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Best Rapid Prototyping Settings (#3347) 
 
            
            
    
        
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                The Mesh parameters box has changed with new options. I wonder if anyone has a reliable list of STL settings that they use. I think I used to use:
            
  
         
     
 
    
        
            
     
    
        
            
        
     
 
    
        
     
 
            
        
            
        
            
            
    
        
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                Hi Art,
            
  
         
     
 
    
        
            
     
    
        
            
        
     
 
    
        
     
 
            
        
    
        
            
            
    
        
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                Thanks for the reply. 
            
  
         
     
 
    
        
            
     
    
        
            
        
     
 
    
        
     
 
            
        
            
        
            
            
    
        
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                I do many Rapid Prototyping. Check with your RP Vendor, I send my files in ACIS-SAT and my RP Agent make is own set up for their machine.
Image-1 is my original in STL.
Image-2 is my ACIS-SAT file translated to STL by Pronto Prototyping inc.
Jean-Francois Jacques attached the following image(s):
 image001.jpg 
(27kb) downloaded 5  time(s).  image002.jpg 
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    METEORE DESIGN / KEKO Stand 
    
        
            
     
    
        
            
        
     
 
    
        
     
 
            
        
    
        
            
            
    
        
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                I do the same as Jean-Francois, and always send the vendor a SAT or STEP file. The vendor is then responsible for the conversion, and can tweak things for optimum results on their machine and with the material that we are using. I like to let the expert be the expert rather than messing with stuff I have little knowledge or control over - their machine / process.
    Shark FX 9 build 1143 
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                Thanks for the advice. I ended up sending a step file and it went fine and much better that the troublesome stl exports. I do not know what the results will be however, since I had no control."mixed/fringe, adaptive facets and adjust nodes" . I guess I don't really need to know what they are, I really need parameters. Sort of like a preset "environment". "Use this setting for a small precision part under 12" cube". Or even better "these settings are at the limit of resolution of and FDM machine" Boy, that would be great and I imagine do-able.  
            
  
         
     
 
    
        
            
     
    
        
            
        
     
 
    
        
     
 
            
        
    
        
            
            
    
        
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                Originally Posted by: Art  Thanks for the advice. I ended up sending a step file and it went fine and much better that the troublesome stl exports. I do not know what the results will be however, since I had no control."mixed/fringe, adaptive facets and adjust nodes" . I guess I don't really need to know what they are, I really need parameters. Sort of like a preset "environment". "Use this setting for a small precision part under 12" cube". Or even better "these settings are at the limit of resolution of and FDM machine" Boy, that would be great and I imagine do-able.  
I'm going to have to second that.. I am not familiar with those terms either.  The program manual that I have doesn't have an explanation for those settings - only discusses the slider settings.
  
         
     
 
    
        
            
     
    
        
            
        
     
 
    
        
     
 
            
        
            
        
            
            
    
        
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                I had a SLA made by 
www.stereolithography.com It was a first pass, turned out good for its intended purpose.
On their website are many information webpages.
Check them out.
Tem
  
         
     
 
    
        
            
     
    
        
            
        
     
 
    
        
     
 
            
        
    
        
            
            
    
        
Rank: Senior Member
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                Originally Posted by: Art  I do not know what the results will be however, since I had no control.
if you wanna have control over facetting incl. a visual feedback do the meshing inside Shark by using "Edit > Change Object Type... > Mesh..." and export then.
hth,
Norbert
  
         
     
 
    
        
            
     
    
        
            
        
     
 
    
        
     
 
            
        
            
        
            
            
    
        
Rank: Senior Member
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                Originally Posted by: Tem  I had a SLA made by 
www.stereolithography.com It was a first pass, turned out good for its intended purpose.
On their website are many information webpages.
Check them out.
Tem
Thanks Tem, how fast is their shipping in the U.S.?
  
         
     
 
    
        
            
     
    
        
            
        
     
 
    
        
     
 
            
        
    
        
            
            
    
        
Rank: Senior Member
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                Sorry for the slow response. I have been busy the past few days.
            
  
         
     
 
    
        
            
     
    
        
            
        
     
 
    
        
     
 
            
        
            
        
            
            
    
        
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                Hi Tem,
            
  
         
     
 
    
        
            
     
    
        
            
        
     
 
    
        
     
 
            
        
    
        
            
            
    
        
Rank: Senior Member
Joined: 2/18/2007(UTC)
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                Originally Posted by: Art  
Hi Art,
I do a lot of SLAs with shark STL export.
The Hi Def Epoxy type to get maximum accuracy on small parts.
I get very good service from Ossola 3D in Italy (24 hours delivery in Paris).
My settings are usually :
Surface Deviation 
.002 Normal Deviation 
5  for parts having smooth curves, and 
up to 30  for parts having plenty of tiny radius blends...
Edge Length : 
Default Aspect Ratio : 
Default With STL facets 
checked . 
I got this by trials and errors, and am not sure it's optimal.
Please Tim, can we get advise or tutorial ?
Thanks,
JLM
  
         
     
 
    
        
            
     
    
        
            
        
     
 
    
        
     
 
            
        
            
        
            
            
    
        
Rank: Senior Member
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                Sorry, I did not even know you posted until I checked tonight with the same old problems....Vendors saying my translations are lousy... I will try your settings tomorrow and look to see how my parts will come out.
            
  
         
     
 
    
        
            
     
    
        
            
        
     
 
    
        
     
 
            
        
    
        
            
            
    
        
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                Shapeways has a nice [URL="http://www.shapeways.com/tutorials/viacad"]tutorial[/URL] on using ViaCAD to create an STL, and then tuning the mesh parameters for proper STL output.
    Shark FX 9 build 1143 
OS X 9.5 
3.6 GHz Core i7, 8GB, GTX 760 2GB 
matter.cc 
    
        
            
     
    
        
            
        
     
 
    
        
     
 
            
        
            
        
            
            
    
        
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                Thanks Nick.
            
  
         
     
 
    
        
            
     
    
        
            
        
     
 
    
        
     
 
            
        
    
        
            
            
    
        
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                Nothing, if you have the STL file box checked.
            
  
         
     
 
    
        
            
     
    
        
            
        
     
 
    
        
     
 
            
        
            
        
            
            
    
        
Rank: Senior Member
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                Thanks, good to know I am not missing some critical feature.
            
  
         
     
 
    
        
            
     
    
        
            
        
     
 
    
        
     
 
            
        
    
        
            
            
    
        
Rank: Senior Member
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                My stl settings do not make large files like they used to. I have not changed my settings in years and yet the exports that used to be 150+ mb are now under 2mb. So my models are no usable. I know others usually use service groups to do this conversion for them, I cannot. Does anybody make fine quality stl files and have settings that they can pass on. This is only an issue I have had in the past 8 months or so. for years before that I used the same settings (the actual numbers are in my first post above).
            
  
         
     
 
    
        
            
     
    
        
            
        
     
 
    
        
     
 
            
        
            
        
            
            
    
        
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