STL

[Anonymous]

I just sent two STL files out for 3D printing to two different companies.  The original drawings were in mm.  Both parts came back 2.54 too large.  What I had as mm, the STL had as inches.   When I set up the STL files I did not change the units.  They are mm in the ipt document settings.    There is a <uinits> option on the :STL File Save as" page.  I am confused.  Is this the units of the original drawing or the exported file.  WHy arent these defaulted to the same? 

[JDMather]

When you save you need to click Options and set the units. 
Autodesk broke this - I think in r2011.

[Anonymous]

I tried this and it appears (according to the vendor) to still be in inches and the part 2.54 times too large.

[JDMather]

Attach original file and stl file here.

[Anonymous]

Try this. Open new part, as inches.

Create a 10in x 10in x 10in cube. Save as IPT. Export as STL, units are inches.

Now simply open STL in inventor.

Cube is no longer 10" x 10" x 10".

If you export in inches, its 1.55"  ** this is NOT RIGHT !

If you export in cm, its 3.937"

If you export in mm, its 39.37"

I don't have a 3rd party viewer, so I don't know if the export is bad or the import. In any case, my rapid prototyping house is always having to scale my parts. Sometimes I get parts that are 2.54 times too big, sometimes just right.

Inventor 2013 64 bit SP1.1

[JDMather]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I don't have a 3rd party viewer, so I don't know if the export is bad or the import.

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We have 5 different RP machines on-site.
1. We have to set correct units in Inventor on Export of STL.
2. We have to set correct units in our RP machine software on opening the file.  (I think our RP machine software import default to inches as set-up, but again, never really paid attention as it is pretty obvious if the units are incorrect and I simply change them.)

Of course I have the advantage of working in-house and know what I am expecting for the print size.

[Anonymous]

I downloaded SolidView, paid $99.

I confirmed the Inventor exports are correctly scaled.

When inventor imports the STL, the scaling is OFF. This is a bug.

[JDMather]

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@Anonymous wrote:

When inventor imports the STL, the scaling is OFF. This is a bug.

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I just ran a test in both inch and metric files and confirm that Inventor imports both as wrong size.

Looks like a bug to me.

[KevinLi-Autodesk]

I can reproduce it in my side, actually this is a known issue and had been tracked in the defect database, and development team has noticed this problem also, fix will be included in the future.

Sorry for the inconvenience !

Regards,

Kevin Li

Quality Assurance Team

Autodesk, Inc. 

[Anonymous]

You can download repetier Host for free and then You can see Your STL FILES and every square is 1 cm then  you can estimate if its ok

I draw in solidworks and it **** right every time i Print in 3d

[Mark_Wigan]

may i ask when was this first recorded as a known issue?