From: Paul Suomala (psuomala@sandersdesign.com)
Date: Mon Sep 16 2002 - 15:35:10 EEST
Steven,
I assume that by "spraying" you mean you can see (during ModelWorks slicing)
slice lines reaching away from the STL file - possibly even off the build
platform.
As you probably know, this indicates the slicer is searching for end-points to
close the loop in the slice and is usually caused by a "leaky" STL file.
As you may also know, a slice viewed in BView which shows support
fill/close-off where there should be build fill is indicative of leaks while a
blank area (no fill at all) in the same slice as an area that is filled properly
usually indicates that the model is not fully boolean unioned prior to STL
creation. In these cases the filling algorithm is unable to distinguish "inside"
from "outside".
Is it possible that when you upgraded the software, a setting was changed ( I
am thinking something to do with numeric precision) which causes the problems
you are now experiencing? I am not intimately familiar with FormZ but I know
there is at least one other CAD package that has some boolean issues (and
subsequent STL problems) until some modeling tolerances are reduced.
If you like, I would be willing to analyze one of the problem-files. Zip it to
this email address. Confidentiality will be protected.
Best regards,
Paul S
ps. When was the last time you checked price of Magics RP?
Steven Pollack wrote:
> Since upgrading to version 3.9.5 of FormZ from 3.6 I am getting bad .stl
> data in every file I do. I have been using the software for three years and
> never had one bad file and now I get all kinds of spray during the slicing
> in ModelWorks. I sent a few files to FormZ and they say I am the only one
> having this problem. I have no idea how many other people are using it for
> prototyping. They acknowledge the bad data but are trying to say that maybe
> it is my modeling that is producing the bad results.
>
> As I said I have been using it for years without a hitch and own two
> ModelMakerII machines and produce alot of waxes every week using FormZ. I
> have not changed the way I model at all. Now I cannot build because layers
> within the build are either blank or print support where build material is
> supposed to go.
>
> I cannot go back to 3.6 as I have a new USB key that will not work with the
> older versions.
>
> I know I can send this out for data fixing or else I can buy a $6,000 Magics
> software. Are there any other options? Are there any other FormZ users
> that have had this happen? Does anyone have version 3.6 they want to sell?
>
> If I cannot resolve this quickly it looks like I make be switching to Rhino.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Steven Pollack
> Digital Jeweler, LLC
>
> For more information about the rp-ml, see http://rapid.lpt.fi/rp-ml/
For more information about the rp-ml, see http://rapid.lpt.fi/rp-ml/
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