RE: Multiple Parts saved as One STL file

From: Timothy J Gornet (tim.gornet@louisville.edu)
Date: Fri Dec 13 2002 - 20:18:22 EET


Scott,
Many softwares allow you to scale about different origins. If the parts
don't overlap originally and you scale it down, they shouldn't overlap
either. If you scale down about the origin and not the centroid, I
believe it should work. Check to see if you have scaling origin
options.

Tim

Tim Gornet Computer Aided Engineering Consultant
INTERNET: tim.gornet@louisville.edu
SLUGNET: Vogt Bldg. Rm 101, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY
40292
PHONENET: (502)852-0714 FAXNET: (502)852-8890
Rapid Prototyping Center
http://www.louisville.edu/speed/rpc/

>>> Scott Tilton <stilton@protoprod.com> 12/13/02 12:53PM >>>

 -----Original Message-----
From: Jeffrey Everett [mailto:jeffery@iowatelecom.net]

I may be way off, but here's an idea no one presented. Ask the designer
to
fix the part so there are no overlapping edges...

Jeffrey Everett

-------------------------------------

Unfortunately things aren't always that simple I'm afraid.

In the full sized assembly (as opposed to this 1:18 model that I'm
going to
make) the parts don't overlap.
There are all sorts of detailed bits of components and hardware and
things
of that nature in the actual assembly model.

Funny things happen when you shrink things to 1/18th original size
though.

Sometimes you need to stick in a few extra supports here and there or
beef a
few things up because they are too small to be made on an RP machine.
Or
even delete some of the detail that when it is shrunk down so small,
essentially be comes noise to the laser trying to scan them.

The engineer's time is obviously not inexpensive . . . and the more
time he
has to spend adapting the model to make it RP'able in small scale . .
.the
more expensive the model becomes and the less likely that they will use
RP
as part of their design and review process.

While I appreciate the flood of helpful suggestions and even offers to
help
fix the file and make it one truly merged part, what it turns out that
I
really need is "been there done that" type of advice for saving STL
files
(or joined assemblies) specifically in I-DEAS.

I can see how MAGICS, or DeskArtes or any number of other products
would be
an invaluable tool for dealing with such issues on regular basis.
Unfortunately (or maybe I should say fortunately?) These types of
problems
don't crop up often enough for me to justify buying such a software
package
right now.

Thanks for all the help and ideas.

Keep them coming.

Scott Tilton



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