Export STL ignoring document settings (i.e. always exports in mm)

[davidPR52T]

Hi All,

Up until last week I had a method for exporting STLs with the units as meters as is required by another bit of visualisation software the company I work at use for our robotics work.

1. Model part in mm (because it's size makes this the most convenient)

2. simplify model where appropriate (turn off nuts/bolts etc. that won't effect collisions in the robotics software but would increase computation time in the robotics software)

3. swap document units from mm to m

4. right click on top level part and select save as stl

5. enjoy an stl exported with the units i desired.

Since the update fusion seems to ignore the document settings and nothing i do will cause the exported STL to be sized in meters. I could go through applying 0.001 multipliers everywhere in the software that i need to update a model but this is a minefield because the majority of existing models are correctly sized and would lead to headaches downstream when i wonder why my model is not visible (so tiny i can't see it).

[jhackney1972]

I believe I used the same process you describe but did not get the issue you mentioned.  Take a look at the Screencast and see if I did anything different that would help you solve your issue.

[davidPR52T]

Here you go, i've tried replicating the method you described. Note that if i export the body rather than the component (to truly replicate your video) i get the same result with the document units being ignored.

Note your screencast shows exactly how my experience used to be with this functionality. And i'm quite frustrated because I have already done a clean install just 2 days ago to fix the sudden disappearance of my nastran solver...

screencast link below:

https://autode.sk/3xfSmq9

and here is a measurement when converted to brep. 1000m long... as if the export was done in mm still despite me setting the units to m.

[HughesTooling]

Is it the export or the import that's wrong? Can you attach the STL file? I just did a test the same as you and the STL created is 1 unit long.

Mark

[davidPR52T]

I believe it is the export.

As a quick example here is the size it appears in my 3d printer slicer (which expects units in mm) which displays the file at the size i would expect if I exported it using mm as the document setting.

I've also attached the file.

For reference I also have the same issue when doing export and then picking stl file (where it does it on the cloud and takes forever).

[HughesTooling]

I can make Fusion create an STL at the wrong size if I first send a mesh to my printer. Fusion automatically scales to mm when sending to a 3d printer, after doing this it messes up any further exports. Closing then restarting Fusion should fix this Bug. @Phil.E  This is a very old bug, is it still logged?

Here's a screencast. Rhino is set to mm so the first export is 1 unit in the STL which is correct. After exporting to Simplify the next export to STL is 1000 units even though nothing is changed from the first export.

Mark

[Phil.E · Accepted solution]

Thanks @HughesTooling I can confirm. The 3D print workflow will break the units handling on export. 

Workaround:

1. Do not use File > 3D print to make local STL files

2. Use Save As STL to make local STL files

The result of this workaround is the STL file will use the document units.

Export (not Save As) STL will always convert to cm because the cloud servers use cm and there's no way currently to specify document units on export. In general, I always recommend avoiding using Export for STL because the workaround is faster and produces more accurate results.

(FUS-81846)

[HughesTooling]

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@Phil.E wrote:

Thanks @HughesTooling I can confirm. The 3D print workflow will break the units handling on export. 

Workaround:

1. Do not use File > 3D print to make local STL files

2. Use Save Copy As to make local STL files

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How does that work? When I try Save Copy As it wants to save to my hub, no option the save a STL.

Mark

[Phil.E]

Sorry @HughesTooling I meant Save As STL. Corrected now.

[davidPR52T]

I've accepted the solution or really the workaround. Please tell me this is on the roadmap to be fixed because it is very annoying!