CAD Guide To STL Export for 3D Printing

This document contains an overview about how to export STL model from some leading CAD

 

 

applications. The information may be outdated due to newer releases of the CAD systems. If you

have information that is more up to date, please inform us about this.

Contents:

A. Solid Works

B. Pro/Engineeer

C. Unigraphics

D. AutoCAD

E. AutoDesk Inventor

F. CADKey

G. I-Deas

H. IronCAD

I. Mechanical Desktop

J. Solid Edge

K. Think3

L. 3D Studio Max

M. Alibre

N. Rhino

 

A) SOLID WORKS

1. Tools > Options > Export

2. STL Options

3. Select Binary for file type

4. Set Quality to Fine

5. File > Save As

6. Set Save As Type to STL

7. Save

B) Pro/ENGINEER

1. File > Save As

2. Choose .STL

3. Set chord height to 0. The field will be replaced by minimum acceptable value

4. Set Angle Control to 0.5

5. Choose file name

5. Select OK

C) Unigraphics

1. File > Export > Rapid Prototyping

2. Set Output type to Binary

3. Set Triangle Tolerance to 0.0025

4. Set Adjacency Tolerance to 0.12

5. Set Auto Normal Gen to On

6. Set Normal Display to Off

7. Set Triangle Display to OnCompetence Center for Innovative Manufacturing

D) AutoCAD

Type these commands in AutoCAD's command line:

1. Set DISPSILH to 1

2. Set ISOLINES to 0

3. Set FACETRES to 10

4. Relocate the object to the positive X-Y-Z octant

5. Use the STLOUT command to export an STL file. (AMSTLOUT for AutoCAD Desktop

files)

NOTE: Your design must be a three-dimensional solid object to output an STL file.

E) Autodesk Inventor

1. File > Save Copy

2. Select STL

3. Click the Options button, and choose the High detail level

4. Click the Save Button.

F) CADKEY

1. File > Export > STL

2. Type in a filename and select OK

3. Change Format to Binary

4. Use default Facet Tolerance

5. Additional export tolerance options are in the Solids99 Configuration window

accessed from the Tolerance section of Configuration.

G) I-DEAS

1. File > Export > Rapid Prototype File > OK.

2. Select the Part to be prototyped

3. Select Prototype Device then, SLA500.dat then OK

4. Set absolute facet deviation to 0.000395

5. Select Binary, then OKCompetence Center for Innovative Manufacturing

H) IronCAD

1. Select Part Properties then Rendering

2. Set Facet Surface Smoothing to 150

3. Select File then Export

4. Select .STL

I) Mechanical Desktop

1. Use the AMSTLOUT command to export your STL file.

2. The following command line options affect the quality of the STL and should be

adjusted to produce an acceptable file.

· Angular Tolerance - This command limits the angle between the normals of

adjacent triangles. The default setting is 15 degrees. Reducing the angle will

increase the resolution of the STL file.

· Aspect Ratio - This setting controls the Height/Width ratio of the facets. A

setting of 1 would mean the height of a facet is no greater than its width. The

default setting is 0, ignored.

· Surface Tolerance - This setting controls the greatest distance between the

edge of a facet and the actual geometry. A setting of 0.0000 causes this

option to be ignored.

· Vertex Spacing - This option controls the length of the edge of a facet. The

Default setting is 0.0000, ignored.

J) SolidEdge

1. File > Save As

2. Set Save As Type to STL

3. Options

4. Set Conversion Tolerance to 0.001in or 0.0254mm.

5. Set Surface Plane Angle to 45.00

6. Save

K) Think3

1. File > Save As

2. Set Save As Type to STL

3. SaveCompetence Center for Innovative Manufacturing

 

L)

3D studio Max

 

 

First check for errors:

An STL object must define a complete and closed surface. Use STL-Check modifier to test

your geometry before export your object to STL.

1. Select an object.

2. Click <Modify>

3. Click <More...>

4. Select "STL-Check" under Object-Space Modifiers

5. Select <Check>

If there are no errors, continue to export the STL file by:

6. <File> <Export>

7. Select "StereoLitho [*.STL]" in <Save as type>

8. Select location in <Save in>

9. Enter a name in <File name>

10. <Save>

11. <OK>

Export To STL dialog:

12. Object Name: Enter a name for the object you want to save in STL format.

13. Binary/ASCII: Choose whether the STL output file will be binary or ASCII (character)

data. ASCII STL files are much larger than binary STL files.

14. Selected Only: Exports only objects that you selected in the 3D Studio scene.

 

M) Alibre

 

1. File

2. Export

3. Save As > STL

4. Enter File Name

5. Save

 

N) Rhino

 

1. File > Save As

2. Select File Type > STL

3. Enter a name for the STL file.

4. Save

5. Select Binary STL Files

via Competence Center for Innovative Manufacturing

http://www.ccim.nl/

 

 

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Solidworks Student Edition to STL for 3D printing

From Solidworks Student Edition to STL for 3D printing

If you are a student and learning how to work with Solidworks , your school most likely provided you with the Student Kit version of Solidworks. The Student Kit is student edition of Solidworks and has full access to all its features but prevents you from using for anything beside Solidworks. So when you’re done with your design in Solidworks you can only save the model as a .SLDPRT. A .SLDPRT file is scripted to be used in all Solidworks versions as a single part, but can’t be used in any other CAD software.

Now when you would like to print your design, but you’re stuck with a Student Edition you can turn your .SLDPRT file an .STL file. STL is the most popular file format for 3D printing. This tutorial is meant to let more students upload to Shapeways. But, the information in the tutorial is also great though should your school have its own 3D printer or should you wish to use a 3D printing service bureau.

Step 1: Open E-Drawing

99 out of 100 students will have this software, because its included with the installation of Solidworks. But if you don’t, you can download it here.

Step 2: Open the .SLDPRT file

Open the .SLDPRT file by selecting File>Open Set the filetype to .SLDPRT

Open the correct file

Step 3: Save

Then save the file as a .STL File>Save as… Select “Save as type” and choose .STL from the list.

Note

Note 1: If the stl is not an options in the list. Close the file and open the .STLPRT again. If you have saved the file as an Edrawing file or any other file type you might lose the option to save it as a .Stl. That date will be lost once saved as a different filetype (see it like saving a Photoshop file(.psd) to a .JPG) all the background information will be lost.

Note 2: If you would like to save your part first as an Edrawings file(.exprt) Check this box to make sure you can still make it a .STL afterwards.

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How to create .STL files from your CAD software

Use these easy-to-follow instructions to create a quality .STL file from the most popular CAD software products. 

NOTE: Your design must be a 3D solid object to output an .STL file. Export your .STL file as a binary file to save time and minimize file size for transfer. 

Pro/ENGINEER/Wildfire
FILE > SAVE A COPY
CHOOSE FILE TYPE > STL
OK
Set chord height to 0. The field will be replaced by a minimum acceptable value.
Set angle control to 1.
OK

SolidWorks 
FILE > SAVE AS > Set SAVE AS type to .STL
STL OPTIONS > Set quality to FINE.
OK
SAVE > YES

AutoCAD
Set facetres to 10.
Use the "STLOUT" command to export your .STL file.
I-DEAS
FILE > EXPORT > RAPID PROTOTYPE FILE > OK
Select the part to be prototyped.
Select PROTOTYPE DEVICE > SLA500.DAT > OK
Set ABSOLUTE FACET DEVIATION to 0.000395.
SELECT BINARY > OK

IronCAD
PART PROPERTIES > RENDERING
Set FACET SURFACE SMOOTHING to 150.
FILE > EXPORT
CHOOSE .STL

Mechanical Desktop
Use the AMSTLOUT COMMAND to export your .STL file.
The following command line options affect the quality of the .STL and should be adjusted to produce an acceptable file:
Angular tolerance: This command limits the angle between the normals of adjacent triangles. The default setting is 15 degrees. Reducing the angle will increase the resolution of the .STL file.
Aspect ratio: This setting controls the height/width ratio of the facets. A setting of 1 means the height of the facet is no greater than its width. The default setting is 0, ignored.
Surface tolerance: This setting controls the greatest distance between the edge of a facet and the actual geometry. A setting of 0.0000 causes this option to be ignored.
Vertex spacing: This option controls the length of the edge of a facet. The default setting is 0.0000, ignored.

Solid Designer
FILE > EXTERNAL > SAVE .STL
Select BINARY MODE
Select part.
Enter filename.
Enter maximum deviation distance of .01 MM.
OK

Unigraphics
FILE > EXPORT > RAPID PROTOTYPING
Set OUTPUT TYPE to BINARY.
Set TRIANGLE TOLERANCE to 0.0025.
Set ADJACENCY TOLERANCE to 0.12.
Set AUTO NORMAL GEN to ON.
Set NORMAL DISPLAY to OFF.
Set TRIANGLE DISPLAY to ON.

3D Print; From design to product marketing, use a rapid manufacturing Solid provider that can handle the whole process, from prototype to final production. SolidWild

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STL (stereolithography)

STL is a file format native to the stereolithography CAD software created by 3D Systems. This file format is supported by many other software packages; it is widely used for rapid prototyping and computer-aided manufacturing. STL files describe only the surface geometry of a three dimensional object without any representation of color, texture or other common CAD model attributes. The STL format specifies both ASCIIand binary representations. Binary files are more common, since they are more compact.

An STL file describes a raw unstructured triangulated surface by the unit normal and vertices (ordered by the right-hand rule) of the triangles using a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system.

The Facet Normal

In both ASCII and binary versions of STL, the facet normal should be a unit vector pointing outwards from the solid object. In most software this may be set to (0,0,0) and the software will automatically calculate a normal based on the order of the triangle vertices using the 'right hand rule'. Some STL loaders (eg the STL plugin for Art of Illusion) check that the normal in the file agrees with the normal they calculate using the right hand rule and warn you when it does not. Other software may ignore the facet normal entirely and use only the right hand rule. So in order to be entirely portable one should provide both the facet normal and order the vertices appropriately - even though it is seemingly redundant to do so. Some other software (e.g.SolidWorks) use the normal for shading effects, so the "normals" listed in the file are not the true facets' normals.

Stereolithography machines are basically 3D printers that can build any volume shape as a series of slices. Ultimately these machines require a series of closed 2D contours that are filled in with solidified material as the layers are fused together.

The natural file format for such a machine would be a series of closed polygons corresponding to different Z-values. However, since it's possible to vary the layer thicknesses for a faster though less precise build, it seemed easier to define the model to be built as a closed polyhedron that could be sliced at the necessary horizontal levels.

The STL file format appears capable of defining a polyhedron with any polygonal facet, but in practice it's only ever used for triangles, which means that much of the syntax of the file is superfluous. It is also the case that the value of the normal shouldn't be necessary, since that is a direct calculation from the coordinates of the triangle with the orientation being controlled by the right hand rule.

STL files are supposed to be closed and connected like a combinatorial surface, where every triangular edge is part of exactly two triangles, and not self-intersecting. Since the syntax does not enforce this property, it can be ignored for applications where the closedness doesn't matter.

The closedness only matters insofar as the software which slices the triangles requires it to ensure that the resulting 2D polygons are closed. Sometimes such software can be written to clean up small discrepancies by moving endpoints of edges that are close together so that they coincide. The results are not predictable, but it is often sufficient to get the job done.

Obviously, there is much scope for "improvement" of this file format, which in its present form is nothing more than a listing of groups of 9 (or 12 if you care about the normals) floating point numbers embedded in some unnecessary syntax. Since each vertex is on average going to be used in six different triangles, considerable savings in memory could be obtained by listing all the points in a table at the beginning of the file, and concluding with a list of triangle definitions composed of triplets of integers that referenced this table.

However, for the purpose of generating a single contour slice using a very lightweight piece of software on a computer with little memory, this format is perfect since it can be processed in one pass regardless of file size.

Use in other fields.

Many Computer-aided design systems are able to output the STL file format among their other formats because it's quick and easy to implement, if you ignore the connection criteria of the triangles. Many Computer-aided manufacturing systems require triangulated models as the basis of their calculation.

Since an STL file output, of a sorts, is almost always available from the CAD system, it's often used as a quick method for importing the necessary triangulated geometry into the CAM system.

It can also be used for interchanging data between CAD/CAM systems and computational environments such as Mathematica.

Once it works, there is very little motivation to change, even though it is far from the most memory and computationally efficient method for transferring this data. Many integrated CAD and CAM systems transfer their geometric data using this accidental file format, because it's impossible to go wrong.

There are many other file formats capable of encoding triangles available, such as VRML, DXF, but they have the disadvantage that it's possible to put things other than triangles into it, and thus produce something ambiguous or unusable.

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STL is a file format

STL is a file format native to the stereolithography CAD software created by 3D Systems. This file format is supported by many other software packages; it is widely used for rapid prototyping and computer-aided manufacturing. STL files describe only the surface geometry of a three dimensional object without any representation of color, texture or other common CAD model attributes. The STL format specifies both ASCII and binary representations. Binary files are more common, since they are more compact. 

An STL file describes a raw unstructured triangulated surface by the unit normal and vertices (ordered by the right-hand rule) of the triangles using a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system. 

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CAD file to part in just three steps.

All Stratasys FDM systems produce thermoplastic parts in just three steps, unlike some competitive additive fabrication processes that have up to 16 steps. Just load your file, machine produces part and remove the support material.

1. Pre-Process - Load the part’s STL file (CAD data) in Insight file processing software.
2. Manufacture Parts - System builds part in thermoplastic material one layer at a time on precise paths.
3. Remove Supports - Remove temporary support structures in a hands-free soluble support tank.

While competitors simulate thermoplastics using powders and resins, models and parts produced using FDM technology are produced from real thermoplastic materials and as a result are much more versatile. Parts can be used as prototypes, concept models, functional parts to test form and fit, manufacturing tools, and end-use production parts.

STL (File Format)

-STL is a file format native to the stereolithography CAD software created by 3D Systems. This file format is supported by many other software packages; it is widely used for rapid prototyping and computer-aided manufacturing.

-STL files describe only the surface geometry of a three dimensional object without any representation of color, texture or other common CAD model attributes.

-The STL format specifies both ASCII and binary representations. Binary files are more common, since they are more compact.

-An STL file describes a raw unstructured triangulated surface by the unit normal and vertices (ordered by the right-hand rule) of the triangles using a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system.

e-Drawing STL Viewer @ http://www.edrawingsviewer.com/