Can Someone Help Convert STL to SketchUp? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 23, 2021, 02:17:42 pm
content: Hello,I'm in the process of trying to figure out a way to add stress relief to my Anet A8 printer hotbed cable harness. Most of the existing designs on Thingiverse are not practical for my application (I can go into detail if anyone cares), however, I found some that are close to what I want.I found these designs Thingiverse, however, I'd like to edit them in SketchUp. I'm very inexperienced with SketchUp (or any 3D modeling), but I'd like to tinker with some existing designs to try making them fit my needs.From research, I need a full copy of SketchUp to convert an STL file to SketchUp (I don't know what the extension is), however, I'm using the online free version which apparently includes several useless additional lines when importing an STL file that need to be manually deleted.Since I'm inexperienced, I don't know which lines to manually delete and which are essential to the design.Can someone convert the attached STL files for me?Edit: I was unable to attach an archive with the extension .tar.gz, so I removed the .gz from the attachment. If this is a problem, just rename it by adding the .gz to the file name.

author: phil from seattle
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 23, 2021, 03:37:10 pm
content: Sketchup (at least V17.xx) supports direct import of STL files. The result will be incredibly complex and needs to be cleaned up to reduce the number of triangles. There is a cleanup extension (in the extension warehouse) that does a decent job. It will join coplanar triangles fairly well. You might need to further play with the result a bit to get something more usable.Honestly though, you are better off remaking the model with something like F360 or FreeCAD. Sketchup has so many limitations, especially when it comes to small details. And, it's not parametric which really limits your ability make changes.

author: PaulAm
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 23, 2021, 06:23:34 pm
content: There's a learning curve with any cad program (or any new skill actually), so just bite the bullet and pick one that will be useful to you over time. Then prepare to be frustrated for a couple of days as you learn the basics.You will  be glad you did.Importing stl files doesn't undo the rendering process and get you back to the original primitves. Sometimes it's the only option, but it's not ideal.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 23, 2021, 06:33:26 pm
content: Excluding whatever extension SketchUp is, a typical CAD program may have a CAD extension which makes sense.What exactly is an STL file and what is the “rendering” process? Is that where it’s converted to vector graphics?The GCODE extension I understand.

author: Domagoj T
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 23, 2021, 08:51:17 pm
content: STL is just a group of triangles that approximate the surface of the model (and nothing else), so the model is an empty shell.A 3D model used by a usual CAD software is usually not defined in that way, but rather with a combination of primitive shapes (boxes, cylinders, pyramids etc) and more complex shapes (revolved or swept curves) following mathematical functions that exactly define the overall shape, relations and design/modelling history. Inferring all that additional data perfectly and without loss from just a bunch of triangles (that are not even exact match to the original shape) is usually not possible. For example, I've had Solidworks attempting to recognize features of one of the models you provided and it's been at it for a good 15 minutes before I gave up. It can open STL just fine, but that can't be manipulated. It can import it as a solid object and that can be manipulated, but it's a hot mess of triangles that will make your head hurt.The models you attached don't seem to be too complex. You should be able to model that after a few hours of following basic tutorials for whatever CAD software you decide to use. After that, you'll have a proper 3D file that you can easily edit.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2021, 01:26:26 am
content: Thanks for the replies.I fully agree on tinkering, reading tutorials, ripping out my hair for a few days, etc... and, in the long run, you learn. It's how I learned PCB layout (although I'm not a pro).Unfortunately I run Linux 32-bit which limits me. Let's not even get into why I haven't bitten the bullet and bought (or built) a 64-bit system.F360 looks like it's only for Win 64-bit and the same for Free CAD. The one I found that worked is SketchUp, but I agree, it kind of sucks.

author: daveho
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 24, 2021, 11:25:30 am
content: QuoteYou might consider trying OpenSCAD. It should be available in your package repo (it definitely is for Ubuntu/Debian). The concept is that it's a text-based programming language for describing 3D geometry. My background is programming rather than engineering, so I found it fairly intuitive to work with.

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2021, 11:54:29 am
content: The problem working with STL's and in particular Thingiverse STL's is sometime a horrid low poly count. This means holes and clearances in particular will not work when you go to print themIn this particular case the STL's look sort of ok but they are still a triangular compromise when it comes to curves.Generally if there is something very close to what I need I import the STL into Fusion then use it as just a rough form and create a new model from scratch. I suggest you try something similar in Sketchup with the converted files, partly as a learning exercise but also for a better end result.I have run your STL's through Fusion and then exported them into Sketchup format so see if it works. Re Fusion I still have it running occasionally on a 32Bit clunker so might be worth a go as a dual boot windoze.

author: Doctorandus_P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2021, 06:33:27 pm
content: You can also import an STL model directly into FreeCAD.I'm not sure if you can do much useful with it after import, but at least you can use it as a "background image" to take measurements off and then re-create a new 3D model from those measurements.I find that while designing some thing in 3D cad, the drawing of the thing itself is much less work then getting the measurements right and to make different parts fit together.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2021, 01:27:58 pm
content: QuoteThanks.I think it's similar results because I see lines throughout the part. Although I'm inexperienced, I think those lines shouldn't be there (see attached screen shot).No problem, after reading this thread, I think it's just easier to try creating a part on my own.

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2021, 01:44:54 pm
content: That is the STL Lines so if you zoom into one of the holes for example you will see straight lines between the lines leading to it. SO as per above from me and others use it as a ghost model and draw it again.There is some upgrades coming to Fusion in the next month for better handling of STL/Mesh enviroment which should be really usefulhttps://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/blog/june-2021-product-update-whats-new/I haven't played with the beta and will wait for the release in the next month I guess.Quote

author: IDEngineer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2021, 02:46:24 pm
content: Occasionally I have edited an existing STL file using Tinkercad. It's browser hosted so indifferent to your choice of OS, and will import STL's directly. It's not a traditional CAD program so you need to think a little differently about how to use the primitives and holes/solids, but it works quite well and the output has always been printable. Just another possible avenue to try.

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2021, 02:43:43 am
content: Just adding a bit here as Fusion has released the new mesh tools in the wild. I used one of the OP's drag chain bits as an example to play with. Not sure but I think it might be partly an issue with a broken STL that needs patching before convertingIf I have a win with sorting it I will convert all three of the models to solid and upload them here. It could also be a maths thing with the radii on the swept curves too.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 12, 2021, 01:48:22 am
content: QuoteThis would be cool.Have you had any luck so far?

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 12, 2021, 02:10:08 am
content: Lets just call it a Work in Progress that might still be an epic failMore of it over herehttps://www.eevblog.com/forum/3d-printing/3d-printer-yet/msg3604371/#msg3604371but there is some features in the original STL's that have cuts across Radii that seem to cause some issues also the model itself also has a few broken bits.EDIT: just tried another of the three and the original model has some issues like the first. Sharp plane cutting a Radius which breaks the conversion.