google sketchup to stl - please help

Hello,

I have got a sketchup to stl plugin from: [www.guitar-list.com]

But when i put the stl output into slic3r, it has errors and then in pronterface prints nothing. how do i fix the problem?

thanks,

simon

Do you use the latest version of Slic3r? It's said to have a much better slicing algorithm. But it's probably a sketchy Sketchup file, they don't always like to be converted to stl properly for some reason.

Try running it through [cloud.netfabb.com] or download netfabb stuido basic and use the repair function "remove degenerate faces".

You can also open it in a mesh modeller like Wings3D (or Blender?), and manually fix the errors.

Last option, post it here and we'll have a look. It could be the scale is wrong or something.

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-Nudel
Blog with RepRap Comic

It worked by using netfabb. Thanks alot!

you have to be very careful with sketchup when modeling. all the faces should be white exterior faces, and not the grey/blue of the rear face. the right click menu has two options to fix these issues: reverse face and orient faces. if you've used colored faces in your model and can't tell the back from the front, there is an option under the 'view' menu to use a monochrome face style, as if you hadn't used textures.

you can also get extra edges sometimes that are a real pain in the ass to find and delete. I find the Cleanup plugin is indespensible (though it won't fix all problems, like the extra edges, even though it says it fixed them).

I find the extra edges crop up when making holes in faces or using curves or circles. imported stls are also a minefield and take forever to clean up, usually.

I could only get a older version of the cleanup plugin i could not get it to download the newer version for some reason. but its a great plugin.

i kinda wish sketchup was a little more reprap friendly, i hope something comes to fill this gap soon.

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[mike-mack.blogspot.com]

@Dissidence: Check out [wings3d.com] It works much the same way as sketchup, but at a lower level which gives you full control over every vertex of the model. It's based on manifold models built with edgeloops (box modelling) and can thus do perfect STL output if you model it properly.

I can't say how beginner friendly it is since I've used it for a while. (Just checked, and it's at least 9 years. O_O ). But there are plenty og good tutorials out there.

Love your blog btw!

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-Nudel
Blog with RepRap Comic