Defining a .stl

[garyg]

This is a 4th axis project. I am attempting to create a .stl which is in the form of tubing. Not sure if I'm doing everything correctly or if it can be done. I created the tubing 6.8 dia. x 5.5 id x 32 long in surface form. When I convert this to a .stl it becomes a solid bar cylinder. My goal is to show tubing in verify. Is this possible? Also when I use the chook stlheal, then call that file in verify it has the form of a bread loaf instead of a round blank. Thanks for any help.

BTW...one of the guys who works for me has used Gibbs in the past. He keeps saying Gibbs will do this and Gibbs will do that. I'm sick of it.....

[Brendan P]

I use solids to produce an stl and then bring it into verify.

Are you using V9.1? i hope?

[Don LePore from CNC Software]

One of two things is going on. If you are using the TrueSolid turbo setting, this will always happen. This configuration is only meant to be used for 3 axis, top view parts. It takes the input STL file and extrudes it downward in Z. Doing this, a tube becomes a loaf of bread.

 

The other possibility is that you are using another configuration (non-TrueSolid turbo) and the input STL file is found to be non-water tight (lots of threads about this). In this case, we detect it and run it through the above configuration behind the scenes to create a stock that won't cause other problems (like seemingly inexplicable crashes while verifying). This was deemed to be the lesser of two evils.

 

We have been working with the vendor we use for verification modeling on this problem for a while. Any time you run into a problem with an STL file, we request that you send us a copy of the STL file to:

 

[email protected]

[garyg]

Brendan. Thanks. I am running v9.1 but don't have the solids option.

 

Don. I'm emailing the stl file. So are you saying, without the Solids option, I won't be able to see a representation of a tubing form in verify? Yes I'm using the TrueSolid setting. Tried it checked and unchecked and doesn't seem to make a difference.

 

Not sure I understand all the mechanics going on here but thanks guys.

[mcpgmr]

Do you have another cad pakage that you can use to create the solid and export as .stl ? This is how I do it.

[CAM-mando]

You can create a surface model and use converters> stl to output an stl file. You can also just read the .mc9 fie into verify and it will do the .stl conversion at that point.

 

It is much easier to create a tube using solids, but it can be done using create / surfaces / primitives / cylinder, then trimming the end face surfaces to the ID circles and creating an ID surface.

 

Dont waste your time though because you will still get a loaf of bread due to the "Not Watertight" bug.

 

On the bright side, by next year you will hopefully be able to talk smack to your buddy when you are all "X'ed" out.

[tryon]

could you just make a dummy operation to drill the id out of the cylinder. and just turn posting off on it?

[garyg]

quote:

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could you just make a dummy operation to drill the id out of the cylinder. and just turn posting off on it?

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tryon that's a good idea. Thanks. I'll try. Not sure if I'm savvy enough to do this since its a 4th axis part and I'll have to rotate the stock vertically to do it.

Easy for some of you. Difficult for me.

[Brendan P]

This is a good idea,and i do this too sometimes.

It's like cheating,but who cares?

Gotta do what ya gotta do.

 

BTW,i created you your tube.

It is on ftp in the mc9 files folder called: tube.mc9

 

Now don't tell me you cant get on the ftp!!!