Little tip for people who hire modelers

Ya know...I have been on this site for a while now and I see a very common thing from people all the time...they have a model and need to get a part tweaked or a wall increased....time and time again I see that on the forums....Am I the only one who provides my clients with a STP of there model..or some other form besides just an STL. I mean once its an STL there is not a lot you can do with it at the point...At least I have never had much luck altering them once they are an STL. Anyone else have thoughts?

Arcathorn

I've little experience yet modeling for 3D printing, but in general, in most other 3D related gigs, I tend to provide the full source file, or at least an OBJ, Blender or Wings file, when at an stage where editing is easier. In some cases, in 2D, when I think the client can do more harm to his own product than benefit, I only provide a layered, source file, if specified in contract or later on the client asks for it. I guess in certain legal situations this can be an issue, though. There have been always contracts, at least in illustration, where all is specified. And delivering the source file means an extra charge. In 3D I do provide it with no extra charge, and most time in 2D too. Anyway... IMHO, a lot of the times is not the lack of a proper source file, but the lack of the ability to edit it correctly by a customer what might be the problem there. What seems easy for us might be complex for a person who is not into 3D modeling.

Being another 'modeler for hire', I'll let my clients have a model in whatever format file they wish.
Predominantly the file is an STL, fully fixed prior to upload to Shapeways*, for the client to download and use as they wish.
If they need another format not supported by Shapeways, again, no issues, as I have my own web space that I can upload the file(s) to and even password protect the folders in which the files reside.

*I create 3D models for 3D printing, and STL is the filetype that's used by 3D printers.
I don't have any software for working on an STL directly, however Accutrans3D is a great piece of software for effortlessly converting between filetypes. Accutrans3D is the only software I've found that converts Imagine3D IOB to STL (as well as many other filetypes) - and yes I still use Imagine3D for just about all my model work.

Cheers,
Paul
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Maybe .stl is for 3d printing the base format of the printing. But for modeling and organic modeling .obj it is a must and the .stp format it is standard for engineering.

Organic modeled .stl it need to be retopo before reuse and rework them ... that means to much work for nothing because someone else did a bad job , it is like repairing a broken house by making it from scratch having the plans only.

Some modelers are only 3D modelers and they lack technical knowledge and they fail in 3D printing ... it can be hard to chew. So maybe this is the part when a .stl was handled by a modeler that lacked the engineering part of the 3D printing or prototyping.

And for high order class engineering parts ... a .stp it is a must aka SolidWorks.

For general toy/sculpture/jewlery design/miniatures .obj ca be used.

I see here a problem of communication ?! Why we don`t have here some rules ... on this ? I mean if somebody want some medical scan converted it is better to be converted by a specialist in the medium not by a 3D modeler that will fail ?!

I have read fails on the forum ...

I personally will never get a client that has : facial scans for medical usage , high end engineering *this needs some big knowledge on materials others that are on Shapeways (aka don`t put a 3D modeler to make you a functional mini engine or stuff) , miniature stuff from real products (they are covered by international patents) , any design request for animation film feature character 2D/3D and game related industry (they are covered by copyrights , trademark on names , even patents ).

So there it is a need for better communication of things done by and why.

I have worked on scans provided to me by a client, not an issue if one has the knowledge and knows how to use the correct software for the job. I've also stripped and re-built real life car engines and made them perform better, creating a 'four banger' engine in the software I use wouldn't be an issue, there's not many parts in an engine - the only trouble is there's no 3D printable materials available to build, what I would consider, to be a revolutionary engine (think ceramics) - the technology is around to build just about any other part of a car via 3D printing though. A functional compressed air engine was made a while back by a Shapeways member using Shapeways materials and I have a long standing project of bulding a five phase alternator for a generator, that if works out, will be kind of unusual compared to what others have built - I've built one before but it wasn't as compact as what I'm aiming for with 3D printing.

I've never used STP file or Solid Works so I can comment on the useage, however I can manipulate just about any regular mesh based filetype without too much hassle. As for 'high order class engineering'... isn't that just accuracy with the ability to manipulate?

Anyhows, I think this is diverging from Arcathorn's opening post. (interesting as it is)

Paul

Well, I don't know you, but often I have needed to handle 3D files with lots of problems. Not just a hi res model without its lower meshes. Files provided to me by some client. In whatever the format. And worst when the solution must come fast. And it's almost always impossible to find the source or contact the guy who made it, for several reasons. This has happened to me even more while working inside companies. (not only 3D, print files, of the 2D kind, with terrible errors) But hey, you need to fix the problem. One needs to be a solution, not another problem. IMHO And if is non doable, the best is to tell it clearly to the other person. Someone asked me once to make him a model from a famous manga character. There are things that can't be done for legal issues, or course. Anyway, is up to everyone to pick or not certain gig. I don't see an issue...

I provide .stl and .stp as a standard and provide any other format needed for cnc machining. I started in the engineering world and have expanded into the 3D printing arena. Clients completely own their file and I believe that means being able to have revisions by any designer they see fit in the future. I don't want anyone locked into my service as it should be.

Many of my clients come to me wanting an option to cnc machine parts in addition to 3D printing. Most often it is for injection mold or casting molds and no physical part exists. Just straight to cutting a mold or tool.

As far as modifying a current .stl file, it is easy in inventor 2015, it makes it a solid when opened anyway.

I only provide .obj file .. basically 3D printable file is a mesh form where most of the modeling software using poly surface or nurfs surface. The software i can recall edit mesh is 3D max which you can pull, extrude and delete the mesh surface but for most, like solidwork, autocad, matrix or rhino3d are using poly surface.

I had did some edit work on obj and stl file before. it took me sometime to edit it, there are once some client of mine request to add in and remove something from the main stl.. All i can do is remove all the face that need to edit and the patch it with flat mesh surfacelater i build the main object to add in with mesh union/merge it together with the edited stl file and it work fine with me...About stp / solid work file can't say much about it but i do send it out when client request for it. but remember Export file sometime will have problem like shell and measurement different from the original file due reading point of each Modeling software. I have this problem when my client send me an autocad 2D file to be model into 3D. After model and sending back to him, in his autocad sometime can't measure the line and the are measurement slghtly out when he put both the file together..

Obj is good to send out large and less polygon file but when you need accurately and complex file it better in stl. and obj file is much smaller in size compare to stl file.

-ORSON