convert STL to volumetric format

Does anyone know any tools that actually work to convert an euclidic STL mesh
into Step/ProE/.... any of the major volumetric CAD formats?

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SolidWorks can import STLs into "real" surfaces (not the default setting). Then, you can export that to STEP. Your model explodes in size, of course, because every triangle becomes a full fledged surface with a flat, triangular shape.

The STL file format isn't meant to hold editable volumes. That's why trying to edit STLs is always sort of a kludge.

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Generation 7 Electronics	Teacup Firmware	RepRap DIY

Traumflug Wrote:
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> SolidWorks can import STLs into "real" surfaces
> (not the default setting). Then, you can export
> that to STEP. Your model explodes in size, of
> course, because every triangle becomes a full
> fledged surface with a flat, triangular shape.

That doesn't help one bit as I'm not interested in
a lot of flat surfaces floating in space as shells of
0 thickness but in volumes that I can edit.
(e.g. Draw sketched onto it's surface and extrude
them as a cut into the object.)

I have tried a few programs that supposedly are
able to analyse a water-tights STL model to identify
the shells, lumbs, surfaces, ... to create a volue
but none worked for anything more complex then
a cube.

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... I'm mostly importing STL's in Lightwave or IsyCAM and editing the size or points or for complex operations with boolish operations to cut or combine other 3D-shapes.

But the representing objects stay defined per point-cloud, surface and normals, so this is no real conversion.

For changing them into 'real' 3D-objects, i have to reconstruct with CAD-primitives and bool, what's sometimes no problem by matching the constraints to the already existing points ...

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Viktor
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Turbocad and Viacad both do the conversion, but of course they can't reconstruct curved surfaces from facets.. The difference between them is that Turbocad consolidates coplanar, contiguous facets into a single face. Viacad doesn't, but both perform booleans et al and give the same output once the conversion's been done.