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How can I convert surfaces to solids?


Brian Cassil
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Ultimately what I wan't to do is create a .stl file for rapid prototype of an architectural model with no inverted faces. I've noticed that when I export the .stl straight from max all the objects that have been mirrored are inverted. So I thought to export it to a .dwg and export the .stl from there but I can't do that unless the objects are solids. It seems to me that I remember seeing a few of you guys talking about converting autocad scenes to solids before and so I was wondering if someone could give me a tip.

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I think that an ansew converting the surfaces to solids but having a perfectly closed surface object an very clean geometry.

 

I modeled a vomplex dome in lightwave, very carefully, no gaps, no holes, no duplicated surfaces. Then I triangulated all the geometry and exported it as dxf. I imported the dxf into Vectorworks and exported as stl. It worked very well.

 

My mirrored geometry didn't give me any problem.

 

I don't know about autocad though.

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in rhino you can join all surfaces and you will get a polysurface. if this one is without gaps you get a solid which you can do boleans on etc. and you can export it as stl from there. but you should care that all surfaces are oriented outwards. you can fix this also within rhino.

 

a 30day demo of rhino is available at http://www.rhino3d.com

 

it is very easy to use, if you didn't know it yet :)

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  • 3 months later...

Hello,

I hope this does not violate the advert rule. I was trying to find a solution for baking textures and googled into this forum.

 

We have an online software that does exactly this. You can feed it a 3ds file and get back an stl for RP. Please see http://www.cadspan.com Happy to give any fourm user a trial if you would like to try it. Set up and account and me.

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