When I do a "Save As", sometimes there is an option to save as a .stl and other times it is missing. (mostly it is missing)
I'm using the latest eDrawings version 9.4.0.129
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Richard
When I do a "Save As", sometimes there is an option to save as a .stl and other times it is missing. (mostly it is missing)
I'm using the latest eDrawings version 9.4.0.129
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Richard
Thanks Vajrang, that give me something to look at.
I am actually creating a .stl from a bitmap, and using eDrawings to view the result. Because I had some problems with the .stl format, I saved one of these in .stl using eDrawings. Now I cannot seem to repeat that process, even though the created .stl is similar to one that worked.
Do you know how to make .stl file I created appear acceptable to eDrawings?
Thanks,
Richard
An STL file contains triangle (tessellation) data and a bitmap is a raster format - they have nothing in common, so I'm a little confused how you made an STL file from a bitmap file your first time around. Can you shed some light on that ?
Regards,
Vajrang.
Yes, I can.
The purpose of this is to make a solid from a bitmap. The user defines the X & Y limits, and the relationship of the greyscale pixel values to the Z dimension. The bitmap is a greyscale 8 bit, so the pixel values range from 0 to 255.
I actually change the bitmap into X, Y, Z data, but to the Z data, I add a user define thickness so there is no zero Z value. The final result looks like a section of moutainous terrain -- 5 flat sides plus the "mountain" side.
Richard
You will want to use a program like MeshLab to resave and view STL files. Meshlab is free. If you want to make changes to it, you will need software made for editing mesh models, which is not Solidworks, nor any other CAD package. 3Ds Max is the first one that comes to mind. Here is more information about the differences between the datasets (sorry, they get really technical very quickly):
http://meshlab.sourceforge.net/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonuniform_rational_B-spline
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygon_mesh
Now, you can import the .stl file into Solidworks using Scanto3D, however that tool is for then creating NURBS surfaces, which are native to solidworks. That would be very difficult and time consuming for the kind of data you are importing.
Thus, the big question in the end is, what do you want to do with this data after you turn it into a "solid model"?
Thanks for the information.
The solid is to be used to make a lithophane using the stereolithography process.
Lithophanes (or lithopanes) are translucent solids that when held up to the light, reveal an image -- the one in the original bitmap image. I make these with a CNC, direct from the the bitmap, but a friend wants to try stereolithography.
I'm still curious as to what information that comes along with the .stl file I created is used to determine if it can saved as an .stl from eDrawings.
Hi Richard,
I think I see what the problem is. Are these the steps you are doing ?
1. Open an STL in eDrawings.
2. Save as EPRT/EASM.
3. Reopen EPRT/EASM and save as STL is not available.
Vajrang.
Yes. I have tried to open as an .stl and save as .stl but that did not work.
Then open .stl, save as .eprt, re-open the .eprt and save as .stl.
It seems like the second routine worked at least once, but I cannot repeat the process. I have tried so many things, it is difficult to remember, but I did get one file to save as .stl
Richard
I downloaded it, and it does do what I want.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Richard
I am still curious about the eDrawings ownership problem.
Hi Richard,
It is a per-file security setting that is "opt-in". If the person who created the eDrawings file had the option turned on when the file was created, the Save As STL would be available in eDrawings for that file. Otherwise not.
http://heva.solidworks.com/htdocs/pdownload/edrawings/e2009sp04/whlp/English/topics/CreateEdrawing.htm
Regards,
Vajrang.