Mendel Solidworks files

Since I hope to redesign some of the components long term, I translated the parts and assemblies for the Mendel into Solidworks 2010 format. Are any Mendellians (Mendelites?) out there besides me using Solidworks? Is it worth posting, or would it just be a waste of disk space?

There are many other SolidWorks users out there, so definitely upload them. I myself use SolidWorks 2007, so I probably won't be able to open your files, but it'd be a good resource for other people anyway.

Convert? Aren't the .stl files already compatible? I ask because I don't know much about the various formats so I'm curious about the difference.

I say: by all means they should be uploaded, and thank you for making the conversion.

I guess it's ultimately the librarian's call?

[dev.forums.reprap.org]

I've been slowly putting dimensions to the parts in solidworks so that machinists can make them from prints. If you would be willing to help me tackle that, the weight of the project is less when shared by more hands.

I am using SolidWorks as well. I do a ton of work with SolidWorks, so if you need any help let me know.

Josh

Convert? Aren't the .stl files already compatible? I ask because I don't know much about the various formats so I'm curious about the difference.

I say: by all means they should be uploaded, and thank you for making the conversion.

I guess it's ultimately the librarian's call?

[dev.forums.reprap.org]

The answer is yes. The answer is always yes, with the caveat that it's good to avoid duplification of effort, and the caveat that organization is sometimes a good thing.

I've been slowly putting dimensions to the parts in solidworks so that machinists can make them from prints. If you would be willing to help me tackle that, the weight of the project is less when shared by more hands.

Yup.
[objects.reprap.org]

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-Sebastien, RepRap.org library gnome.

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Remember, you're all RepRap developers (once you've joined the super-secret developer mailing list), and the wiki, RepRap.org, [reprap.org] is for everyone and everything!

JohnnyCooper Wrote:
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> I've been slowly putting dimensions to the parts
> in solidworks so that machinists can make them
> from prints. If you would be willing to help me
> tackle that, the weight of the project is less
> when shared by more hands.

If you can make them print to scale as well, that would be perfect.

I've been using blender to get scale print-outs that I can glue to pieces of wood as a cutting guide

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Wooden Mendel
Teacup Firmware

"Convert? Aren't the .stl files already compatible? I ask because I don't know much about the various formats so I'm curious about the difference."

Yes and no. .STL files can be imported into Solidworks (though it can be a bit glitchy, and they can't really be edited). However, .STL files are just triangles - they contain none of the "design intent". In solidworks a model is defined by making features, like "5mm hole here, 8mm hole here, cut there..."

So unlike .STL it preserves the design intent of the model. And if you decide later on that the hole should be 6mm in diameter instead of 5, it's very easy to go back and change it.

There is a huge difference between a parametric, solid model
and a triangle mesh.

You can do much more with CAD software with solid models
in STEP, IGES, ... format then with making-nice-pictures
software like blender and meshes.
(You can always export a solid to a mesh but the way
back is -extremely- difficult.)

For a parametric, solid model the difference between an
imperial mini-mendel and a full sized metric one are the
current value you give to a few, adjustable parameters.
And can get features like inter-part dependencies of the
features.

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I would be thrilled if someone would please post the Solidworks files for Mendel. Otherwise I had planned on reverse engineering the files from the .stl files. Native files will allow us to run FEA on parts run kinematics models. Look forward to seeing the native .sldprt and .sldasm files!

Tim James Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I would be thrilled if someone would please post
> the Solidworks files for Mendel. Otherwise I had
> planned on reverse engineering the files from the
> .stl files. Native files will allow us to run FEA
> on parts run kinematics models. Look forward to
> seeing the native .sldprt and .sldasm files!

I hope you understand that closed source software is not good for us, that's why I guess almost no one is worried about that software you talk.

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New cutting edge RepRap electronics, ARM 32 bits @ 100MHz runs RepRap @ 725mm/s:

[www.3dprinting-r2c2.com]

casainho Wrote:
> I hope you understand that closed source software
> is not good for us, that's why I guess almost no
> one is worried about that software you talk.


I am worried about it and Solidworks is one of the
major file formats used by many programs. Not all
of them closed source, some even free software.

Also if some closed source programs are better for engeneering
machines that then they are simply better to solve
this one design problem right now. We can neither wait years for
free or at least open source software to close the gap
nor does it make sense to use inferior software ment to
make pretty pictures to do engeneering work.

Get down from your high horse.
This world is not perfect and there is no free software
alternative for everything yet.

(I don´t call AOI even "completed". LEt alone an "alternative" to
anything. Even something simple like jcae (free) is as good as AOI.
And yes, I am developing free software myself. But I am realistic here.)



PS: this damn forum-software does not let me post becore I was not logged in
at the time I started typing. After login all text was lost and I was not
even in the same forum where I clicked login.

Marcus

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I hope you understand that closed source software is not good for us, that's why I guess almost no one is worried about that software you talk.

Casahino, if people want to use a particular toolset (and upload to the wiki), that's wonderful! [objects.reprap.org] (You should only argue about tools when someone else is trying to get you to use their favorite tool.)

FreeCAD looks promising:
[sourceforge.net]
They're at 0.9, which means they may do their real release soon.

Here are some open source CAD tools.
[brlcad.org]
[www.salome-platform.org]
[www.coin3d.org]

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-Sebastien, RepRap.org library gnome.

---

Remember, you're all RepRap developers (once you've joined the super-secret developer mailing list), and the wiki, RepRap.org, [reprap.org] is for everyone and everything!

casainho Wrote:
> I hope you understand that closed source software
> is not good for us, that's why I guess almost no
> one is worried about that software you talk.


Casainho,
Is any of the open source software able to perform motion studies, FEA etc.? Is it parametric? If so, I would definitely use it for this project.

A .stl is great if it is to be printed. If changes are planned, an .stl file has to be the worst way to make engineering date available.

Other CAD users: I see there are several others on this thread that disagree with Casainho. Any help with parametic models will be appreciated. Does anybody have .stp or .igs or other native file types for the assembly and parts?

If reverse engineering from the .stl files is my only choice, I'll go ahead and do it.

Tim James Wrote:
> Other CAD users: I see there are several others
> on this thread that disagree with Casainho. Any
> help with parametic models will be appreciated.
> Does anybody have .stp or .igs or other native
> file types for the assembly and parts?

I´m uploading my parametric object in Alibre Design
format to Thingiverse.
You can use the 30day trial (checks only system date) or
the free xpress-edition (trial after 30 days)
to export them as step, iges, ... .


> If reverse engineering from the .stl files is my
> only choice, I'll go ahead and do it.

I`m trying to write a software to load water-tight
STL and save them as step (.stp) but I´m currently stuck.

my notes:
[sourceforge.net]
I could create a solid via occjava but I can´t save it as
a step file with that API.
Writing it as an import-plugin for Alibre Design does not work
because of many missing thngs in it´s API
(cannot create generic solids and can only read lofts but not create
or modify them)

Any ideas how to reverse-engeneer stl-meshes back into solids?

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Quote

Does anybody have .stp or .igs or other native file types for the assembly and parts?

There is a STEP model of the complete machine in the distribution.

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[www.hydraraptor.blogspot.com]

I´m uploading my parametric object in Alibre Design
format to Thingiverse.

Marcus, for the Mendel SolidWorks Stuff, please consider using the RepRap wiki.

Any ideas how to reverse-engeneer stl-meshes back into solids?

What about solid edge -> Solid Works
[objects.reprap.org]
or
edrawings -> ? -> Solid Works
[objects.reprap.org]

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-Sebastien, RepRap.org library gnome.

---

Remember, you're all RepRap developers (once you've joined the super-secret developer mailing list), and the wiki, RepRap.org, [reprap.org] is for everyone and everything!

SebastienBailard Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I´m uploading my parametric object in Alibre
> Design
> format to Thingiverse.
>
> Marcus, for the Mendel SolidWorks Stuff, please
> consider using the RepRap wiki.

?????
What makes you think I´m doing any mendel work
and that I´m using Solidworks?



> Any ideas how to reverse-engeneer stl-meshes back
> into solids?
>
> What about solid edge -> Solid Works
> [objects.reprap.org]
> or
> edrawings -> ? -> Solid Works
> [objects.reprap.org]
> ngs

I´m not talking about getting the mendel into my CAD-tool
but about ANY stl-file.


Marcus

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?????
What makes you think I´m doing any mendel work
and that I´m using Solidworks?

I'll read more carefully next time.

I´m not talking about getting the mendel into my CAD-tool
but about ANY stl-file.

There are probably a number of hackish or half-decent attempts to do it, fitting some of the simpler geometric solids, identifying 90 degree angles between planes, and so on.

But this is sort of like 3-dimensional optical character recognition, only with solids rather than letterforms.

A cube may be easy to fit to, mesh->favorite CAD file format. A through-hole, or blind hole, maybe. A cube embossed 'Mendel', not so much. A scan of my nose, not so much.

[www.google.ca]
[scholar.google.ca]

Import the step file in the distribution and then use feature recognition on all of the parts. This way no extra work to dimension it,supress features, etc.

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-J

True wisdom lies in knowing that you know nothing

Finally got back

Sebastien, as the reprap librarian, where and under what circumstances (single zip file versus lots of separate part and assembly files) would you prefer my translation of the mendel into solidworks?

Does anyone have a para file of the curvey (sort of s shaped) variation of the bed spring? I tried translating the stl file back into solidworks, didn't have a lot of success with it. Before I just create it from scratch, thought I would ask.

The X Y and Z axis are correctly constrained (or at least approximately) in the General Assembly file, but I didn't put stops on them, so they can keep moving out of the correct stopping range.

I DID NOT go in to the individual files and correctly constrain the dimensions. In other words, a 3mm hole is a 3 mm hole now, but I haven't gone in to constrain it as a 3mm hole, so if you open up a part file, you can change things without realizing it. The constraining process is way bigger than I wanted to tackle right now. As I change individual parts, I will probably do that one part at a time
Sorry for only translating it into solidworks 2010. I know that makes it difficult-impossible for people with earlier versions, even slightly earlier versions of solidworks, but that is the system available to me right now. Unless anyone has ever run in to a workable solidworks 2010 to earlier version translator. One drawback of Solidworks, not AT ALL backward compatible friendly.

SebastienBailard Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>> I´m not talking about getting the mendel into my
>> CAD-tool
>> but about ANY stl-file.
>
> There are probably a number of hackish or
> half-decent attempts to do it, fitting some of the
> simpler geometric solids, identifying 90 degree
> angles between planes, and so on.
>
> But this is sort of like 3-dimensional optical
> character recognition, only with solids rather
> than letterforms.
>
> A cube may be easy to fit to, mesh->favorite CAD
> file format. A through-hole, or blind hole,
> maybe. A cube embossed 'Mendel', not so much. A
> scan of my nose, not so much.
>
> [www.google.ca]
> n+mesh+cad
> [scholar.google.ca]
> uction+mesh+cad


Thanks for the link.
I did not intent to recognize features yet but start
with doing a simple 1 triangle->1 face and later
n coplanar, connected triangles -> 1 face for the time
being. Then later recognize round holes and similar
common features.

My current problem is much, much simpler:
I need a library that provides me with a way to
write STEP-files.

Marcus

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/2010 01:02AM by MarcusWolschon.

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Sebastien, as the reprap librarian, where and under what circumstances (single zip file versus lots of separate part and assembly files) would you prefer my translation of the mendel into solidworks?

A single zip file is great.

Lots of separate part and assembly files are also great, but I'll hold off until
we've installed this mediawiki extension
[pecialMultiUploadViaZip" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.mediawiki.org]
and/or have the 'official repository' up. (coming soon)

I'd suggest putting the file(s) here, and crosslinking back to this forum thread.
[objects.reprap.org]

My current problem is much, much simpler:
I need a library that provides me with a way to
write STEP-files.
[www.pythonocc.org]
[sourceforge.net]
(Freecad can by called as a python module.)

This looked interesting:
[cadcamcae.wikia.com]

---

-Sebastien, RepRap.org library gnome.

---

Remember, you're all RepRap developers (once you've joined the super-secret developer mailing list), and the wiki, RepRap.org, [reprap.org] is for everyone and everything!

OK, the solidworks zip file is now downloaded
Located here
Mendel Solidworks

At least the para files I downloaded when I started this process. I know there have been some improvements made on a part here and there, but at least a relatively complete solidworks file set. I did take some liberties on things like colors and the exact assembly divisions.

Thanks Idaholion,
I use solidworks for toy design
and appreciate having a way to do mods on the Mendel parts.

I´m working on a shelled version of the Mendel one of these days.
Just like I did for the MiniMendel.


[www.thingiverse.com] - frame vertex already done in a first version

[www.thingiverse.com] - shelled MiniMendel

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Idaholion,

I have been working hard to put all of your files up on 3dcontentcentral. It allows people to convert into any format they want from Solidworks 2000-2010! As well as Pro-E, inventor , and others. I am trying to upload the assemblies but having problems. Do you think you make make a General assembly with Virtual parts? Like "De leafing them" from the other models?

Please email me back at
Robotguy@bellsouth.net

Thanks,
Mark F

Could anybody let me know that Can Official Mendel in STL Format SolidWorks Idaholion be translated Mendel into SolidWorks 2010 format ???????????????????

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Brad Jordan [arbbot]
Solutions Architect / mySQL
Unity Android, Unity Wii QA
Game Director & Developer
Wedding Hairstyles

You can open .stl files, but to make meaningful edits, you will need to recreate the models.