Comments on: 3D Printering: When an STL File is Not Quite Right

By: tot

tot — Thu, 20 Feb 2020 22:25:35 +0000

In reply to Stripey Type, One (ea.) (@StripeyType). may I introduce you to our lord and savior HWIDGEN?

By: EdgE

EdgE — Wed, 11 Sep 2019 11:34:19 +0000

My favorite method for editing STL files, depends on the complexity of the file.
Method 1: Just import the STL in my favorite CAD package (read only layer) and just remodel everything myself.
Method 2: In case of a STL file with organic shapes or nice textures -which I cannot create- using a different approach:
a. load original stl_1 in cad
b. create a subtraction solid in cad, removing unwanted stuff.
c. using windows 3d builder to do subtraction, creating stl_2.
d. load stl_2 in cad and build all additive solid(s).
e. merge stl_2 with these new solids and I’m done.

Results with method 2:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3027062 (lego compatible skull castle)
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3146789 (duplo compatible car body)

By: foxpup

foxpup — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 00:42:20 +0000

In reply to foxpup.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgSauqC7MQk

By: foxpup

foxpup — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 23:20:38 +0000

Seemed sort of relevant here, given the illustration: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:547580

By: Daniel Reetz

Daniel Reetz — Fri, 18 May 2018 16:38:27 +0000

In reply to Magpie.

After repeatedly running into the limits of Fusion 360, I bought Spaceclaim to convert 3D scans into solid geometry. You can definitely fit a cylinder solid to a selection (see video around 40 seconds in), you can fit circles to arcs, and you can snap solid geometry onto a surface. The mesh repair tools are insanely good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BDoYRm9yf0

the language in this video is overblown marketingspeak, but just watch the tools to fit surfaces and primitives to scan data.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2o12d6A16k

Spaceclaim is like the “best kept secret” in the solid modeling world. It has outsized capabilities, it’s cheaper than nearly every other option, and it handles scan data like a champ. The next step up, for STL and for scan data, is Geomagic Design X… and that’s $40k/license.

Fusion360 is my go-to modeler, but the reverse engineering tools are very primitive. I mean, I’ve never had a useful 3D scan come in at under 10K polygons. Most of my scans are around 100k-300K polys. Fusion can’t even import it. SpaceClaim doesn’t even flinch. SpaceClaim has paid for itself twice over in my prototyping shop.

By: SlowEng

SlowEng — Fri, 18 May 2018 15:24:17 +0000

In reply to Mr Name Required. The problem with OpenScad is that only Openscad can open it. Kinda useless to everyone else on different CAD systems. STEP files are portable between most CAD systems and preserve design integrity. Yeah I know OpenScad is free and what not but I am not going to bother with learning some other cad program when I am already proficient in the ones I have. It would be faster to just remodel the part, depending on the size, then go through the learning curve on OpenScad for the very few OpenScad Models I am interested in. However good on you for sharing the design data from your OpenScad models, that is still better than STL.

By: SlowEng

SlowEng — Fri, 18 May 2018 15:14:28 +0000

In reply to daid303. And yet every Commercial piece of CAD software I ever used can do it. Also Onshape and Fusion 360 are free to hobbyist. This goes back to what said earlier that STL where developed for 3D printers not for CAD work.