stl not watertight

[PROG_MAN_DO]

This is awful..there must be a patch by now..I am machining a forging and I created a solid representing this forging. I then converted it to an stl file so I could use it for verification and what do I get..

 

LW has found the STL file not to be closed and watertight. An approximation will be used.

 

How can it not be watertight? it's a solid!! I did a parasolid conversion to test the model and it's fine. I even tried making a surface model from the solid, and then creating an STL, to no avail. I have had my STL tolerance set to .0001 even. Is there a solution out there other than buying verification software?

[Mike Whitten CAD/CAM Contractors]

Russell, there has been many threads on this with info that may help you. I agree that they should fix it but they haven't yet. The threads have a lot of info that may offer a "work around" for now.

 

Do a search.

 

Mike

[gcode]

Russel, this is a problem that plauges a lot of people. One solution is use SolidWorks to write the STL file.

You can export your Mastercam solid as a parasolid, import to Solidworks and export an STL file.

Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't, it

just depends on how complex you forging is.

[Mike Whitten CAD/CAM Contractors]

Derek,

 

Welcome to the Forum! I knew you would make it here soon!

 

Thanks,

 

Mike

[Roger Peterson]

stlheal.dll chook.

 

 

hth

[Mike Whitten CAD/CAM Contractors]

Rog,

 

How often does that help the problem?

 

Thanks,

 

Mike

[Roger Peterson]

It depends how bad the file was to begin with. It seems to do a good job on stl files exported from Mastercam though. I have had some files that it didn't help, but these were files I really wouldn't actually want to cut because the surface gaps were so bad.

 

 

later,

[Mike Whitten CAD/CAM Contractors]

Thanks Rog,

 

I tried it a long time ago on a file or two and it did not work. I will play some more.

 

Thanks

[Tim Aydt Prototek Engineering]

Unfortunately, we are at the mercy of the creators of the Verify functionality. The verify feature is created by a second party, not CNC Software. I had a conversation with one of the programmers from that company at IMTS. We are not the only Cam Package dealing with this issue.

[maestro]

In version 9.0, being able to transform your stl files to diffrent locations to use them in verify seemed to me to work very well. Only when we went to 9.1 did these issues of stl files not being watertight after tranforming them became an issue. I too have the need to do this also. Maybe in X they will get this straightened out.

[Rick McAllister]

Russel,

I have found that if any geometry other than the model is on the screen, even a point, the STL will not be water tight. Did you have any visible geometry when you converted the model?

[Mike Whitten CAD/CAM Contractors]

Rick,

 

Maybe this is the key! We will be trying this out and posting the results.

 

Thanks,

 

Mike

[somename75]

I have fought this same problem for a while now, and is one of my few complaints about mastercam. Hopefully there will be a fix in the near future.

[Don LePore from CNC Software]

I guess I would be your whipping boy on this one.

 

This problem has been around for a while and we’ve been trying to come up with an adequate solution for it since then. Your concerns have not fallen upon deaf ears. It is a nasty problem without a quick fix. Unfortunately the problem lies with our vendor, so it has been pretty much out of our hands. They have been aware of the problem and actively working on a solution. And now it seems like the solution is inching towards availability. They currently have it in their “pre-Beta” stage. To help, we’ve taken all of the problematic STL files that our customers have sent us over the last couple of years and have provided them to the vendor. Initial results are encouraging.

 

At this point, it seems like the general consensus is, “Yeah, it’s a problem. Yeah, CNC knows about it. Learn to live with it.” I’d like that to change and am asking any/all users out there that come across these files to send them to: [email protected]. They will all be forwarded to the vendor for testing. The more files we have for testing, the better the solution is bound to be.

 

Thanks for your patience.

[kccadcam]

Thank you Don!!!!

How many files would you like??

I'll bet I have at least 50 right off the top of my head....

[Don LePore from CNC Software]

Just keep sending them. I've made sure that the email box has plenty of room. If the flood becomes too great, I'll cry "uncle". Too many is better than too few.

[kccadcam]

Roger mentioned this: stlheal.dll chook

Where might we get a hold of this little gem??

Didn't see it on the FTP.

[crazy^millman]

Thank you Don!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hardmill]

Kevin check in your c-hooks folder.

If you don't find it I can e-mail it to you.

 

 

PEACE

[kccadcam]

Hardmill,

I do not have it.

Did it come with the latest patch?

We don't have maintenance yet,,,,,

 

Would you please E-mail it to me?

[Hardmill]

I just did a fresh install about 3 weeks ago,

never noticed it before.

Its there now, so check your mail.

 

 

PEACE

[kccadcam]

Hardmill,

I copied the chook into Mcam and tried to run it.

I get some errors and then this:

"Fast Zcut Technology is not properly installed"

and then I get booted out.

 

Will this only run on the newest version?

I'm running V9.1 SP2

[Hardmill]

Ooops, I was afraid of that. Sorry.

I'll find it when I get home.

 

PEACE

[mcpgmr]

It was brought to my attention the other day that you can verify using IGES files instead of STL. I tried it and it worked. Just change file types to all when selecting the file and grab an IGES file of the part. It might not leak as much or maybe not at all

[Steve Biehl - Cimquest Inc]

you can select a MC9 file that has a Solid in it also. Sometimes works better.