USER FORUM
(you are viewing a thread; or go back to list of threads)
STL Import - Thanks! (by Daniel Engineering Solutions)
Just wanted to say thanks to the devs. I just used the import STL feature for the first time and I gotta say it's awesome! A total game changer! Thanks guys for the continued work on making this program as amazing as it is!
(no subject) (by Paul)
@Daniel You're welcome. I still think STL and IDF linking are fragile features, but they bring fundamentally new capabilities to use Solvespace within a larger software ecosystem. I wrote the majority of code for those and still haven't used either for my own purposes yet. It was mostly just a way to increase the usefulness of Solvespace for whomever. Glad you like it!
(no subject) (by Daniel Engineering Solutions)
Paul,
I agree. I've only used the functionality this one time (so far). This capability definitely enables you to tie into the greater "CAD" community though. It's easy enough to find .STEP to .STL converters (or use free CAD), Which enables us to now use other publicly available resources that would otherwise be cut off from the SolveSpace community!
I was thinking about how this tool could be applied further since the STLs I imported had surface fillets and stuff. I know there's a lot of push back on adding fillet tools and chamfer tools etc. (and I generally agree with the reasoning for the push back) but I wonder if there would be a way to build one off the STL import function. How I was envisioning it, you'd design up the part completely with hard corners to keep the base with NURBS surfaces, then have a "fillet/finish/Chamfer" tool that would force NURBS to triangle mesh (obviously flashing a warning about that) and then you could click on the edges and corners etc. that you want to fillet/chamfer. From the limited amount I've read on the subject it seems like getting SolveSpace to place nice with a fillet/Chamfer tool in NURBS is a lot of trouble.
Anyway not to ramble too much, I wanted to say thanks for adding this functionality as it really does enable a great deal! Fantastic work!
I agree. I've only used the functionality this one time (so far). This capability definitely enables you to tie into the greater "CAD" community though. It's easy enough to find .STEP to .STL converters (or use free CAD), Which enables us to now use other publicly available resources that would otherwise be cut off from the SolveSpace community!
I was thinking about how this tool could be applied further since the STLs I imported had surface fillets and stuff. I know there's a lot of push back on adding fillet tools and chamfer tools etc. (and I generally agree with the reasoning for the push back) but I wonder if there would be a way to build one off the STL import function. How I was envisioning it, you'd design up the part completely with hard corners to keep the base with NURBS surfaces, then have a "fillet/finish/Chamfer" tool that would force NURBS to triangle mesh (obviously flashing a warning about that) and then you could click on the edges and corners etc. that you want to fillet/chamfer. From the limited amount I've read on the subject it seems like getting SolveSpace to place nice with a fillet/Chamfer tool in NURBS is a lot of trouble.
Anyway not to ramble too much, I wanted to say thanks for adding this functionality as it really does enable a great deal! Fantastic work!
(no subject) (by Paul)
@Daniel The main challenge with chamfer/fillet is that a solid model in solvespace is (technically, from the internals) not part of the actual 3d sketch. When you make an extrusion, a NURBS shell is created and ALSO a bunch of regular sketch lines that have the same coordinates as the edges of the NURBS shell. You apply constraints or otherwise move the sketch elements and a new NURBS shell is create for that group to match (each frame while dragging). What this means is that we don't actually have (currently) any way for the user to select an edge of the solid to modify. Then there are the regular hard problems of creating the geometry modifications.
Example, if you Lathe a rectangle the resulting 3d group will have 4 circle entities. If you do a revolve or a Helix those arcs will not be present (but the edges will show due to the renderer). When I did revolve I couldn't create arc entities consistently in the correct direction so I left them out. For the helix there is no entity that could be used along the entire edge anyway.
I was working on a way to add these features to straight extrusions, and will probably get back to that effort when I have time.
I'm more interested in the hole-tool idea at the moment:
https://github.com/solvespace/solvespace/issues/955
And even that is behind the mirror groups which are driving me crazy. And that is in my limited spare time (real life is very complicated this past year).
I'm usually available to coach people that want to dig in, as that doesn't require the same level of concentration as actually doing the work ;-)
Example, if you Lathe a rectangle the resulting 3d group will have 4 circle entities. If you do a revolve or a Helix those arcs will not be present (but the edges will show due to the renderer). When I did revolve I couldn't create arc entities consistently in the correct direction so I left them out. For the helix there is no entity that could be used along the entire edge anyway.
I was working on a way to add these features to straight extrusions, and will probably get back to that effort when I have time.
I'm more interested in the hole-tool idea at the moment:
https://github.com/solvespace/solvespace/issues/955
And even that is behind the mirror groups which are driving me crazy. And that is in my limited spare time (real life is very complicated this past year).
I'm usually available to coach people that want to dig in, as that doesn't require the same level of concentration as actually doing the work ;-)
(no subject) (by Daniel Engineering Solutions)
Oh okay that makes a lot of sense as to why it wouldn't work. I just had the thought that maybe moving the fillet/chamfer features to only be use able after forcing the NURBS to triangle mesh would make the programming easier. But that's all way out of my wheel house haha.
As for the hole tool I saw someone mention that on the forum earlier and thought it was a really interesting question so I started building a set of "hole tool templates". After I had them done I was going to upload them to the forum and release a video on youtube on how to use them. But it sounds like they may be a short term solution if there's a real tool coming out eventually.
If you are looking for any kind of extra help with this I have very limited experience with programming but I'm definitely willing to give it a crack! Of if there's anything else I can do to give back to the community aside from tutorials, let me know!
As for the hole tool I saw someone mention that on the forum earlier and thought it was a really interesting question so I started building a set of "hole tool templates". After I had them done I was going to upload them to the forum and release a video on youtube on how to use them. But it sounds like they may be a short term solution if there's a real tool coming out eventually.
If you are looking for any kind of extra help with this I have very limited experience with programming but I'm definitely willing to give it a crack! Of if there's anything else I can do to give back to the community aside from tutorials, let me know!
Post a reply to this comment: