Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel Hi All, Ive been following the builds for a couple of years now. I believe that I am ready to begin a Prusa Mendel. I would like to first build a sloid model of the entire assembly. Is there one available for download? If not are there individual parts that I can download to then create the assembly. I'm using Solid Edge which is a program very simiar to Solid Works Thanks for any help, Peter https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,119931#msg-119931 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 18:58:47 -0400 Phorum 5.2.23 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,143742#msg-143742 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,143742#msg-143742 prusa mendel page. While building the assembly I noticed that the lengths on the prusa 2 assembly page were not correct so I have changed those too.(440 for low center threaded rod and 420 voor smooth Y rods) I didn't add the vitamins to the solid model yet so anyone who likes to add, you are very welcome to post the improved version ;)
I tried to download the old solidworks file but it seems there is nothing in the zip file. If anybody still has the solidworks files it would be great if they could make a new zip.

I hope we find some way so everybody can work togeteher, not just the solid modellers or the openscad programmers. Maybe freecad can help us once it reaches adulthood.]]> mowi General Fri, 20 Jul 2012 13:06:04 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121672#msg-121672 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121672#msg-121672 murrayd General Wed, 29 Feb 2012 23:32:17 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121594#msg-121594 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121594#msg-121594
As well as using the GUI to design 3D objects, one can also program with it. You have the language features of Python,
so variables procedures etc.

Its missing an assembler for parts, but that is coming apparently]]> KeithSloan General Wed, 29 Feb 2012 14:19:06 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121574#msg-121574 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121574#msg-121574
By the way, nophead, I appreciate the declarative nature of openscad, but its missing features of truly powerful declarative languages. It's 80% of the way to being a dialect of LISP. I have always wished that I could pass a function which returned a 2d shape into linear_extrude to make a progressively changing extrusion. If openscad had first class functions and closures, and the built in utilities were updated to make use of them, it would become a far more powerful tool.]]> jsadusk General Wed, 29 Feb 2012 12:48:53 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121541#msg-121541 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121541#msg-121541 murrayd General Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:30:51 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121524#msg-121524 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121524#msg-121524 nophead General Wed, 29 Feb 2012 07:51:28 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121516#msg-121516 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121516#msg-121516
Also on the learning curve side, any cad system, even proper, would take me a lot of time to learn using, while I was able to immediately start using openscad efficiently as soon I installed it.]]> DeuxVis General Wed, 29 Feb 2012 06:56:07 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121509#msg-121509 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121509#msg-121509
Quote

Lets face facts. You wouldn't use OpenSCAD if a proper CAD system was on the market for an affordable price.

It would have to be multi-platform and open source.]]> nophead General Wed, 29 Feb 2012 06:03:17 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121502#msg-121502 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121502#msg-121502
I haven't yet downloaded a .stl model from thingiverse that wasn't awful and had surface errors. They are all incorrectly scaled (usually 25.4 x bigger due to imperial / metric conflicts). The .stl file is also massive when imported to another CAD system which can cause issues. As a further problem they seems to be an ascii/binary format problem.

In order to pull these to CATIA V5 which I use I have to take them into blender to overcome the ascii/binary problem, export them, convert them to iges using a dos converter, then pull them into CATIA, then scale them down and remodel the surfaces. A real pain.

To store your designs in .stl format has the only advantage that they are directly printable. A better format would be .iges which although old is very good for most CAD systems and relatively simple to code. An alternative would be .step files which is rapidly becoming an industry prefered standard.]]> martinprice2004 General Wed, 29 Feb 2012 05:08:24 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121430#msg-121430 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121430#msg-121430 murrayd General Tue, 28 Feb 2012 18:08:25 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121420#msg-121420 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121420#msg-121420 nophead General Tue, 28 Feb 2012 17:19:42 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121413#msg-121413 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121413#msg-121413 murrayd General Tue, 28 Feb 2012 16:32:56 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121361#msg-121361 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121361#msg-121361
That is one of the many reasons holes come out too small.]]> nophead General Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:04:22 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121355#msg-121355 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121355#msg-121355 murrayd General Tue, 28 Feb 2012 08:48:21 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121351#msg-121351 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121351#msg-121351 nophead General Tue, 28 Feb 2012 08:32:16 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121349#msg-121349 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121349#msg-121349 -------------------------------------------------------
> OpenSCAD is fine if you like programming. Some of
> us do NOT and would prefer to use 3D cad software

So true. That being said, FreeCAD can turn an .stl part into a CAD solid. Import the .stl, and select it in the file tree, go to the part menu and select "create shape from mesh". This'll bring up a tolerance dialogue, which shouldn't really matter if the .stl is watertight. Then select the shape that's appeared in the file tree, go back to the part menu and check the "convert to solid" item, and the resultant solid will appear in the part list. That entity can be edited as a solid in FreeCAD, or exported as a .stp part to be imported into other apps. The only thing that's mildly annoying is that the .stl face definitions remain. Some commercial CAD apps consolidate coplanar triangles into a single face, which looks prettier. The other thing to bear in mind is that holes in an .stl, or a solid that's been made from it, are faceted approximations, and the important thing is clearance. The diameter of the holes has to be derived from a cylinder that fits within the polygonal hole definition, ie from the mid-points of the hole exit's edges.
Other mesh formats like 3DS, dxf or obj can be turned into solids in the same way, but only if they're manifold, watertight, objects. .3DS, .dxf and .obj can be surface meshes, which won't convert to solids.]]> murrayd General Tue, 28 Feb 2012 07:45:37 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121332#msg-121332 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121332#msg-121332
To be honest, I love openscad, but due to its nature the stl output can be just horrible. Not worse than sketchup perhaps, but still enough for it to be visible on the print if the slicing software get in trouble.

Not saying everyone should have to learn to use a mesh modeller and make triangle-perfect stl files, but sometimes the files on thingiverse is so bloated and messed up it's not worth the time to try and print them if you get errors.]]> Nudel General Tue, 28 Feb 2012 04:11:17 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121289#msg-121289 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121289#msg-121289
I use solidworks on a daily basis for a living. I actually own my own seat. Not a big deal, but it keeps me using it (payed good money for it, right?). I won't walk away from that investment, much like I wouldn't ask others to buy solidworks.

Funny thing is, all of my files were stl's off of git and in order for me to be able to use them I had to recreate the parts by tracing the geometry and building solid models.

Sure, it was a bit of work, but I didn't browbeat anybody for not providing igs files or .sldprt for my benefit. I just traced, cleaned up the geo and made parametric files that I could use/modify.

I'm not saying that I won't someday try to fit in and learn the language. Just that I already am profficient in a different one and am busy catching up on the other aspects of reprap.]]> Skypuppet General Mon, 27 Feb 2012 21:55:10 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121249#msg-121249 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121249#msg-121249
I think Openscad not exporting to STEP is a good thing. It stops people taking Reprap designs and moving them into a locked CAD system. People would hack on the parts with their favourite CAD system and then they could never be converted back to code and differenced and merged with the originals. Openscad and git promote collaboration and evolution of designs.

Openscad is a purely declarative language, which is why it doesn't have true variables. A lot of people don't seem to "get" that but if makes perfect sense when you are describing what form something has rather than how to do something. I didn't miss having variables when I did the Mendel90 design.]]> nophead General Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:59:25 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121244#msg-121244 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121244#msg-121244 sourceforge.net]

FreeCad also has programming like OpenSCAD as well as creating things via GUI. Some claim the language is more powerful than OpenSCAD. They have more or less created MendelMax via FreeCad programming.

They are still missing assembly of parts, but that is apparently happening.

FreeCAD would seem to have the benefits of either programming or GUI and also the ability to output files to STEP et al.]]> KeithSloan General Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:13:39 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121218#msg-121218 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121218#msg-121218 KeithSloan General Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:59:06 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121216#msg-121216 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121216#msg-121216 KeithSloan General Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:53:50 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121215#msg-121215 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121215#msg-121215 nophead General Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:50:07 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121210#msg-121210 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121210#msg-121210 KeithSloan General Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:36:50 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121195#msg-121195 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121195#msg-121195 nophead General Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:57:26 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121165#msg-121165 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121165#msg-121165 reprap.org] has solid works files at [reprap.org]

Not sure how upto date the file are says created March 2011

Stl files might be okay for printing and maybe even construction, but not so useful if you want
to do any 3D Cad work on them. STL is really just a mesh output format. But unfortunately the
community does not use 3D cad files. I wish more people would use FreeCad and distribute 3D cad files,
like STEP.

Converting STL to STEP does not really help much.]]> KeithSloan General Mon, 27 Feb 2012 08:53:13 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121155#msg-121155 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,121155#msg-121155
That said, it's very much worth it to learn the basics of git.]]> Nudel General Mon, 27 Feb 2012 07:48:20 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,120928#msg-120928 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,120928#msg-120928 If i click on a file i get a view of many lines of text.
if I click on the file icon i'm prompted to save the file to the clipboard.
where is the clipboard and how the heck do i get an .stl or any other file type to download so that i can open it up with solid edge?]]> PedroB General Sat, 25 Feb 2012 18:19:51 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,119969#msg-119969 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,119969#msg-119969 repository for my fork of the Prusa has STEP models converted from .stl files I took just after Prusa 2 was announced. If you want more current models, and can import STEP files, then you can use FreeCAD as an intermediary to make STEP from current stl files.]]> Dale Dunn General Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:04:25 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,119960#msg-119960 Re: Solid Model files for Prusa Mendel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,119931,119960#msg-119960 [github.com]


A rudimentary google seems to indicate that Solid Edge can only import STL files via a non-free plugin, as is the Google Sketchup (.skp) importer.]]> garyhodgson General Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:23:18 -0500