Importing Parts With Failed Faces

Those of us SolidWorks users who get parts sent to us from other CAD platforms often receive them in a variety of formats. Obviously the best type of files to receive are native SolidWorks files. But when we get them translated through STEP or IGES and we open them, SolidWorks automatically employs its Import Diagnostics tool.

The results of these diagnoses occasionally yield faces of the part that didn't translate and we're left with Failed Faces.

When you find yourself in this situation, you can delete these faces by simply Right Clicking on the items within the Property Manager shown above, and selecting Delete. Note that when these faces are deleted you will see an increase in the number of "gaps" as edges are removed, yielding more gaps, so don't be alarmed by this.

The deleted faces can now be replaced using Filled Surface and similar surfacing tools ending with merging and knitting the surfaces together!