STL files and verify mod

[David Colin]

hello all,

 

I come here as i wonder if some others are having same problems. My reseller even don't answer my mail anymore... I'm using V9.1 SP2 (lathe/mill) and have some troubles to use STL (or MC9/IGES/and others...) files made from surface/solid entities with verification mod. As i open them in verify i often get a message box that saying (translation from french version): "STL file doesn't represent a closed solid, approximation will be generated". You can imagine generated solid is never good. Strangely, if i'm creating the .STL file by saving it from verify it works pretty fine. However, if i transform these files from MCam .STL interface (rotation/translation) they sometimes (often) don't work anymore with verify... At start, i thought my surfaces/solid was corrupted but i tried to import my .STL files in other softwares (solidworks 2004) and they worked perfectly.

I'm not a maintenance customer yet (still have to convince my boss...) but would appreciate to know if this issue is known/logged and perhaps corrected?

 

Is there another way to make my files working correctly with verify ?

[maestro]

I feel your pain. I to like to work with stl files in verify and the transform thing bugs me to. Sometimes you can transform them and it works, sometimes I get the error messge that it's not watertight and will use an approximation. Have't gotten a good answer to my problem. Anyone else hve this problem?

[Tim Johnson]

I too get the not watertight error. I have tried to verify with total fixture setups. but it's hard to machine inside a casting cavity when verify puts a lid on the part.

[Jayson Kramer]

I usally set the tolarence to .002 this seems to help in 75% of the time.

Other wise I do not really have an answer as I do go thru this some times to.

[cadist]

Water tight error's can be prevented by converting a solid body (not a sheet body)

to stl and it should not have any undercut area.

[jack l]

Cadist I think the best way to prevent this problem is to avoid sing the feature because it simply does not work. Most of STL files I save from verification and transform for the next operation are screwed up. I am very new to Mastercam but I do believe this is one of the features of the software that was created for marketing department and does not work in real world. I wish somebody could prove me wrong on this one.

Just another opinion.

[jack l]

Cadist I think the best way to prevent this problem is to avoid using the feature because it simply does not work. Most of STL files I save from verification and transform for the next operation as a stock are screwed up. I am very new to Mastercam but I do believe this is one of the features of the software that was created for marketing department and does not work in real world. I wish somebody could prove me wrong on this one.

Just another opinion.

[Rekd™]

I use it all the time and rarely have problems. I use WCS to create my operations, and for each view I save an stl from verify, then I can use that to verify the next view. I think I've had errors 1 or 2 times out of the hundreds of times I use it.

 

Chalk one up to operator error.

 

'Rekd

[cadist]

Ok Ok jack no need to repeat it twice but I still don't agree with your suggestion I am not having such problems I think You should check your configurations

[jack l]

"Operator error" LOL

I spent a lot of time trying to figure it out with the reseller. It works great when you work with "boxes" ( simple geometry ). Whenever shapes are complicated with undercuts and different angles it does not work at all. Maybe we using different version of software Reckd.

Regards Jack

[Rekd™]

Um, I do some pretty complex stuff, and am only on level 1 without solids. (for now) The pictures below for example, 6 operations in 2 holds on a 4axis VMC with Gerardi Tombstone.

 

Note that the white areas of the part are the STL file saved from previous view's verify, and the colored sections are current operations. Note all the undercuts, side holes etc etc.

 

'Rekd

[jack l]

Rekd - I am a newbie and that is possible that I do not know how to use software. My reseller is a very experienced and he can not do it as well (and I have to say he spent a lot of time and tried hard). Your part is a "box" exactly what I had in mind. I am not that lucky. Most of my parts do not look like yours.

Cadist - I would really like to get some help on this one. What do I change in my configuration file to affect output of STL file from verification ?

I am sorry for double post, )).

[jack l]

And by the way Reckd, by saying a "box" I am not saying that your part is not complex. This is a great looking part. It is a 2D part created from rectangular stock and for that reason I call it a "box". Maybe the answer is in verification of surfacing toolpaths I do not know.

I just wanted to let the poster who started this thread that he is not alone. My STLs from verification do not work same as his.

Peace

 

Jack

[David Colin]

Yes, "box" stock works pretty well and if you save .stl from verify mod it works pretty fine too (that's what i previously said). If you're using WCS for other operations it still works fine. However, if you transform this .stl file (rotation/translation), sometimes it is working pefectly, sometimes not.

 

Major problem occurs as you create .stl file from solid drawn or want directly to load a .mc9 (or IGES...) file into verify mod (yes, you can) including surfaces/solids. Useful to verify special stock and/or fixtures. There, it rarely works even with simple geometry.

[cadist]

Jack l yesterday it was too late for me to reply.

We are cutting turbine parts and complex moulds on a 3 axis machine. Multisettings are very regular. So I need to be very carefull in programming and verification. After MasterCAM we got "another Big" software but even that is not so good for multisetting verifications

 

xform of stl write file are very perfect and easy. I do except that it does not show proper model but at verification it looks perfec.

 

While making the stl file out of toolpath in verification setting keep the quality at highest level. And keep tool off. ofcourse you have to select true solid. well these settings I keep on my office and it works perfectly fine.

try them

[Fig sign]

quote:

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I'm using V9.1 SP2 (lathe/mill) and have some troubles to use STL (or MC9/IGES/and others...) files made from surface/solid entities with verification mod.

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You can use only STL for verification

 

Tighten your tolerance to get rid of this notwatertightend stl

If you had no luck ....Tighten them more !!!

 

quote:

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Cadist I think the best way to prevent this problem is to avoid sing the feature because it simply does not work

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It works good for me and my models are not the boxes ,but complex 3d shapes .

 

quote:

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Major problem occurs as you create .stl file from solid drawn or want directly to load a .mc9 (or IGES...) file into verify mod (

yes, you can

) including surfaces/solids. Useful to verify special stock and/or fixtures. There, it rarely works even with simple geometry.

---

How ?!?!?

[David Colin]

How ?!?!?

 

Load your file with commandbutton in verify mod just as you do with .stl. You probably noticed filter selection in "open file" form ask you to choose a .STL file only but in fact you can choose any .MC9 or .IGS. Give it a try !

[Jimmy Wakeford from Barefoot CNC]

Hey JackL

 

How are things going? Dont forget you owe me a beer at imts.(wahoo! thats makes 'nough free beer to cover trip up. )

 

David

 

When brining stl's in from other packages, or even outputting from mc then back in it sometimes has tolerance issues as Jay eluded to earlier.

 

I use rhno to model/convert with sometimes and will test stl waters by outputting as a parasolid first to see if it is a solid or sheet solid. Even on 2d parts out of acad I have to sometimes set my chain tolerance to .005 in order to get the model to work. When I used pro/e I was about to go nuts until I "aligned" the tolerances in the two softwares.

 

I'm thinking thats what it is. If the outputting package is set to .001 and MC set to .000001 then MC sees gaps that dont exist at lower tolerances. Thats why Jay's setting of .002 gets him through.

In Rekd's case...Rekd is prolly using scientific notation or binary numbers as he creates his geo to double prescion dimensions that no cad package in the world can dispute.

 

Rekd teh I think its off 1.11111111 -08e

[jack l]

Hi Jimmy, Hello everyone!

 

Jimmy as you can see I am still complaining, )).

Although I have to say I've got pretty good posts for my controls.

Now serious business of STL, s. I am going nuts or we are talking about different software, level. To make it clear again:

1. I create solid and convert to STL file to use as a stock in operation. No problem here. Works fine.

2. I create program and verify it using solid tool, highest quality and true solid. I save the outcome as a STL file.

3. I try to use this file as a stock for the next operation. To do that I do have to Xform the file. As soon as I do that my STL is useless. I just check 12 instances and positive result only 3 times.

- I am not bringing STL files from another software

- I have no clue how to tighten tolerance on STL file created from verification window

 

*** I would really appreciate any help on the subject because by now I fell dumb

 

Thank you,

Jack

[David Colin]

quote:

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I would really appreciate any help on the subject because by now I fell dumb

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If Xform doesn't work (it happens it works correctly:) ), you still can use WCS...

[Fig sign]

David !

 

I knew about this thing but it is trick ,this is not a Mastercam stated feature ,you can not complain .

As an advice you better use parasolid *.X_T file ,bigger chances of success !

 

C U

[jack l]

Tell me about feeling dumb, sorry but my polish-english does not want to work this morning.

 

David I am not there yet. I am a newbie and I am not comfy with WCS yet.

 

Jack

[jack l]

Tell me about feeling dumb, sorry but my polish-english does not want to work this morning.

 

David I am not there yet. I am a newbie and I am not comfy with WCS yet.

 

Jack

[Fig sign]

You can speak Polish here !

[David Colin]

quote:

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I knew about this thing but it is trick ,this is not a Mastercam stated feature ,you can not complain .

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Of course, it is. I read this in Mastercam help file. Anyway, i'm not complain about that and I'm ok to import .stl files only...

 

quote:

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As an advice you better use parasolid *.X_T file ,bigger chances of success !

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I don't think the problem is STL files themselves. They're not corrupted as I can open them correctly with a lot of other softwares. But in Mastercam verify mod...