Convert ASAT to MTX

Understanding ASAT and MTX file formats

ASAT files are associated with Solid Edge and represent 3D CAD models in the ACIS SAT (Standard ACIS Text) format. These files store geometric and design data for use in various CAD applications. MTX files, on the other hand, are typically Matrix Market Exchange files, used to store matrix data for mathematical and engineering computations. Converting ASAT to MTX involves extracting geometric or mesh data from a 3D model and exporting it as a matrix representation.

How to convert ASAT to MTX

Direct conversion from ASAT to MTX is not natively supported by most CAD or mathematical software. The process generally involves two steps:

1. Export mesh or geometry data from the ASAT file using a CAD program that supports ACIS SAT files, such as Autodesk Fusion 360 or FreeCAD.
2. Convert the exported data (often as STL, OBJ, or CSV) into the MTX format using a script or a tool like MATLAB or Python (with SciPy).

Recommended software for conversion

• FreeCAD: Open your ASAT file, then use File → Export to save as a mesh format (e.g., STL or OBJ).
• MATLAB or Python (SciPy): Import the mesh data and export it as a Matrix Market (.mtx) file using built-in functions or libraries.

Step-by-step conversion example

1. Open the ASAT file in FreeCAD.
2. Go to File → Export and select STL or OBJ as the output format.
3. Use a Python script with SciPy's mmwrite function to convert the mesh data to MTX format:

from scipy.io import mmwrite
import numpy as np
# Load your mesh data as a NumPy array
matrix = np.loadtxt('mesh.csv', delimiter=',')
mmwrite('output.mtx', matrix)

Summary

While there is no direct ASAT to MTX converter, using FreeCAD for mesh export and Python (SciPy) for matrix conversion is the most effective workflow.