Re: [rp-ml] algorithm&implementation for STL slicing

From: <sachs_at_pipeline.com>
Date: Fri Aug 18 2006 - 00:00:05 EEST

I believe there are at least a couple of quite inexpensive software packages out there that can output slices from an STL file (including many slices at a time). But the practical problem with trying to go from some public domain type software (even if available) to a commercial or even semi-commercial algorithm is that there is usually a little more involved than just the basic math and concepts underlying such things. Unfortunately you have to contend with speed issues and questions about tolerances, topology ambiguities and what you actually need to do with the sections you get. Remember you will basically just get outer boundary region lines (and that's if your lucky and do it right). If only things in the "real" world were that easy I wouldn't have had to spend several years working on surface/surface intersectors (NURBS not STL). Besides who wants to keep using STL files anyway? They're SOoooo 80's. If you're really going to go to the trouble, in my opinion, the way to go is Nurbs and skip the STL all together.

G. Sachs
Paradyme Systems

-----Original Message-----
>From: Roy Pardi <lists@roypardi.com>
>Sent: Aug 17, 2006 1:14 PM
>To: Cristina Kadar <cristina_kadar@yahoo.com>, rp-ml@rapid.lpt.fi
>Subject: Re: [rp-ml] algorithm&implementation for STL slicing
>
>At 5:24 AM -0700 8/17/06, Cristina Kadar wrote:
>>Dear List,
>>
>>During my online searches I came across this mailing list dedicated to RP
>>and it seems a good place to put some questions.
>>
>>My name is Cristina Kadar, I am a student of Computer Engineering,
>>currently doing an internship in a research institute in Germany. They are
>>specialised in laser technologies and in one lab they need a software
>>which takes as input an STL file and produces as output the 2D pass for
>>the laser beam. My job would be to develop an algorithm and implement it
>>(in Visual Basic) for the slicing of the 3D objects into the 2D closed
>>surfaces.
>
>Hi Cristina,
>
>I've been looking for the same - with no luck yet (I'm an artist and
>sculptor and have been working on building my own 3D printer as a kinetic
>work ( = not precise, or concerned with real world applications). I talked
>to some people from Z-Corp a couple of months ago when they came by for a
>studio visit and they were going to put me in touch with one of their
>engineers but so far that hasn't happened. Talking to some folks at
>SIGGRAPH a couple of weeks ago, they were of the opinion that there isn't
>much call for open source slicers since slicing is tightly coupled to the
>overall method and machinery for printing (i.e. inherently proprietary).
>
>Consequently I've assumed I would have to write my own - but if you come up
>with anything I would love to hear about it!
>
>--Roy
>--
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Studio Blog: http://www.roypardi.com/
>Exhibit Announcements: http://www.roypardi.com/announce.htm
>Gandhi - "Be the change you want to see in the world"
>
>
Received on Thu Aug 17 23:05:59 2006

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.8 : Tue Jul 21 2009 - 10:27:52 EEST