STL files

[Badboys]

Can someone advise me on how to convert an STL file to a surface or a solid

[gcode]

Spaceclaim can do it to simple files, but if you're talking about converting an STL from Verify into a solid

it's not happening

[Watcher]

You can also use Autodesk Inventor and download the "mesh enabler" plugin to do it. Works well for simple solids as g code mentioned.

[Müřlıń®]

What do you want to do that for?

[Badboys]

Hi Guys,

We need to dimension a part and machine it in MasterCAM from the STL file but can’t do it without a solid or surfaces to create the toolpath from; I know you can do some toolpaths from the polygonal mesh but not any 2D toolpaths.

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[Colin Gilchrist]

How complex is the part? If it isn't too detailed, I've use the "File Merge" or the "File Open" function to bring in the STL as "Lines". That can create a huge amount of data if your STL is complex, but if is isn't, then you have actual lines to work with. It is pretty simple to create points at the endpoints of some of the lines, and then to construct your lines and arcs from these points. It is time consuming for sure, but it works when you are in a bind.

[#Rekd™]

This is how they do it in Siemens NX.

 

[Müřlıń®]

If the part is not very complicated you can create a DXF out of the STL and merge the 2.

 

Then you can have points to dimension from and even to create geometry for 2d paths and machine the stl with the mesh programs.

 

OH ya...what Colin said...

[SpacePilotPro]

STL's have to be the crappiest "models" ever. Hate them.

[Guest]

STL's have to be the crappiest "models" ever. Hate them.

 

Considering that they are not models in the typical sense.

 

They are a collection if triangles that sometimes not so closely represent something

[SpacePilotPro]

I used the term models VERY loosely....*L*...I used Edgecam about 5 years ago, and all of the verify was solids based, you could run verify and save the finished "part" as a solid, I have to say it was a hell of a lot better than stupid STL's