STL importer

[cestout]

The STL importer looks intriguing, now I really have to win the lottery. My big question is where do you get STL files to import. I am trying to learn Blender. (I am reading Blender for Dummies and playing with the tutorials.) Can blender create these files?
Clint

[Steven Alford]

Yes it can, but someone has already reported that they are having problems getting them to import into this new software. See the other thread on the STL importer.

[sk8nmike]

The STL importer looks intriguing, now I really have to win the lottery. My big question is where do you get STL files to import. I am trying to learn Blender. (I am reading Blender for Dummies and playing with the tutorials.) Can blender create these files?
Clint

Blender can create, and convert to STL format. I've used several of my blender files in the new STL Importer and have no problems to report. Blender will also create height maps that you can import into the pattern editor or stright into the Carvewright.

[mobident]

Hmm, I also have not been able to use files converted in blender, Hexagon and Bryce. I have converted wavefront objects to stl in each and they are unrecognized.

How are you processing in blender?

[Chief38]

I imported a .sds file into hexagon and then exported out a .stl and the the Cw importer handled it well.

[weezimp]

Hmm, I'm using Hexagon (on a Mac) and my test would not import. It appears that there are text STL files and binary STL files. Hexagon seems to only be able to do the former. MeshLab has a binary STL option (turned on by default) and its output is imported into CW STL importer without a problem.

[Chief38]

Used freebie cannon sds file imported to hexagon then directly exported stl.
Imported to CW stl importer. Pics below, I hope.

[mobident]

There is definitely something odd going on - I can't open the stl files by the programs that converted them (blender Hex bryce). As pointed out above, they are being considered as text files (imac). I have other stl files that I've downloaded and that the system views appropriately, have a different icon and open just fine in the importer, hexagon and blender.

If anyone can figure out why/how some of us are producing this text file type it will be a great help.

I am suspicious that it is an operating system issue as 3 different programs produce the same results.

Is anyone on a PC having this issue???

[dbfletcher]

There is definitely something odd going on - I can't open the stl files by the programs that converted them (blender Hex bryce). As pointed out above, they are being considered as text files (imac). I have other stl files that I've downloaded and that the system views appropriately, have a different icon and open just fine in the importer, hexagon and blender.

If anyone can figure out why/how some of us are producing this text file type it will be a great help.

I am suspicious that it is an operating system issue as 3 different programs produce the same results.

Is anyone on a PC having this issue???

As I stated in a different thread, i cant seem to import anything directly saved from Blender.... but i did find that after i create the stl file in blender, I can use meshlab to open it... then turn around and save it as an stl again and carvewright stl importer seems happy that way. I dont know why the stl importer croaks when trying to import directly from a blender stl file. Oh ya.. i forgot to mention... this is on a windows XP PC (32 bit).

Doug Fletcher

[mtylerfl]

As I stated in a different thread, i cant seem to import anything directly saved from Blender.... but i did find that after i create the stl file in blender, I can use meshlab to open it... then turn around and save it as an stl again and carvewright stl importer seems happy that way. I dont know why the stl importer croaks when trying to import directly from a blender stl file. Oh ya.. i forgot to mention... this is on a windows XP PC (32 bit).

Doug Fletcher

Hello,

Are you saving your STL's as Binary or ASCII?

Verify you are saving as Binary and see if that solves the problem for you. Please let us know.