How to import a 3D Scan (or any STL) into SOLIDWORKS 2020

In this video we will show you how to import a 3D Scan (or any STL) into SOLIDWORKS 2020 so that it can be edited. We commonly run into questions about this for customers who are working closely with 3D scanning.
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If you have any questions please email [e-mail]

[@johnarat8711]

i have watched 20 to 30 videos before this and when i finished this one i felt i have reached Valhalla. the only real stl format editing guide. thanks alot

[@3dchimera]

Glad that it helped! Working with STLs can be tricky. Shoot a message to [e-mail] if you need additional help. To Valhalla!!

[@tobization]

Great job. You made that easy to follow.

[@3dchimera]

Thanks, glad that it helped!

[@davidlourensz4822]

Can the imported STL with the triangles every become a normal solidworks solid or is it like that for the rest of its life through a project? What happens if you wanted to turn it into a solidworks part, how can you do it?

[@3dchimera]

Great question! It will remain like this in SOLIDWORKS. The only way to convert the file is to fully reverse engineer the part. This is usually a manual process where you recreate the part 1 feature at a time. Some software plugins can help, we recommend Mesh 2 Surface for SOLIDWORKS.

[@LappingMaster]

👍👍👍👍

[@jazzyyyjazz1112]

How to align stl data in solidworks ?

[@Irv.GuidoYT]

Is there any tool that can create a STL into a Solid quitting the triangles?

[@3dchimera]

Hi Irving, yes there are some 3rd party add-in and standalone tools that can assist with a convert a STL to a SOLID with minimal steps. If you want to learn more about those, please email [e-mail]

[@akashl9575]

Hey Alex.. I want to know if we can program SOLIDWORKS to develop a 3D model with added material over the scanned object. For example, if we have a scan of the face of a person, can we command SOLIDWORKS to generate a Mask over the face of the scan, with an inner contour of the face and outer contour of some design?? And further, can we 3D print it?

[@3dchimera]

Yes, you can definitely do this. You would design the outer mask first with some intersection of the face scan. Then you would be able to remove the intersection of the face scan from the new model.

[@3DComparison]

Yes you can do that with some surface design, starting with a small offset from the 3D scanned mesh.

[@shubhamgupta3190]

Dear Sir,
I Import stl mash file in solidworks and the solidoworks show topological error how to remove it. pls replay

[@3dchimera]

You will need to repair the mesh file from errors first. You can use a tool like Netfabb or MeshLab as a first step.

[@shubhamgupta3190]

@@3dchimera dear sir i have gio magic design x i repaired but error is same pls help mee

[@3dchimera]

That is a good tool that usually catches errors. Sometimes the other tools catch different mesh errors. I would try to repair with Netfabb, MeshLab and Meshmixer to see if you get the same results.

[@kevinhutchinson8129]

Mesh Modeling must be new to SW 2020.... SW 2019 does not have that tab option.

[@3dchimera]

It was relatively new in 2020, but it is getting better each year with the latest versions of SOLIDWORKS.