assembly into the same folder as original NX part files, they WILL BE OVERWRITTEN, and all feature history WILL BE LOST!!

Notes and References

Hardware/Software Configuration

Platform: INTL64
OS: windows
OS Version: 1064
Product: NX
Application: TRANSLATOR
Version: V1899
Function: STEP_AP214

Ref: 001-8318759