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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

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

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.

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

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.

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.
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".

"Glossary".
"Index".

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.

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:

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

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:

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

You can combine all of them too.

User Tasks
Starting the STL Rapid Prototyping WorkbenchSTL files
STL EditionSTL Mesh
STL OperationsDisplay Options
InformationInteroperability
Managing Geometrical Sets

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

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