Converting mesh surface into solid

[tosostefanots]

Hello everyone!

Here's my problem, I hope someone can help me:

I'm trying to convert a third part .skp (from sketchup) file into a solid in order to edit it for 3D printing. Unfortunately the original file, which is the hull of a ship, is made up of disconnected 0 - thickness surfaces. 

Here's the strategy I'm trying to follow:

1) DONE: Using Sketchup I exported the meshes as a single 0 - thickness .OBJ file. The mesh is like a bowl: it has sides and bottom, but it hasn't any top (the ship deck is missing)

2) DONE: Imported the .obj inside Fusion 360

2) HOW CAN I DO THAT? Edit the mesh to obtain a filled solid, obiously adding a plane corresponding to the ship's deck.

3) PLANNED: export the solid as a .step file, import it into 123d design (which I'm much more used to) and edit it

It could sound stange, but that's the best method I know to exactl convert the triangular .stl structure into an identical .123dx solid, without loosing details in the mesh conversion process. Please keep in mind the mesh is quite complicated, about 15000 triangles. 

Anyone could help me? I would be truly grateful!!! 

[TrippyLighting]

It would be great if you could share the original mesh file.

If I remember correctly Sketch exports triangulated mesh files. In the past I've cleaned that up in Blender (ALT-J tris to Quads), which works great on simple architectural models and not so nice on curved stuff. It might require a bit of manual work.

Then from Blender the quantified mesh can be exported as a .obj mesh.

That you can import into Fusion 360 and convert into a T-spline, which will be perfectly soothe d is editable, either with the T-Spline tools, or when converted into a surface body or solid body with the tools in the Patch and Model workspaces.

[tosostefanots]

Thanks for replying!

I will share the mesh file and the original one from sketchup as soon as i get back home this evening.

Consider I'm new to 3D modeling, so it would be very kind if you can explain me how to do step by step, or eventually redirect me to a discussion where I can learn how to do. 

I've never used Blender... 

Additionally, yesterday night working on the model I noticed that 2d surfaces seems to be separated somehow, maybe by a microscopic gap... I'm not sure of that, I assumed it because the MERGE MESH command in the mesh workspace cannot merge them all, but only a little group of them. Checking the file I will upload later will help, I think. 

Thanks again for the help!

[cekuhnen]

@tosostefanots

I work like @TrippyLighting a lot with Blender as well - also with SketchUp and such

and I have some concerns about the process you mentioned.

You cannot add a mesh in Fusion to cap the top part of the hull.

That is a task better be done right in SketchUp or in Blender.

Also with models that have so many faces Fusion will get a hit when converting Mesh2BREP !

In that case it makes more sense to rebuild that part from scratch.

I would import the mesh object

Create section sketches (cross sections through the mesh body)

Use those sections as a helper to make new and clean sketches

Using the new sketches to make a new body

 

I know that you are new to Fusion - I would actually let go of 123D Design and learn Fusion. It is a dramatically better tool.

And you will enjoy the modeling abilities there a lot. Of course this will take time.

But thats why people here on the forum will help you!

[HughesTooling]

I made the screencast below to show someone else how to use the mesh section tool. Unfortunately the screencast tool make it look a lot more difficult because while it's running Fusion keeps losing focus. I wanted to go through the whole process but it got too frustrating battling with the screencast problem but there should be enough there to give you an idea how it works.

Mark