It's been about a month since @Susquatch pulled the plug and ordered a printer. I'm wondering if he's going to post a photo of his shop now that he's started 3D printing. Something like this maybe?
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3D Printer Happened
- Thread starter Susquatch
- Start date
Nope, no shots like that or even close.
I downloaded the collet holder I printed into Fusion 360. It came through looking like this.
Doesn't look like anything I've ever seen before. What the heck am I looking it at?
That's what an stl file looks like.
Doggggboy
Ultra Member
In an STL file, everything is a triangle.
Doggggboy
Ultra Member
In the slicer you can increase X,Y and Z by whatever you want, either individually or as a group.
I have not done much editing within the slicer app itself, but I think you are somewhat limited to scaling or stretching in different dimensions, maybe mirroring. Others may have more experience here.
What you are asking is the classic question that comes up. Editing STL inside a CAD app is possible but depending on complexity its typically more of a headache than modeling it from scratch to get exactly what you want. The reason is you are dealing with a surface model & STL is considered a clunky CAD format because its mesh facets & depending on how it was exported, maybe even 'rough resolution' mesh facets. STL is a convenient export format for 3DP but its not a common interchange format between CAD apps unless we are talking kind of non-mechanical things with less constrained geometry & dimensions. Surface modeling is kind of a seperate module or way of generating objects inside CAD. In many respects its more complex than solid modelling although some parts may well require some of each in a part. Now if you had a STEP file, that is more of a CAD friendly export file & you stand a better chance of importing into your modeler of choice, editing/modifying.
Sadly so few people use Alibre but I'll always provide the actual drawing file (AD_PRT) if someone wants it. Certainly a STEP file otherwise.
If what you have is an .STL then in Fusion, @Susquatch and ALL - there is another tab in the tool bar for "MESH". Here you can find tools manipulate .STL . I have not explored this much - having the CAD file and importing that if you want to change is far simpler as Gerrit outlined. One key thing I will point out is the convert from mesh to body option which makes the object easier to manipulate back in the "SOLID" tab.
Upload STL to fusion here in the MESH menu
Convert Mesh to Parametric object. It's still not easy to manipulate - like this many triangled bracelet stl below - challenging to change it beyond simple ops like scaling or cutting into pieces. Easier and quicker to redraw it parametrically.
Upload STL to fusion here in the MESH menu
Convert Mesh to Parametric object. It's still not easy to manipulate - like this many triangled bracelet stl below - challenging to change it beyond simple ops like scaling or cutting into pieces. Easier and quicker to redraw it parametrically.
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That looks similar but not quite the same to my ER32 model on https://www.printables.com/model/292591-er32-collet-holder-tray
Here I uploaded the .STL file, converted it to a parametric object, and used the rectangle pattern to make 4. It's super slow because the objects are very complicated with thousands of triangles. It would be much better to draw it again, or perhaps ask the designer for a copy of the original CAD file?
I'll try to reach out to him. Maybe he will help.
Thanks, I'll take a look.
I appreciate the offer, but I gotta learn how - which only happens by doing.
Interesting. Do you actively use it yourself? I've read some comments from people who deal with labour intesive 3D scans they 'wish' for AI assistance. Maybe that day is here.
Backflip AI
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despised
New Member
If anyone wanted a tutorial, say for example, implementing a simple design, I'm sure I could walk through the process in real time to speed up the learning process. Depending on the design, its often faster to simple re-do the model from scratch..
To answer another question about backflip.ai, I personally have not used it myself. I do work in software, and use AI on a day to day basis. The fact that they use a foundation model gives me hope that it is good at what it claims. Probably worth throwing $20 at it with a few projects in mind. I would think converting 3d scans to CAD is the ultimate use case for this.
To answer another question about backflip.ai, I personally have not used it myself. I do work in software, and use AI on a day to day basis. The fact that they use a foundation model gives me hope that it is good at what it claims. Probably worth throwing $20 at it with a few projects in mind. I would think converting 3d scans to CAD is the ultimate use case for this.
Doggggboy
Ultra Member
20 a month sounds ok but it is only 2 projects a month if you have a more complicated project @ 50 credits each. 10 simple jobs at 10 credits each sounds better but if you are doing something iterative it could add up quickly. Might be worth the free trial.