STL Model

[Mikey]

Is there anyway in Mastercam that a person can take a STL model

and convert it into a solid and or surface model. If not, does

anyone know of any reasonably priced software packages

that will accomplish this?

 

Thanx!

Mike

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

I don't know of any way that is not painstakingly laborious in Mastercam. Are you just wanting to get a look at it? If so, you can go into Verify, configuration(the button on the far left), on stock, pick file then there is a folder to go pick your stl file, pick it, click OK, and OK down at the bottom. Then it'll take a few seconds to read in depending on complexity, speed of your computer, etc....

 

You do know that you can machine STL files right?

 

As for software that creates surfaces from STL's, I don't know of any off-hand. You may be able to create points end points then convert the point cloud into surfaces using other software packages.

 

[ 03-17-2002, 01:27 PM: Message edited by: James Meyette ]

[Mikey]

James,

 

Here's a breakdown on what I am trying to accomplish. I work in a shop that makes

foam injection molds for the automotive industry. Our customers send us a surface model

of what they need the part to look like when it comes out of our mold. From there, we

start to design and build the mold from that surface model. Anyway.....

 

What I need to do is basically offset the surface geometry to give the the suface model

wall thickness. I need to be able to do this very quickly! I have tryed to turn the surface

model into a sheet solid and then try to thicken the sheet solid, but I have had no such luck.

 

Another idea I had was to machine the backside of the surface model using parallel finish,

and leave an amount of stock that is equal to the wall thickness that I need. Run that

toolpath thru verify, and then save that off as a STL model. Now if only I could convert

that STL model into surfaces I would have the majority of the backside of the cavity

modeled and ready for modifications before I start to machine it.

 

If you or anyone else has any other ideas on how to accomplish this, I would be

greatly appreciated if you could help me out!

 

Thanx!

Mike

[Mikey]

I forgot to mention the method I am using now.

 

I machine the backside of the cavity using parallel finish, again leaving stock that is equal to the wall thick I need. I backplot the toolpath, saving the toolpath off as geometry.

So what I end up with is basically a section cut thru the model, but its offset the wall thickness I need. Finally, I do a lofted surface thru those offset sections. This method can sometimes take days to complete depending on the compexity of the surface model. Some of them can be very complex!!

 

Again thanx for the help!!

Mike

[Verisurf - Ernie Husted]

Mike,

 

If you have a surface model in the first place, why don't you offset the surface model?

 

Ernie

[BernieT]

quote:

---

What I need to do is basically offset the surface geometry to give the the suface model

wall thickness.

---

Can you not use 'create-surface-offset' ?? Check direction of the surface normal, it has to be in the direction of your offset.

 

BerTau

[Mick]

The STL to Surface problem has been around for a long time. One application that does do it, is Solidview Pro from SolidConcepts. The trouble is, it takes every little STL triangle, and creates a patch in place of the triangle. What you end up with is a model with thousands of little triangles, so the free form surfaces are all faceted. The bottom line is, that it sucks

I spent several months looking at options of doing what you want, at th elast company I worked for. In the end I gave up (Maybe thats why I dotn work there anymore...hehehehe)

[d0gFartz]

Geomagic Studio 4

[Kenneth Potter]

Hey Dog fartz whats the price for this Geomagic Studio ????

 

http://www.geomagic.com/products/

[cadcam]

Mick when was the last time you talked to solid concepts about this?

I know they have made more updates but never asked about that.

 

I used to be a mold maker there.

And some time I do Buss with them.

If I find out any good news I will post.

 

They are up the street from my office.

[d0gFartz]

quote:

---

Hey Dog fartz whats the price for this Geomagic Studio ????

---

Like 20g`s...theres another program out,called revsurf.........from what i was told its just version 1 geomagic,very limited

 

[ 03-18-2002, 12:13 PM: Message edited by: d0gFartz ]

[medsourcebob]

This would help our company greatly.

We generate operation sheets for

every operation on a part. It would

be great if i could take the resulting

after verify geometry and import it into

cadkey as a solid model do a layout and

dimension it. it would be a perfect representation

of the part as machined. I think alot of companies

could benefit from this. Not just us,

Thats my 2 cents worth.

Bob

[Mikey]

BerTau,

 

That method works good on some parts that dont have many

surfaces. But the majority of models I work with are very large

and contain hundreds of surfaces. I would have to spend

alot time trimming and blending surfaces together.

 

Mike

[BernieT]

I see your problem, Mikey. Let's try another tack.

quote:

---

Finally, I do a lofted surface thru those offset sections

---

If this lofted surface works, maybe you can try rebuilding the original surface model by projecting a series of parallel lines onto the multiple surfaces, than make a single lofted surface that can be offset? Just another thought. Let us know what you think.

 

Are you able to post a representative surface (not STL) file on the FTP site?

 

BerTau

[Phil Orenstein]

Mickey,

 

Creating a lofted surface from a parralel finishing toolpath backplotted and saved as geometry?!? Wow, it seems as if you're trying to bail out the ocean with a thimble! When I was designing molds, I was presented with similar problems. I would get a solid part or finished part surface and had to design the core and cavity or a Vacuum forming tool from it. Sounds like you're gig is something like making a vac form tool. If you cant offset the surface to the desired wall thickness a more reasonable and direct approach than turning the STL into surfaces is to try to create a solid from your original surface and then shell it out to the desired wall thickness and then toolpath it. If it's possible to enclose the original surface into a "mold base" or block to create a "watertight" boundary, then you can stitch it into a solid in V9 or in many other CAD systems. Once you have a solid, it's easier to shell and manipulate to your final size.

 

Hope this gives you some food for though

 

Phil