it always comes back to the programmer

[Dan@clover]

I really should have stayed home today, I’m machining a form made of hardened A2 which cracked in the press and was welded back together. I only have to blend the welded area back to the original surfaces (not complex, we do it a lot here.) This is where my problem lies; the surface for this form is a .stl file which was made to fit another block of A2. The .stl file was put into position in another program (polyworks I believe), then exported as a .stl for me to machine. I machined that block, since then it has gone for heat treat and polishing. So this block is only a temp.

 

My problem is how do I locate this block with the .stl file? Center of block does match with the .stl file, nor do I have data were the edges are in the file.

 

Any suggestions how I could pick this up?

 

Dan

Dazed and Confused

[3R!< W3NG3R]

Not sure, but would create bounding box help?

[Jim at Gentex]

quote:

---

So this block is only a temp.

---

I hate it when that happens.

 

The first thing I thought of was the same as Eric, using a bounding box. Other than that, if there are no holes, slots, or other features to align, you may be out of luck.

[gcode]

Draw some points in the original file

to help orient the file..

Then draw points defining the new position..

Then use Xform/STL to move the STL to its new location..using the before and after points

to control the xform

I always make a backup file before doing something like this.. cause I'll probably screw it up a couple of times before I get it right.

[Steve Z]

I would use a combinaton of different things stated above. Using MCX4:

 

#1-try creating some points/lines from your original geometry/file.

 

**save**(even to new name like above stated)

 

then go to...

 

File> File merge/pattern.

 

you then can use your points to move and align the parts.

 

I hope this helps. Goodluck SZ

[Dan@clover]

gcode, the designer wiped out all the orginal files (dumb a$$). I have no holes, points anything to use.

 

I thought about a boundary box, but the .stl file has the surfaces extend over the egdes and i don't know how much they were extended and if they were extended equally.

[gcode]

quote:

---

the designer wiped out all the orginal files (dumb a$$). I have no holes, points anything to use

---

Are you saying your orignial Mastercam file is gone and the original STL file as well??

To xform your stl, all you need is

2 points in 3D space

before and after..

then XFORM/STL, select the stl file

and use translate between points.

[Trevor Bailey]

get the verisurf add-on. it automatically creates a center point for you and makes it very easy to move the stl file.

[Canuk]

Can,t you make a test pass on centers,then bump it in by offset and rotation

[ajmer]

What about using the stlheal chook, it now allows

you to create wireframe on an STL file