Preview when you are not the one printing the part?

[JST]

I don't have a 3d printer, and have no current plans to get one. I have a full machine shop available, which does what I usually need.

BUT, I will be needing to produce usable output files for printers.

Is there a way to preview the result from a file and KNOW that it will print correctly and at correct scale? Or, I suppose, "CAN" print correctly if the people doing the printing do the printing correctly.

Basically, a way to know you are not wasting their time and materials with something that will not or cannot be correct when printed.

 

[DavidJ]

You can check the files over with Netfabb - the basic version is free.

 

[JST]

Thanks.

 

[bigseb]

You can check the files over with Netfabb - the basic version is free.

I may be wrong here but didn't Autodesk discontinue the basic version when they bought Netfabb?

 

[DavidJ]

Looks like Seb is right - all news to me.

I assume there are other packages around that might be suitable...

[EDIT - a quick search revealed several STL viewers, at least a few available for free, I haven't tried any yet so won't recommend any one over others.]

 

[bigseb]

GD has a built in 3D printing function. Obviously importing 3rd party stl's to check isn't really ideal but it does a great job on your own work.

 

[DavidJ]

I have found it useful to check STLs from GD before sending for printing - depending on units set in GD, and selected on export settings the results are not always obvious. It was definitely worth checking overall size of model in exported file.

 

[JST]

So far the only STL file I messed with took so long to get anywhere, that I simply aborted the operation so I could actually get some work done. It was a while back, and IIRC in 2 hours while I was out, it had not finished. Maybe if I left it to work overnight.

I don't recall the settings used, but they were not the maximum resolution.

As for netfabb. it is still there. and basic is still free. You download the trial version, and in 30 days it reverts to what "basic" used to be.

I have not gotten it yet, as I don't have a file to work with. The STL file I tried to make was not even of anything complex, it was just a cylinder with a hole through the diameter, as I recall, but the time taken even for that was ridiculous.

 

[Kunstmaan]

I have found it useful to check STLs from GD before sending for printing - depending on units set in GD, and selected on export settings the results are not always obvious. It was definitely worth checking overall size of model in exported file.

I for myself check the parts in AccuTrans or MeshLab and then i upload the file, rescaled or not to the shapeways website. They perform a extra check on printability

Mareike