Importing STLs in FreeCAD

[Timber]

Hi - I have posted a few STL files in the S Scale section of RMWeb.  Fellow modeller is trying to import in FreeCAD.   They are hitting problems converting STL to mesh to solid.

 

Anyone got any ideas?   Is there something I could do differently in how I save the files (cant think what that would be but wanted to ask) or is there a technique in FreeCad that can help.   I use Fusion 360 to create the masters.

 

Here are a couple of links to the files.

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/17NxAlxek11k5oUyV9TTmBejB5dy7NtZF/view?usp=sharing

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yieit1Tr08ynutZ4ITwptYVXoOi0cMyj/view?usp=sharing

 

Many thanks in advance

[PaulaDoesTrains]

How are they importing? I've just successfully imported the albion body using the Mesh Workbench->Import Mesh From File.

 

[Timber]

@apl31 copied in my fellow S Scale modeller.

[njee20]

The trouble is that any STL converted back to a mesh body will be a mess of thousands of faces; it won’t convert back to the ‘original’ body for editing. 
 

If you want to edit files then sharing the original file, as a mesh body would be far more successful. 

[apl31]

2 hours ago, PaulaDoesTrains said:

How are they importing? I've just successfully imported the albion body using the Mesh Workbench->Import Mesh From File.

 

Thanks for reply I used Part workbench.  Did you manage  to go from mesh to solid in mesh workbench?

[Timber]

2 hours ago, njee20 said:

The trouble is that any STL converted back to a mesh body will be a mess of thousands of faces; it won’t convert back to the ‘original’ body for editing. 
 

If you want to edit files then sharing the original file, as a mesh body would be far more successful. 

let me try sharing the mesh body.....

[Timber]

2 hours ago, njee20 said:

The trouble is that any STL converted back to a mesh body will be a mess of thousands of faces; it won’t convert back to the ‘original’ body for editing. 
 

If you want to edit files then sharing the original file, as a mesh body would be far more successful. 

 

Thank you - let me look at this......the STL is a mesh body so I am not sure that I can save as anything else......

[njee20]

What are you trying to achieve? If you want to share files for printing then obviously they don't need to be imported into FreeCAD. If you want the files to be editable you don't want to start with an STL, it's messy. There must be an ability to export as something other than STL. For Fusion this is F3D files, but each program tends to have its own extension.

[PaulaDoesTrains]

1 hour ago, apl31 said:

Thanks for reply I used Part workbench.  Did you manage  to go from mesh to solid in mesh workbench?

 

I must confess that I didn't go any further than the import so I've gone back, redone the import then in the Part Workbench did "Create shape from mesh" which ran for a good half hour and was only about 25% of the way through before I decided to kill it as unfortunately I just don't don't have the time ATM to pursue the process end-to-end. But the process should be "Create shape from mesh" followed by "Convert to solid".

[Quarryscapes]

Don't send Mesh, send a solid. STEP will do it. 

[njee20]

Yes sorry, I said share as a mesh not an STL, where I meant a solid body, completely confusing the issue! I’ll get my coat…

 

The problem you’ll have is that in converting to an STL the solid is converted to a series of polygons, and anything you do to revert it can’t easily undo this action; so if you convert it back to a solid then it’ll be a solid with thousands of facets, not (for example) a smooth curve.
 

Hence saying to share in a format before conversion to a mesh body, STEP looks like it’ll do the job, but I’m sure FreeCAD has a proprietary file format which may preserve more functionality.  

Edited December 19, 2021 by njee20

[Timber]

thanks everyone....

 

 

[apl31]

Timber,

Thanks for the STEP Files. They imported straight into Freecad. I had access to all the constituent parts which I could remove as required, I have attached a drawing with the parts I wanted. I think I will be able to add and remove other parts and then make another STL. I will report back on that. 

Thanks for everybody's help on this.

[apl31]

 This is interesting if anybody else is trying to import STEP files in freecad