enhancement, import more file types, Blender!!!

[cdub]

enhancement, import more file types, Blender!!!

If Alibre would import ANY of the file types that Blender can export, then one could use Blender as a surface modeller (for curvy stuff), and pull it into Alibre.

Blender exports .stl files. As Alibre already also exports .stl files this would be a place to start.

Blender also exports several other filetypes of interest:
3d studio - 3ds
ac3d - ac
lightwave - lwo
lightwave motion .mot
OpenInventor .iv
Raw Faces .raw
VRML 1.0
VRML 97
Wavefront - .obj
Wings3D - .wings
X3D Extensible 3D - .x3d

and some others.

Since Blender is open source, it's not a "secret" as to how it creates these exports. It seems like someone skilled in the art of CAD programming would be able to look at this, and find a good way to do it.

This would add extreme value for the user base, at very very little cost for everybody involved.

see Blender's website.
http://www.blender3d.org/cms/Home.2.0.html

 

[MilesH]

I don't think it's a trivial matter to convert from polygon mesh to a solid modelling format. All of the formats that you list are mesh based. Not sure about the state of Blender's nurbs capabilities. Is there any way of getting nurbs out of Blender?

Maybe this would be more suitable for surfaces?
http://www.pilot3d.com/