.STL File

[Bob Zajeski]

My .STL file had stair stepping on a freeform surface. There was also a rectangular hole in an adjoining surface. I also have trouble outputting a good .STL file...it has to be fixed. The parts check valid. Running 4.5 with hpux 10.2. Is there a patch or

[Ken Johnson]

The first thing I would do would be to do a part check with minimal off. You could also do a system level part check by typing in the following command at the prompt: (set_body_check_message_level :system) Then run a minimal off check. To set back to normal (set_body_check_message_level :user). I would then turn the facet resolution up to 128(max) This will create more triangles and that should remove some of the stepping. I have NEVER had a problem outputing an .stl file from SD. If there is something wrong it is usually with the part.

[Bob Zajeski]

I ran Part Check with min off and it checked valid. I ended up outputting and IGES files and used Brock Rooney converter. Increasing the facet resolution to 128.....doesn't this create a huge .STL file??? I had one instance where the stl file was generated at the default facet resolution but when I increased the resolution to 2, I got a core dump. Do you run a verify and fix on your STL files???

[Claus Brod]

Bob, did the original model look OK, i.e. did it have any graphical artefacts before you tried to export it? What does the body checker say about the model?

[Bob Zajeski]

I'm running 5.1 now and still have to Fix the stl files. Is there a optimum facet refinement? I usually set it to 2 and run the stl output....if the Approx Max Deviations is under .001, I continue and output the file.

[berney coleman]

With SD 5.1 you can increase facet res up to 10000x! SD 4.5 was 512 though HELP said it was 128. This does increase STL file size. You don't have to increase the entire part. You can increase resolution on just the face in question.

[Kurt Botsai]

If you turn off the shaded and turn on the wireframe, this will give you a better idea of the results you can expect. (the tighter the mesh the better the resolution) So, single problem faces can be refined.