Converting STL\Rapid Prototype files to Parasolids? 2

[CastingDesigner]

Anyone know if there is a way to convert an STL\Rapid Prototype file to a Parasolid or something to us in UG or SolidWorks.

I have a group of casting cores that are in an STL format & need I to assemble them to us for a simulation. The problem is you can't grab an edge or face to put these things together. I can move them around in my simulation software but I have no way of getting them anything but a close prox. to were they need to be & that wont get it for what I am doing.

Any help would be great.

 

[J-C]

In Solidworks....in the open dialogue..change the filetype to stl....then select the "Options" button. I believe there is an option to read it in as a Solid. If I recall ....you'll get nothing round....just faceted faces.

Jason

UG NX2.02.2 on Win2000 SP3
SolidWorks 2006 SP4.0 on WinXP SP2

 

[CastingDesigner]

Thanks but if I get no rounded surfaces then it wont work for me. These are castings of engine blocks, heads, ect..

 

[ewh]

How about File -> Import -> STL ? I don't know if it needs a separate license or not.

 

[CastingDesigner]

ewh

You missed my point. I can't us an STL because you can't put them together in one assembled package. You are not able to grab an edge to match it up with an other edge on an other part. You will either have overlaps or the objects will not touch & leave a gap. Either way that is a vary bad file to try to run a simulation.

You also can't us any point of reference off the part to rotate it into position.

 

[J-C]

Yeah..when you import the STL into UG...you only have a grpahic....nothing you can work with.

Solidworks 2007 has a tool they showed at Solidworks World that will build a model from scanned data. It may work with an STL file as well...at least I think it does. Unfortunately it's not released yet but from what I've seen of it...it could possibly work if you're willing to wait another month.

Jason

UG NX2.02.2 on Win2000 SP3
SolidWorks 2006 SP4.0 on WinXP SP2

 

[JohnRBaker]

In NX 4 there was an Enhancement made to the Face Refit function (Edit/Surface/Refit Face...) which will allow you to select a faceted body as the "target" for the refit operation. Note that this function was not intended to convert .stl's of what would have been solid bodies, but rather is more for surface patches, such as would be scanned from a clay model or something similar.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product "Evangelist"
NX Product Line
UGS Corp
Cypress, CA
Phone: 714-952-6032
FAX: 714-952-5758
John.R.Baker@ugs.com

 

[CastingDesigner]

Thank you gentalmen for the valuable information. I will keep looking for something. It maybe the case that I have to us an other software version to pull these files in & export them to a parasolid or some other format. I just have not found that software yet.

I am looking at a software called SolidView. Does anyone know anything about it?

 

[HellBent]

When you import an STL file you can go under Edit -> Facet Body to clean it up and smooth it out but it's still not going to give you edges, arcs, lines, etc. that you can use for aligning components. I don't know of anything that will convert a facet-type file into what you're looking for.