STL vs. STEP Files - What's the difference?!
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- Опубликовано: 31 авг 2016
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Nice and clean explanation of what is the difference between a STL and STEP file. Thanks a lot :)
Well actually a STEP file contains part geometry which CAD/CAM can process, while STL is just a "mesh" as if you've thrown a triangular weaved net over a part.
SpaceClaim is great for editing STLs, but it's very expensive and the STL editing tools are a separate module that must be purchased separately. It is however one of the best CAD software I've ever used.
The part you have shown is not really machineable in it's current form, as there are some inside corners... well you probably can do it with 5-axis, but that's really expensive for a part such as that - which looks like a part cooler for a 3D printer extruder head.
Also I'm not aware of a slicer program that reads files such as STEP or IGES... though it would be really nice (and make a 3D printer run a lot smoother) if arc commands could be used in g-code and also interpreted by the controller as well... Most good CAM will output arc-optimized g-code with Z-level (waterline) machining. IT also makes the g-code a LOT smaller than it would be with point-to-point machining (which is what all slicer programs do.)
The STL file was originally named from the process of stereolithography, today some call it the "surface tesselation language" too. STEP (or ISO 10303) comes from the term "Standard for the exchange of product model data". It can have much more information in it than just boundary representations (BREPs) of your models 3D bodies, you can have full assemblies of bodies and all kinds of other information in a STEP file.
The best software i've come across until now for working with (i call it reverse engineer) STL files is Ansys Spaceclaim. It's very good at converting STLs back into solid bodies so you can use them again almost like a normal BREP part in all the CAD tools, or allowing you to analyze, fix and modify the surface model directly. (Spaceclaim imports/exports basically almost any CAD file format, if you have the right license options) The free version of Spaceclaim called Designspark Mechanical (DSM) can convert most watertight STLs back into solids too, so you can use the direct modelling approach to do some easy modifications, it will however not convert the small surfaces back into splines or rounds. It's big brother has a lot more tools for working with the surfaces and fixing errors. DSM can work with (and even edit, with a little "trick") STEP files too, but you can't save it back into a STEP file with the free version, unfortunately.
Autodesks Fusion360 is still my goto sotware for most CAD stuff tho since it's free for what i do. Now that they included surface mesh tools with one of the latest updates (July i think) i'll have to play around with F360 and STLs a bit more when i find some time.
That's awesome, thank you for all of that info!! It makes sense why the consumer 3D printing world defaulted to using stl files despite there being much better options out there. And I'll have to check out that program, I really hate editing stl files in most programs so anything to make that less painful would be a godsend!
How is Fusion 360 "free" ??
What files can be imported with the attributes/parameters of the object saved for easy editing? Whatever files I open are made up of 1 or more objects, but no parameters.
One good free tool for editing and modifying stl files is TinkerCAD. But it is a pretty limited application. Good explanation of the differences.
I purchased Meshcam that allows stl files to be CAMed, though it probably is best to use iges or step files; I have also seen obj files though I've never used any of those. Fusion 360 also allows you to CAM out mesh files. It was a challenge to figure out how to do it, but it allows it.
STL is needed in softwares like simulfact. STL meshing is very important for physical simulations.
Actually, FEM software uses the volumetric elements, not the surface triangles. It is very important to generate this "finite elements" through the whole volume of the model, according to the required simulation parameters, every time. Generate a triangles from the smooth surface and save them to a file - pretty stupid idea. STL meshing is just a loss of information, nothing more.
@@alexkart9239 you just have to add parameters in simulfact but if you have Inventor for modelmaking find a better way to make models (like calibres for hot forming steel beams for mining reinforcement) add to simulfact.
You state that you don't know what other uses STL files have other than 3d printing, but let me add a couple more: game development uses meshes, STEP files are limited to the mathematical descriptions that can be used to create the surfaces, like b-splines (nurbs) or similar, and therefore things like reliefs are very hard in STEP, and finally, there's architectural design, often done in Autocad which is also a mesh and vector editor. And then there's the entire movie industry that uses software like Maya, 3D Studio Max, ZBrush and more, all mesh editors. Meshes have their place, they are just a bit inconvenient for the more complex CNC machining tasks, but that's it. I'd argue there are more applications for 3D meshes than there are for STEP models. That said, nice video, shows nicely the difference between the two and I used it to teach my dad about the differences and why he can't convert an STL into a STEP file 'just because a client asked him'.
I just use STL as the final format for printing, I only edit the source which is sketchupnfor me .
stl files, while being painful as a cad visualization tool, are very popular for simulation. Many simulation software's such as openfoma allow users to import: .stl, .obj, and .nas file types.
Will STEP improve 3D printer quality?
In theory, yes. But in practice, probably not. The only time you will see a lower print quality due to stl files is if the file was saved at either way too high or way too low of a resolution. Too low and you will see lines on curved faces. Too high and the slicing will take forever and may cause issues when printing due to too much data being sent too quickly. But the thing is, I don't know of any slicing softwares which support step files just yet. Using step files would definitely eliminate a few sources for error, reduce file sizes, and possibly reduce slicing time, but STL files are so ingrained in the 3d printing community that a transition would be very slow and very possibly it will never span all of the slicing programs out there.
There are several slicing software starting to allow for STEP import along with STL and other formats, such as GradCAD Print (Stratasys), Makerbot, Carbon 3D, 3D System, Autodesk Netfabb and etc.
Actually, in general the print resolution can be improve if using STEP over STL, because when saving solid object to STL, it has the over tendency of generating polygon errors when set at very high resolution even though majority of 3D printers out there can physically print high resolution (some even at 75 micron) on X&Y plane.
Also, to note different 3D CAD packages generate STL differently, some with far fewer mesh errors and others much more.
It a bit like working with Bitmap VS Vector in the 3d world (or Bitmap VS Illustrator). Simply put, STEP file are more consistent to work with, file isn't fixed in time (PDF reader) for geometry modification, with far fewer errors, smaller files size, quicker import/ read time if compared to a STL file.
Also, 'most' 3d printers wont accept bad geometry unless you uses STL repair tool (Solidworks constantly crashes if done on moderate detail part), but you don't get 'bad geometry' to begin with if using STEP (majority of the time).
The problem is that 3d printers (really be called 'additive manufacturing') and STL was invented decades before the introduction of an universal 3D format STEP back in early 2000 (if I recall).
Help STEP File, I'm stuck.
God explanation!
please, how to convert STL file to STEP file ??
Not possible
There is no reason for this: you cannot make a cow out of minced meat.
what is the software that he works with?
autodesk inventor
There are free plugins for Sketchup which will let you import STL files. This will let you view them, and even edit them if you dare.
STL shouldn't be used for 3d printing either. It should be just abandoned.