Re: Attn. Pro/Engineer users!!

From: Chuck Kirschman (Clemson  University)
To: RP-ML
Date: Wednesday, November 15, 1995
Subject: Re: Attn. Pro/Engineer users!!
> From: Kati A Aaltonen <kaaalton@snakemail.hut.fi> 
> I know, that Pro/Engineer provides a STL-compiler (SLA) of its own and 
> the files are supposedly correct, but is it really so?
> 
As part of my work, I have seen a lot of different STL files, and
ProE is one of the best translators out there.  We've only had
one "bad" STL file from ProE, ie one that has holes or midlines
or similar problems.

Another way to judge an STL is the qulaity of the mesh.
ProE usually provides a good mesh, though certain features cause
it to create mathematically difficult triangles.  Stitching is
still a problem for pretty much everybody.  They can do it, but
the resulting triangles are often fairly evil.

As to the reason to go to IGES, the only one I can think of is
that Brock Rooney's IGES->STL translator provides a very nice
mesh most of the time.  However, I'm not sure that it will beat
PTC's.  I have never tried them head to head.  

chuck
-----
Chuck Kirschman                     ckirsch@eng.clemson.edu
http://www.eng.clemson.edu/~ckirsch/