stl rapid prototyping page 1 stl rapid prototyping - .stl rapid prototyping helps the...

STL Rapid Prototyping

Preface

Using this Guide More Information Conventions

What's New

Getting Started

Basic Surface Tessellation Repairing the Mesh Checking the Mesh Quality

User Tasks

Starting the STL Rapid Prototyping Workbench STL files

Importing Files Exporting to STL

STL Edition Activating a Portion of a Cloud Remove

STL Mesh Mesh Creation Surface Tessellation Offset Flip Edges Smoothing Meshes Mesh Cleaner Fill Holes Decimating Meshes

STL Operations Meshes Merge Split

Display Options Information Interoperability

Updating Your Design Using the Historical Graph Creating Datums Points in Generative Shape Design

Managing Geometrical Sets

Workbench Description

Menu Bar

1Page STL Rapid Prototyping Version 5 Release 13

Creation Toolbars STL Files Edition Mesh Operations Analysis

Analysis Toolbars Specification Tree

Glossary

Index

2Page STL Rapid Prototyping Version 5 Release 13

PrefaceSTL Rapid Prototyping helps the stereolithography specialist to build and manage STL files.

The STL Rapid Prototyping user's guide has been designed to show you how to do that. Although stereolithography knowledge is not mandatory, it is recommended to have some technical background in the area.

Using this GuideMore Information

Conventions

3Page STL Rapid Prototyping Version 5 Release 13

Using this GuideThis User's Guide is intended for the user who needs to become quickly efficient with STL Rapid Prototyping. Before reading it, you should be familiar with the basic concepts, such as the document windows, standard toolbars and menus.

To make the most out of this book, we suggest that a beginning user reads the Getting Started chapter first of all and the Workbench Description to find his way around the STL Rapid Prototyping workbench.

4Page STL Rapid Prototyping Version 5 Release 13

Where to Find More Information Prior to reading this book, we recommend that you read the Infrastructure User's Guide that describes generic capabilities common to all products. It also describes the general layout and interoperability between workbenches.

Conventions

5Page STL Rapid Prototyping Version 5 Release 13

ConventionsCertain conventions are used in CATIA, ENOVIA & DELMIA documentation to help you recognize and understand important concepts and specifications. The following text conventions may be used: The titles of CATIA documents appear in this manner throughout the text. File -> New identifies the commands to be used.

The use of the mouse differs according to the type of action you need to perform.

Use thismouse button, whenever you read

Select (menus, commands, geometry in graphics area, ...)Click (icons, dialog box buttons, tabs, selection of a location in the document window, ...)Double-clickShift-clickCtrl-clickCheck (check boxes)DragDrag and drop (icons onto objects, objects onto objects)

DragMove

Right-click (to select contextual menu)

Graphic conventions are denoted as follows:

indicates the estimated time to accomplish a task.

indicates a target of a task.

indicates the prerequisites.

indicates the scenario of a task.

indicates tips

indicates a warning.

indicates information.

indicates basic concepts.

6Page STL Rapid Prototyping Version 5 Release 13

indicates methodological information.

indicates reference information.

indicates information regarding settings, customization, etc.

indicates the end of a task.

indicates functionalities that are new or enhanced with this Release.Enhancements can also be identified by a blue-colored background in the left-hand margin or on the text itself.

indicates functionalities that are P1-specific.

indicates functionalities that are P2-specific.

indicates functionalities that are P3-specific.

allows you to switch back the full-window viewing mode.

These icons in the table of contents correspond to the entries or mode.

"Site Map".

"Split View" mode.

"What's New".

"Preface".

"Getting Started".

"Basic Tasks".

"User Tasks" or the "Advanced Tasks".

"Workbench Description".

"Customizing".

"Reference".

"Methodology".

7Page STL Rapid Prototyping Version 5 Release 13

"Glossary".

"Index".

8Page STL Rapid Prototyping Version 5 Release 13

What's New?

New Functionalities

Trim/SplitSplits a mesh in several meshes and/or removes portions of the mesh delimited by curves, planes, surface or other meshes.

Enhanced Functionalities

ImportCgo, ascii and IGES files can now be imported as long as the total number of points imported does not exceed 10,000 points. Mesh Regeneration is not available on those files.

Cloud DisplayThe Vertex display option has been added for a lighter display of meshes.

9Page STL Rapid Prototyping Version 5 Release 13

Getting StartedThe following tutorial aims at giving you a feel of what you can do with STL Rapid Prototyping. It provides a step-by-step scenario showing you how to use key capabilities.

The main tasks proposed in the chapter are:

Basic Surface TessellationRepairing the Mesh

Checking the Mesh Quality

All together this scenario should take 15 minutes to complete.

The final cloud element will look like this:

10Page STL Rapid Prototyping Version 5 Release 13

Creating a Basic Surface Tessellation

The first task will show you how to enter the STL Rapid Prototyping workbench and create a basic surface tessellation.

The only pre-requisites for this task is to have a current session running.

1. Choose STL Rapid Prototyping from the Start/NC Manufacturing menu.

The STL Rapid Prototyping workbench is displayed and ready to use.

2. Open the GettingStartedSTL.CATPart from the samples directory. It is a hairdryer, made of surfaces, with a gap

and a hole in it.

11Page STL Rapid Prototyping Version 5 Release 13

3. Click the Surface Tessellate icon and select the hairdryer. Click Apply and OK.

12Page STL Rapid Prototyping Version 5 Release 13

You can see clearly the hole and the gap in the tessellation.

13Page STL Rapid Prototyping Version 5 Release 13

Repairing the Mesh

This task will show you how to repair a mesh.

Use the mesh you have created in the previous task.

Repairing the hole:

1. Click the Fill Holes icon and select the mesh.

The exterior edge of the model is displayed in red, with an "x" meaning this edge is not candidate for a filling.

The two other edges in green with a "v" surround holes candidates for the filling.

2. Place the cursor over the label of the long hole and call the contextual menu. Choose Not selected.

14Page STL Rapid Prototyping Version 5 Release 13

3. Click Apply and OK. The hole is filled:

Repairing the gap:

1. Click the Define a Mesh Area icon and select the mesh (Tessellation.1).

2. Draw a trap around the gap and check the Inside Trap option.

15Page STL Rapid Prototyping Version 5 Release 13

Click Apply and OK. A portion of the mesh is activated:

3. Click the Mesh Regeneration icon and select the mesh (Tessellation.1). Check the Constrained option.

Click Apply and OK. A MeshCreation.1 element is created in the specification tree: the mesh on this portion has been regenerated.

16Page STL Rapid Prototyping Version 5 Release 13

4. Select the Tessellation.1 element in the specification tree and click the Activation icon. Push the Activate All button. Both meshes are

now active (we have changed MeshCreation.1 to pink). From the picture below you can see that they are complementary:

17Page STL Rapid Prototyping Version 5 Release 13

5. Click the Merge icon and select the two meshes:

6. Click OK. A Meshes Merge.1 element is created in the specification tree. You have now a flawless mesh.

18Page STL Rapid Prototyping Version 5 Release 13

Checking the Mesh Quality

This task will show you how to quickly check the quality of the mesh.

Use the mesh you have created in the previous task.

1. Click the Display icon and select the Meshes Merge.1 mesh. The Cloud Display Options

dialog box is displayed.

The default option is Smooth. You can check :

the Triangles option:

19Page STL Rapid Prototyping Version 5 Release 13

the Free Edges option:

the Non-manifold Edges option: (none in our example)

the Flat option:

20Page STL Rapid Prototyping Version 5 Release 13

You can combine all of them too.

21Page STL Rapid Prototyping Version 5 Release 13

User Tasks

Starting the STL Rapid Prototyping WorkbenchSTL files

STL EditionSTL Mesh

STL OperationsDisplay Options

InformationInteroperability

Managing Geometrical Sets

22Page STL Rapid Prototyping Version 5 Release 13

Opening the STL Rapid Prototyping Workbench

The first task will show you how to enter the STL Rapid Prototyping workbench and create a basic surface tessellation.

The only pre-requisites for this task is to have a current session running.

1. Choose STL Rapid Prototyping from the Start/NC Manufacturing menu.

The STL Rapid Prototyping workbench is displayed and ready to use.

2. You can then either import an STL file, or open a CAD model, or