Editing stl files ?

[Martink1974]

Only just realised you can't edit stl files in 123d design . And it's doing my tree in , it seems you could in older version but they have updated it

It's shame cos it's a easy to use little prog

Anybody have beta 9 installer still ?

Or failing that what props do you use to edit preexisting stl files from such as thing inverse

..?

[bigMouse]

STL is Diabolical file format and now we are stuck with it! I haven't found a reliable way to do it!
Would suggest redrawing it!

meshLab may convert simple meshes but anything large like over 20,000 facets then it start needing a huge amount of memory! Even if it succedes you likely to end up with a lot of repairs to do, empty faces etc!

Some say freeCad will convert to a solid but never tried it! inStep is supposed to be able to do it too but thats not free so a gamble whether its suitable or not!

[Martink1974]

I have been trying the freecad route but was unsuccessful at moment seem to be getting lots of python errors on my machine , but maybe cos of all python that has gone on since install , must be a reliable way I will research meshlab also

[MrBen]

you can import a STL into sketchup but you have to install a plugin

[bigMouse]

The problem is that even if you succeed in converting it into a solid, it probably won't be editable unless you can convert it to a part file (or what ever your soft recognises as a work file)

Always interested in any results though!

[Martink1974]

will keep updating thread instep seems ok start looking for licensed version 123d is pretty easy drawing most things but a cooling duct came up on thingiverse today and I wanted to edit it . then realised something I thought was gunna take 10 mins took hours , ended up turning it into millions of triangles with python scrypts and getting very annoyed lol , it was then editable but took hours

[bigMouse]

I tried to recover one of my own stl files, simple end plug for square tubing, inStep did recover it but had reinstate the coordinates, and did it in all the wrong places! Although it was finally editable it was a complete mess (and a large file size) for what it was, it also had to errors, god know how many errors would exist after converting a large complicated file!

Every curve, even simple blind holes are made from a kind of point cloud, derived from the triangles, pointless editing the hole for instance, easier to just replace it! Really don't think its a viable proposition to reverse engineer stl files, they contain no geometry coordinates, no recognition of real holes etc, just a mass of thousands of triangles to represent a shape!

[Martink1974]

After much messing bm I would have to agree, these programs can't make something without all the information included in the file, it's like de compiling software it will never be as readable as the orig source

They should have picked a better format in the beginning

Still recreating things gets easier in time as you learn new tricks of various software

[Martink1974]

thought id update this thread as found a very successful way and that is to use sketchup and a plugin called cleanup by thomthom

https://extensions.sketchup.com/en/content/cleanup%C2%B3

its free aswell

realy worth trying out at times it fixes model perfect

example

[bigMouse]

There is a good reason for being able to edit stl files, My main reason would be to add better support, like feet to an object, as many of the stl files you can download rely on too little table contact, and its a pita when it dislodges half way through the print!

bearing in mind the general lousey results from most stl convert programs, I did some messing around! The best I've managed so far is to find a program to load the stl file and save as a 3d dfx file, then open it in your favourite 3d software, it should be directly editable!

A program that will reportedly directly edit stl files is 'Materialise Magics' but a quick look at their site suggests that they don't like to share their soft, and don't give any indication of price, so with a company like that I have no intention  to humbly request a (probably) crippled download trial.

[bigMouse]

Well that didn't last long! The first reasonably complicated stl file and the conversion failed miserably! Think the only reall option is to find some soft that will edit stl files directly, ie no conversions!

[Martink1974]

did it fail at import into sketchup or clean in clean3

[bigMouse]

I was trying different programs!

When the stl object was some kind of uniform shape (like yours, ie various mechanical shapes with holes etc) it worked fine and found the best method of conversion for me was to 3d DXF, could be a different format for some one else depending on what 3d program they use.

Then I tried a more (think they call it 'geological') shape, a robots boot, so no well defined sides etc and couldn't convert it to any usable file format.

What I want to do now I think, is to directly edit an stl file to increase the support where there is little.  If I can't find a way to do that I will probably get simplify3D and practice on adding advanced supports

[Martink1974]

Simplify 3d does look ok but it would have to be for the money , can't see any support for smoothieware fw , and the smoothie board reprap 32bit controller I've mailed up to see where they are with that but it says it supports my k8400 and that's not been out long so I'm sure there quick to adopt new printers

I've found that adding small blocks under large pieces and using line support on Cura works realy well to stop warping of abs buck better than raft and with abs the support just breaks off realy easily

Seems to break up trnsion on object and it does not want to curl the same