[3D Software] Methods for exporting STL/OBJ files from various 3D software programs

[3D Software ] Methods for exporting STL/OBJ files from various 3D software programs

The easiest way to turn a 3D model you 've painstakingly created in 3D software into a physical object is to print it directly using a 3D printer. However, 3D printers can only accept STL (Stereolithography) files.
A format specifically for 3D printing It can decompose the original curved surface or solid model into data of cross-sectional shapes layer by layer. Most 3D software has the function of converting to STL . So how do we correctly export these file formats and avoid printing failures ?
In this article, we will compile various common 3D software export methods, so that everyone can complete the pre-processing work faster and more efficiently when printing 3D documents !
(P.S. Some software only has the option to export to OBJ file. You can save it as OBJ first and then convert it to STL file .)
 
◎AutoCAD
◎3DS MAX
◎Solidworks
◎Maya
◎Pro/ENGINEER
◎Rhino
◎SketchUP
◎Zbrush
◎ Fusion 360

AutoCAD

Steps to export an STL file

1. Press "Applications" > "Export" > "Other Formats".
2. In the "Export Data" dialog box, enter the file name.
3. In "File Type", select "Lithograph File (*.stl)". Click "Save".
4. Select one or more physical objects. All objects must be entirely within the positive XYZ octet of the World Coordinate System (WCS). That is, their X , Y , and Z coordinate values ​​must be greater than zero.
5. It will automatically append the extension .stl to the filename.

※Supplementary Notes
The AutoCAD 3D model is exported as a .stl file for printing on a 3D printer, but the printed image is not very detailed. See the image below:

In AutoCAD, you can adjust the fineness of curved surfaces by changing the system variable "FACETRES".
The larger the value of FACETRES, the more precise the result.
Because the default value of the AutoCAD system variable "FACETRES" is 0.5, many angles will appear as shown in the picture above.
Increasing the value of FACETRES (e.g., to 10) will significantly improve the print quality, as shown in the image below:


3DS MAX

Important notes on exporting STL files
1. Application menu > Export > StereoLitho (*.STL)

2. Object Name: The name input must be stored in STL format.
3. Binary/ASCII: Select whether the STL output file is binary or ASCII (character) data.
ASCII STL files are much larger than binary STL files.
4. Select only the objects to be exported from the scene.

Solidworks

Important notes on exporting STL files
There are now plugins that can directly export files to Cura! Please refer to this introductory article.
(Plug-ins can be installed from within Cura)

If you are using other file slicer software, please continue reading the conversion tutorial below.

Steps to export an STL file:
1. Click File > Save As.
2. Select STL (*.stl) as the archive type, and then click the option.
3. Select from the following options and then click OK.
4. Click Save to export the file.
The output is
◎Select either Binary or ASCII as the file format. Binary files are smaller than ASCII files, but some other systems do not support Binary files. Please select a type supported by your target system.
◎Unit. Select the unit of measurement.
◎Resolution. Controls the surface quality of non-flat surfaces output in STL (Stereo Trace) format. Lower error values ​​result in STL files with higher overall part accuracy.
Higher precision (high pavement quality) files are larger and will reduce the model's calculation speed.
Coarse or good. Preset resolution.

Maya

Steps to export OBJ files

1. In the drop-down menu, select Window → Settings/Preferences → Plug-in Manager, and a window will pop up.
2. Locate objExport.mll in the C:/Program Files/Alias/Maya?.0/bin/plug-ins menu.
3. Check both the "loaded" and "auto load" options.
4. Next, go to File → Export All or Export Selection in the drop-down menu.
5. Click the small square next to it → the Export All (Selection) Options window will pop up.
6. In General Options, select OBJexport from the File Type dropdown menu, and then click Apply.
7. Enter the file name and select the save path.
Pro/ENGINEER

Methods for exporting STL files

1. Press "File" in the menu, select "Save Copy", a save copy menu will pop up. Select the folder to save the STL file, and select "STL" as the file type. Press the "OK" button.
2. Adjust the parameters of the STL file. In the pop-up "Export STL" dialog box, change the default value after "String Height" to "0", press the Enter key on the keyboard, and the software will automatically change the string height to the minimum value. After clicking "OK", the STL file will be successfully saved.

※Important Notes for Exporting Files:
When saving in Pro/E in STL format, the most important thing is to adjust the parameters. The more reasonable the parameter adjustment, the more accurate the saved file will be, and the better the effect will be when printed by a 3D printer.
An STL file should contain the coordinates of the three vertices of a triangular facet and the normal vector of that facet. The normal vector should have a magnitude of 1 and point outwards from the solid. The order in which the three vertices are saved and the direction of the vector should satisfy the right-hand rule. Therefore, the more facets an STL model has, the more accurate the model will be.
However, more planes are not necessarily better for 3D. Therefore, when converting from Pro/E to STL, you can directly change the preset value after "chord height" to "0" and press the Enter key on the keyboard. The software will automatically change the chord height to the minimum value. Other values ​​can be left as presets.

Rhino

Steps to export an STL file
1. Select the selected items from the archive menu or save them as a new file.
2. The pop-up dialog box will list the file types that can be exported in the file type field.
3. Select STL.file in the file type field.
4. Enter the name in the file name field.
5. Set the storage method.
◎Minimize storage ◎Store only geometry
6. If there are options for the exported file type, you can click the Options button to make the settings.
7. If the exported file type can only store mesh objects, a mesh conversion settings dialog box will pop up to convert NURBS to mesh.

STL Export Options
File type
1. Binary
2.Ascii
Export open object adjustment grid
An STL export warning will pop up if the exported STL grid is not closed.
You must export the open grid for storage.

STL Mesh Outgoing Detection
Some rapid prototyping machines can only read fully enclosed (watertight) STL mesh files.
Before exporting a model as an STL file for expensive rapid prototyping, it's best to ensure that the exported STL mesh meets the requirements of the rapid prototyping machine.

How to test if a mesh is watertight

1. Combine mesh objects.
Combine individual mesh objects into multiple meshes.
2. All vertices of the mesh object after fusion assembly.
3. When prompted for angle tolerance, enter 180.
When the angular tolerance is set to 180 degrees, the Weld command will fuse all overlapping mesh vertices.
4. Execute the UnifyMeshNormals command.

Make all mesh faces of a mesh object face the same side (outer or inner).
Use the SelNakedMeshEdgePt command to check if there are still vulnerabilities in the mesh.
If any mesh vertex is highlighted, it indicates that there is a vulnerability in the mesh at that location.

Avoid creating grid archives with extremely large amounts of data.

◎You can use the Mesh command, which is the same as the color mesh conversion setting in the file content. The difference is that the mesh created by the Mesh command can be exported.
When exporting Rhino's surface objects to STL files, there are similar mesh conversion settings, but it is usually better to convert the objects to meshes beforehand, check them, and then export them as STL files.

◎The optimal settings for converting different objects to meshes vary. Initially, you can disable the maximum angle and maximum aspect ratio, and set the maximum distance from the surface to the edge (the maximum allowed distance between the midpoint of the mesh edge and the surface) to the resolution of your rapid prototyping machine, approximately 0.005 inches (0.125 millimeters). Once you've found the settings that best suit your model and rapid prototyping machine, this process may become redundant, as you may become accustomed to using proven settings to convert NURBS objects to meshes.

◎After creating the mesh, hide the NURBS objects and use the FlatShade command to inspect the mesh that has not been visually smoothed. If the mesh looks good, you can export it as an STL file; if the mesh quality is poor, you can delete it and create a new mesh using different settings.

◎ When setting mesh transformation options, it's best to change only one setting at a time to compare the impact of the change. If most of the mesh looks good, and only a small portion looks bad, you can set the maximum aspect ratio to a value between 4 and 7. It's generally not worth setting the maximum distance from the surface to the edge to a value smaller than the resolution of the rapid prototyping machine.

SketchUp



Use the extended features to export an STL file .
To draw and print 3D graphics in SketchUp, you must install the extension to export STL files.
There are two ways to install the expansion functionality.
The steps for the first method are as follows:
1. Click "Extensions Storage" on the toolbar.

2. The "Extended Model Library" window will appear. Select the "SketchUP STL" item.

3. The "Install" window will appear. Click "Install".


The steps for the second method are as follows:

1. First, download the extension program. Download page : https://extensions.sketchup.com/en/content/sketchup-stl
The downloaded file is sketchup-stl-2.1.4.rbz, and the 2.1.4 version will vary depending on the version.

2. Select "Window" > "Preferences" from the drop-down menu.

2. Select "Extensions" > "Install Extensions", select the file sketchup-stl-2.1.4.rb that you just downloaded, and then select "Open Existing File".

3. When the following screen appears, press the "Yes" button.

4. When the following screen appears, click the "OK" button, and then click the "OK" button again to close the "System Preferences" window.


5. Click on the "File" drop-down menu. If you see "Export STL...", the installation is successful.

Zbrush

Export as OBJ file
If the sculpted model is to be 3D printed, it must first be saved as an OBJ file and then saved as an STL file using other software.
First, press the Tool menu > Export button, then open the folder you want to save, name it, and click the Save button, as shown in the figure.


[Note]: Only one model can be saved in an OBJ file, and only at the subdivision level currently being edited. If there are multiple objects in the SubTool panel, you need to save them separately, or select the required model and click the save button.

Fusion 360

2. To export a single component or main body, right-click the component or main body name, and select "Save As STL" from the drop-down menu. This will open a layout similar to the one described above, but you can directly export a single component. Alternatively, you can use the " 3D Print " function in the "Make" option of the top toolbar and select the object you want to export.

3. Exporting multiple entities as independent STL files can be achieved by creating a group. First, select "New Group" under the "Create" tool in the toolbar. A small panel will appear. Then, select one or more entities, making sure to switch the "From Bodies" option to select only one entity and press "OK". The group will be displayed at the bottom right. Next, add each additional entity to this group. Finally, right-click the group, select "Save As STL File", and in the "Structure" panel, select "One File".



Once you've successfully transferred the complete STL file, you can import it into your slicing software for 3D printing ! Want to use 3D printing but don't have a 3D printer ? No problem! We also offer 3D printing outsourcing services . Feel free to send us your file (remember to save it as an STL file!) for an initial evaluation!

References:
AutoCAD
AutoCAD

3DS MAX

Soildworks

Rhino

Sketchup

ZBrush

Fusion 360