Makerbot and Revit 15

[dylanyoungmandolin]

Hello,

I apologize if this has been previously discussed but i was wondering where i might find some info regarding converting Revit files to stl. or obj. and how the 3D printing is generally working out, we're considering the Makerbot Replicator (5th Generation) but would like to see or hear from others how its going, thank you very much.

Dallas

[loboarch]

I have used Revit to make models to print out on a Makerbot. The workflow I use is to export from Revit via ACIS and then use Inventor to import the ACIS and export from Inventor to STL file for printing. The things i have donw this with have worked out typically. Mind you I am not printing the most "architectural" type of items. This may get a bit dicy when you export revit istems and attempt to print them at a small scale. it is possible you can quickly get below the threshhold of what the Makerbot is capable of printing.

There is an add on for Revit to create STL files but I am not sure if it has been updated for 2015.

[dylanyoungmandolin]

Thanks Lobo,

Yeah we're not looking to produce detailed items, some site work with some low level detail. Since we dont have Inventor, i'll look into the add-on, is that available on the Autodesk website?

[loboarch · Accepted solution]

You can get it at the Autodesk Exchange App store.

http://apps.exchange.autodesk.com/RVT/en/Detail/Index?id=appstore.exchange.autodesk.com%3astlexporte...

A few people have used this here in the office and it has worked out fine. With the warning about "small" items getting too small for the Makerbot. The Makerbot software does not having anything to detect things that are too small or too thin to print correctly. You also sometimes have to do some creative modeling to get something to be able to print without too much support material. This can make getting a clean model out difficult if you have a lot of support needed.

[dylanyoungmandolin]

Thanks Lobo, is that a current app store?, i ask only because a while ago i had asked an Autodesk Customer Care Rep about it and she had no idea what i was talking about, but thanks, i'll give it whirl

[loboarch]

Yes it is in the current app store. Just not sure if the exporter is updated to work with 2015.

[dylanyoungmandolin]

Ok, thanks Lobo, i appreciate it

[rdc9306]

I have been trying to get my Makerbot Replicator 5th Generation to print from Revit for about a year.  Before that, I was trying to get Revit to print to the Replicator 2 as well as a RepRap that I built.  I have used Cura, Slicer, and several other slicing software.  I finally succeeded in getting the foundation to print smoothly with the Makerbot 5th Gen.  However, on all the printers the walls are poor quality.  If printed at a small scale, with thin walls, the model prints O.K.  If the walls are thickened, then they become "wavy" or "rippled" as one person put it.  I have sent the gcode file through a viewer at gcode.ws.  This is a free viewer to see the tool path movements.  Herein, lies the problem.  If you scroll on the slicer height, then you can see the wavy tool path movement within the walls.  Also, the walls are 3 individual lines suggesting that they are solid.  I tried using MeshMixer to hollow out the model, but got no results.  I even tried making it solid in Meshmixer, but still got "ripples" in the walls.  I have also tried Netfabb and Cadspan, which is the best for STL repair.  In order to confirm the STL file was good, there is a viewer called "minimagics" by Materialize that you can verify the mode.  I am exhausted at this point and have no direction to go now.  I wish Autodesk would get involved.  The guys at Makerbot are good and helpful, but aren't familiar with Autodesk products.  Any suggestions???

Anyone feel free to contact me if you wish to discuss this issue.

Robert Cummings

(713) 550-7331(713) 550-7331

rc@cummingsdevelopment.com