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STL Import

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aptivaboy

Senior Member
Hi all,

I'm wondering if the new Alibre will upgrade or improve its STL import capabilities? Time and time again, the program is simply unable to do so. I'm using a Core I7 with a nice Nvidia graphics card so I know it's not a hardware issue. In fact, back in the day when I started using Alibre Personal Edition with an older Athlon and an ATI card it was the same - the program is simply unable to properly import STLs. It just hangs upon import, then sometimes crashes. So...

Will the new Alibre upgrade the STL import functionality? I would likely go back on maintenance were this the case, but unless and until as a home hobbyist on a limited budget there's no need. As I'm being asked by some fellow home hobbyists to clean up STL files for printing, I'd really appreciate any info on this from those in the know. As a home hobbyists, I don't need all of the bells and whistles that the pros need. However, interoperability with other file formats is a must, and STL import is becoming a necessity.

While Alibre is at it, beefing up the file import functions from OBJ, STEP, etc., in general would also be a huge step forward. The ghosted out areas on imports have become quite old. I have loved using Alibre over the years, for the record, and really hope to continue doing so.

Thank you!

Bob
 
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bigseb

bigseb

Alibre Super User
Add to this the mesh to solid capability needs to be improved. Many times the imported mesh does not convert to solid and I am unable to further edit it.
 
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JST

JST

Alibre Super User
What are these "ghosred out areas" that were mentioned?

I do not know that I have ever seen such a thing.
 
A

aptivaboy

Senior Member
Sometimes upon import from another file format, the outline of the part will be there, but it will appear partially transparent or ghosted out. Actually, make that oftentimes.
 
JST

JST

Alibre Super User
I have only done a few imports, mostly just finding out what the feature was. I recall something like that in one case, now that you mention it. That might have been a different deal, though.

From STL, I think you have to do a conversion before the part becomes "real" in Alibre. Seems as if the "import mesh" was involved.
 
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aptivaboy

Senior Member
Yup, that's it. I was able to open a very simple design in Alibre but not manipulate or edit it after importing as an STL. Either the faces are ghosted (that happens a lot when importing from other formats) or when I try to extrude cut or otherwise alter the design, Alibre says nope, you can't do that. Rhino can, and so can other programs. There's really no reason why Alibre shouldn't be able to. Once it's imported into Alibre and saved as an Alibre file, it should then be editable. It's a major issue for me. I mean, if Moment of Inspiration can do it, a much less expensive product (powerful for its size and cost, I really like it!) then Alibre should have zero issues with file imports and conversions.

Bob
 
bigseb

bigseb

Alibre Super User
Moi can import stls? News to me. But then I am still on V2 :(

You have to convert the mesh to a solid after import (there's a button for this on the mesh tab). But as I said above it doesn't always work properly.
 
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aptivaboy

Senior Member
Sorry, I was referring to the ability to import other file types and then be able to edit them in general. As far as I know, MOI still can't import STLs. Apologies for being unclear.

But as I said above it doesn't always work properly.

Yep, exactly! Ask me how I know! For the home hobbyist crows like myself, serious interoperability is one of the biggest things that we're really itching for. We probably don't need all of the sheet metal and flange functions, but interoperability with different file formats is a huge want. That's something that Alibre has always fallen a bit flat on.
 
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Max

Max

Administrator
Staff member
Hi Aptivaboy,

Can you describe the interop and workflow you find useful?
 
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aptivaboy

Senior Member
1. Import STL file.
2. Click on Organic or Mechanical shape in the dialog box. I usually select Organic since that will at least attempt to load, while Mechanical simply hangs 99% of the time. Organics hangs for me about 50% of the time. Complex shapes simply do not load. Simple sphere, cubes, and similar shapes can, but very inconsistently.
3. Click Convert Mesh to Solid. This takes a few minutes, at times, and I’m running a Core I7 5500u with a GTX card and 16mb of RAM, plus as SSD. Slow, but it eventually works.
4. Often, “Unite with Open Mesh not permitted” pops up as an error message, making the Convert Mesh to Solid command unusable. Again, these are simple shapes, not major mechanical engineering projects. I mostly do hobby parts for plastic scale models, so again, nothing large or overly complex (Star Trek saucers, airplane drop tanks, etc.)
5. If the STL does convert using Convert Mesh to Solid, then the resulting design is mostly uneditable. I’ll try to do an Extrude Cut command on the part, but nothing will happen. There will be no error message, but the Extrude Cut will not occur. Extrude Boss will usually work, but not Extrude Cut.

Well, that’s about it. Thank you for asking.

Bob
 
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A

aptivaboy

Senior Member
Any help on this?

I should add that Netfabb and Rhino can open stl files just like that, but Alibre apparently cannot. I've been trying to get some stl files that I purchased to open in Alibre all evening and the same thing happens as described above, it just hangs. One file (just one) did open in Alibre but then the Convert Mesh to Solid command wouldn't work, and - you guessed it - it just hung there becoming unresponsive making me go the Control-Alt-Delete route to close the program. However, Netfabb and Rhino opened these exact same files with a single click, no worries, no muss or fuss so the files are valid.

Many thanks,

Bob
 
JST

JST

Alibre Super User
The STL import is buggy, and probably going away, according to what Max said a while back. Depends on what 3DS wants for using their STL processor.

I HAVE had it work quite well, and fast. I found that problems were often related to settings. Being looser always makes things go faster, and getting fussy makes them slooooowwwww wwwwaaaaaaayyyyyyy ddddooooooowwwwwwnnnnn.
 
Sturmer

Sturmer

Senior Member
Yeah ... for me for now only way to open STL is to open it in free-cad then export it to iges and again in alibre.
But im not sure why is this such a problem? IS STL proprietary format? Im just trying to make 3d model from BMP image and open it in ALIBRE to make it work for CAM ... but ... have to resolve this the other way.

Some stuff that was easy few years ago and with free software today you cant do with payed software (grayscale to 3dmodel) :D :D
 
DavidJ

DavidJ

Administrator
Staff member
Reconstructing a CAD format from STL is a much more challenging task than the other way around. In addition to the complexity, information was in almost all cases inevitably lost when outputting to STL in the fist place - assumptions have to be made when trying to work back to the original geometry.
 
NateLiquidGravity

NateLiquidGravity

Alibre Super User
I've been thinking an Alibre Script might be able to be written for image to 3D (2.5D) based on the image to speaker grill script. Will probably generate a lot of reference geometry but could be done.
 
ajayre

ajayre

Alibre Super User
NateLiqGrav said:
I've been thinking an Alibre Script might be able to be written for image to 3D (2.5D) based on the image to speaker grill script. Will probably generate a lot of reference geometry but could be done.
Click to expand...

The script could delete the reference geometry when done, or export as IGES or STEP when done to remove everything and create a "dumb solid".

Andy
 
NateLiquidGravity

NateLiquidGravity

Alibre Super User
That could work.

Off in the future, it would be interesting to maybe get direct surface/polygon creation ability added to the Alibre API and then Alibre Script.
 
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