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Make STL files machinable directly

Make STL files machinable directly

There is a HUGE library of files on the website thingiverse.com

All the files are downloaded as an .STL file.

PLEASE make it easier to import or just open natively these .stl files for editing and modifying.

 

I believe there is a  large potential market you are missing by not being able to open these .stl files.

 

thank you so much for listening

dwight

3 Comments
Anonymous
Not applicable

I believe this feature already exists more or less: 

Currently you have to import an stl model, the model will be uploaded to your cloud. You can then move over and directly use the cam work-flow, although your options for machining are limited because there are no edges or faces to select to define cut paths, that however doesn't stop you using the 3D operations. 

 

At this point fusion 360 has added a mesh workspace, it's not complete yet (as far as I know) and I have not used it to any extent yet, but it may offer the features you're looking for. This update note provides a good overview on mesh editing features. If that's still not doing what you want I've written a short note on how I've handled this problem when I run into a mesh model (stl) that I don't want to re-create manually. Although I should note that I only 3D print meshes, I don't cut them on a CNC machine because the geometric tolerances aren't usually fine enough on the exported mesh.  

 

Because .stl files are mesh files and not geometry driven you will can convert the file to either brep or tslpines for editing, brep conversion is under the model workspace > modify > mesh > mesh to brep. T-splines is under the sculpt workspace > utilities > convert, and select quad mesh to t-splines. Note that the t-spline model will fail if the object is not predominantly quad (four sides) mesh features, most STL files will be comprised of triangular mesh faces.

 

if you convert to brep the model can then be edited using direct modeling (See this video from autodesk).

 

Because the object is mostly triangles it'll be some work to modify more complex geometries, I've included a simple example of extending a face in two pictures below. 

Screen Shot 2017-07-26 at 07.26.11.pngScreen Shot 2017-07-26 at 07.26.51.png

 

 

Brady_Fulton
Advocate

Yes, I use stl files I've downloaded and created in other software (3d scanning app) all the time. You can take it directly into the CAM workspace to machine it as is. Another useful tip on from a video Fusion 360 posted on youtube recently was facegroups. It makes working with the mesh file much easier when making edits.

Anonymous
Not applicable

"You can take it directly into the CAM workspace to machine it as is." 

 

Once you have opened the stl file in CAM what do I do to get a CNC g-code?

I am trying to produce CNC g-code for a CNC Router Dust Shoe from Thiniverse.

I've opened the file and hilighted the bit that I want to use in the Tool Library but there doesn't seem to be anywhere to select that tool after hilighting, just an X to close the dialog box. Presumably it has selected that tool but what do I do after that to produce a tool path and g-code?

 

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