### Exporting to an I-DEAS DCI Model File

To export to an I-DEAS part, follow these steps:

1. Select the File | Export menu option from the main menu and select the I-DEAS data type from the sub menu. The I-DEAS Part Selection dialog box appears.

I-DEAS Part Selection dialog box

2. Click the Connect To Server button. The I-DEAS Server Connection dialog box will appear. Use this dialog to connect to an I-DEAS server. For information on using the I-DEAS Server Connection dialog box, see the "Using the I-DEAS Server Connection dialog box" topic in the "Directly Interfacing with a CAD File" section. Once connected to an I-DEAS server, the I-DEAS Part Selection dialog box will become available. All the projects in the active I-DEAS data installation will be listed.

3. Click Connect to connect to the server. The I-DEAS Part Selection dialog box appears.

4. Select a project and the model file to which you want to export. To do this, select an existing part from the Parts in selected model file list. Or you can create a new part by typing values into the Bin, Name, and Part Number boxes.

Note: Surface geometry (cylinder, cone, or sphere features) cannot be created in an existing part. If you export to an existing part, these feature types will be ignored. To export surface feature types, specify a new part to be created.

Note: The following characters are invalid and cannot be used in the Bin, Part Name, or Part Number boxes:
:
;
,
"
*
?

5. Click the Export To Part button after you have specified a part. If the part is new, a message box will appear asking if you want to create a part.

6. Click Yes to create the I-DEAS part. The I-DEAS Export dialog box appears.

I-DEAS Export dialog box

7. Select an alignment from the Alignment box.

8. Select any additional export options. The options on this dialog box are the same as discussed in the "Exporting a STEP File".

9. Click the Export button to finish exporting to the I-DEAS part. Once the exporting process is complete, PC-DMIS will automatically instruct the I-DEAS server to save the part’s model file.