Dear Monica, Glenn and the rest of the RP-Mailing List,
I would like to answer your questions and make a suggestion concerning this topic :
Magics can do all kinds of STL manipulations, plus Support Generation and also slicing (both for the parts and the supports).
The slice formats in which we output are : SLC, SSL, CLI and SLI.
- The SLC format is defined by 3D systems, and can be processed by Maestro. The SLC interface is not that well supported by 3D systems as the STL interface, but there are people who are using the SLC interface every day.
- The SLI format is currently only used by the SLA 250. You need to merge and prepare these files with the DOS software on the SLA 250, or use some tricks inside Maestro.
So, in most cases, you still have to use Maestro...
I hear that 3D systems is now developing a new software on windows which will replace Maestro. I would like to use this opportunity to make an 'open call' to 3D systems :
Please do not spend your time (and the waiting time of the customers) in developing what we and others already developed (graphical interaction, support generation,...). It would be best for everyone that 3D systems concentrates on the pure machine software (including machine parameters setup), and that their software would accept files from different software packages available.
To answer your pricing question :
Magics RP costs 3.500 $ (Fixing, Nesting, Boolean, Cut & Punch, Machine Stock, Hollowing, Triangle reduction, Build Time Estimation, Z-Compensation,...)
The support generator is 2.300 $ (including the Support Slicer)
The slicer is 1.000 $
Best Regards,
Bart Swaelens
Materialise NV
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Monica & Glenn Whiteside [SMTP:SiderWhite@worldnet.att.net]
> Sent: 08 April, 1998 3:49 AM
> To: rp-ml@ltk.hut.fi
> Subject: Maestro alternatives
> Importance: High
>
> Dear RP-ML:
>
> Has anybody out there found a more efficient and user-friendly
> substitute
> for Maestro?
>
> We are running 60-70 hour builds (platform is full of parts) and
> having
> trouble with some of the taller supports floating away - we try to
> review
> and modify any questionable supports but in large builds this can chew
> up a
> lot of time given the relatively poor graphical interface of Vista and
> View
> (we found we have to use the "Custom Draw Supports" option often to
> get a
> true idea of the support cross sections).
>
> In reading information on Materialise's Magics RP, they say they can
> generate supports and slice to the desired format. I assume this
> means you
> obtain a .bff file you can run on a SLA? What's the price of Magics
> RP?
>
> Any other recommended part positioning/support generating/slicing RP
> software out there for stereolithography and what is the price per
> seat?
>
> Any help would be appreciated.
>
> Glenn Whiteside
> Cessna Aircraft
> e-mail: siderwhite@worldnet.att.net
> or gwhiteside@cessna.textron.com
>
>
>
>
> For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/
For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/
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