Cheers TIG,

zip Combo works first time out on the Mac, great to see them altogether now, well done...

still get the 5th button? maybe Jeff could see if it replicates on his Mac.

Jeff, if I open SU with the toolbar off, and then open it I get 4 EEby... tool buttons, if I open SU having not turned off EEby...TB before quiting, I get a 5th button, it does nothing except changes colour, everthing works if it's there or not, would you mind checking before I fresh install everything again? it might be a Mac thing...

john

just the fn file???

cheers for the review Chuck,

I haven't stumbled across it before and just followed a press release for the new version, I put an SU question up on their forum and had a response instantly, very keen to fill any workflow holes. I've been using SolidThinking, SharkFX and Rhino on and off the last couple of years and this seems way easier to get my head around.

can you give Whatt's UVtools a spin and see how it performs?

john

Allen, a Ruby 'spec' is exactly what we need for the resident ruby masters, I know there is interest in 3D printing amongst them, so a clear 'spec' could lead to a wish-list request.
As you say just using a style (e.g.CadSpan style) doesn't do it, I often make a cube and instigate a mock BoolTools operation with the part I'm preparing, this tells me if I've got two solids at least, however it doesn't highlight the problems like VolumeCalculator will.

As far as I'm aware there isn't a bomb-proof 3D design>3D print solution available for any platform at any price, I have friends who are buying a Zcorp machine and their having to have Catia 'optimised' for that, so even at the big buck end it's not fully resolved. Their all WRC technicians and can't believe that F1 would even contemplate 'track-side' 3D printed parts for next season, as reported in the press late last year)

just a thought, (that may just highlight my ignorance) can a UV map (effectively a 'shrinkwrap') be repurposed (with surface normals,etc...) as an export model?

Marian, thanks for the link, the PDF re: drawing prep is better written then a lot out there and well worth a look for anyone dipping in for the first time. Although it's basic at least they show SU examples. I'll email the company and see if they can contribute to a ruby 'spec'.

Modelhead it's amasing how much 'hidden even deeper' than 'hidden' geometry that turns up when you really need to get rid of it.
I've been using TT's 'EraseCoplanar' a lot lately and find it better than a couple of older ones I've used in the past, and the .stl converter you can't find is probably called skp_to_dxf.rb (stl is an option), I keep going back to this one for some reason. I'll attach it.
john
skp_to_dxf.rb

@alan fraser said:

You can pre-check any stl file using the Redeye (sub-division of Stratasys) Discover STL viewer...it's free. This will allow you to see any faults in the model and also determine the minimum size you'll need to print in order not to lose existing essential detail.

Hi Allen,

thanks for the information, unfortunately this 3D print specific STL analiser tool (like any I've found) doesn't work on a Mac, also with this (like all mesh checkers) you need to go back and forth between any them and SU [or any other free or open-source app.] to carry out the repairs and then check them again.

The original mesh detail is the most critical component to successful printing and I believe with, mindful construction, SU + clever rubies it is possible to produce the quality needed for 1200 DPI wax printing (<320 DPI for most plasters,plastics&metals), but it takes time to move the files in and out, so I'm looking for ways of doing it all in-house SU.

Any chance of talking your son into having a look at the Shapeways API and advise what route would work from within SU (and could made be Mac friendly)?

shapeways_model_upload_interface___20091211_0_9.pdf

If we can knock SU into shape now, it and us will be ahead of the game when the >500€ HP printers arrive... [we have a little time]

Cheers

john

@d12dozr said:

@unknownuser said:

What file formats does Shapeways accept?
You can upload STL, VRML2/97, COLLADA or X3D files to Shapeways.

John, can't you just use Collada(native SU export since ver 7.1)?

they still have some issues with their .dae translator, but I hope that's sorted by the time I can produce a watertight SU model (without external apps)

the other thing I'm attempting is an accurate SU material to represent printed stainless steels texture

any ideas on how to get a side layered texture not to wrap an organic shape, whilst ignoring the underlying mesh. as if printed?

@d12dozr said:

@unknownuser said:

What file formats does Shapeways accept?
You can upload STL, VRML2/97, COLLADA or X3D files to Shapeways.

John, can't you just use Collada(native SU export since ver 7.1)?

Can the error detection be split out on it's own for a fast watertight check?

@tig said:

http://www.shapeways.com/tutorials/sketchup_3d_printing_export_to_stl_tutorial ?

Accutrans doesn't run on a Mac, and it's still having to go through at least two other apps to get a watertight mesh, I've used VolumeCalculator v2 to show me if it's watertight, but it can take 2-3 hrs on some of my sub-components on there own. I've been waiting for you to finish the RRby.. series before harassing you about possibilities for VC

@d12dozr said:

I didn't quite understand what you are saying here...are you trying to get from SU to a format that Shapeways accepts?

Firstly, everyone (that knows about it) in the states appears use Shapeways. They have a flat rate pricing system that's hard to be beat, have a wonder around the forum and you'll see even a some of USA 3D printshops are regular contributors/users.

For more conventional (none metal) presentation models the SU/CADSpan plugin and service are stateside. Shapeways offers something different, both from a product and a business model perspective.

The missing links are more to do with fine detail, accurate engineering product models that can be post processed to high tolerances. And that I can generate on a Mac.

so, (as TIG has shown up here) rubies like his VolumeCalculater's and some of the shrink wrap efforts need speed improvements to be viable for all in SU output,

one of the thing's I'm trying to get to work more efficiently is a letter stringer, so that a buyer can add there name to a curved tubular object, there's some image over at Chris's ComponantBender thread.

As far as getting them into Shapeways goes, there are file problems that require going into MeshLab or similar before export and I mentioned in another post that there is a Shapeways API available that would take you to the shop for pricing, ect... but it need pur(SU)ing by a ruby master..

I think a permanent 3D printing thread should be contemplated...

john

hi fellow Mac users,

I just downloaded and had a play SU .stl export in the new release of Cheetah and it seem very nice indeed, but you can't export with the trial version so

I'm just wondering if anyone uses it and if it works with Whatts UVtools, it certainly looks like it will and is very reasonably priced...

so any reviews from Mac/SU users?

http://www.cheetah3d.com/index.php

TIG,

you'll need to write an EarPlug.rb for the SU DIY'ers to make there own

yep, seriously cool technology,

I've been trying to sort out a set of rubies for 3D printing in stainless from Shapeways, I think SU is as close as any other package to do it all in a single package, only a few loose ends.

At the moment small bespoke (i.e. add your own name, tweek the size, etc) objects are do-able at a reasonable price with almost zero financial input from the designer, but I don't want to submit any until I can get from concept to printer all from SU... I know people already do it with architectural models, but with high res 3.2mm wire-form bicycle parts it's a little trickier

the wife does not understand...

Hi TIG,

the fifth button comes and goes depending on the last saved state,

if I turn Extrusion Toolbar off before quitting SU when I turn it back on it stays as 4 buttons for that session, any number of drawings.

if I don't turn it off before quitting SU it reappears with a 5th button.

not a big deal, but really hard to figure out when working on hi-poly drawings that I turn on and off all the time to let SU have a rest.

Only just now found some time to put my finger on a pattern and test the theory.

that's why it went away with the fresh instal and stayed away until I shut down for dinner, reappeared when I turned back on and has been subconsciously driving me nuts for the last 4 hours, even though it's not effecting anything else...

It may just be my machine, so if any other Mac user with all 4 installed wants to quit SU with it (the toolbar) open and see if they get an extra button on restart, and let me know, I'd be grateful.

john

single Hot Key expandable and there at least one app that changes the wheel to a sub-menu when you click it, ideal for the minimalist look
I think it's a mix of java and apple-script so I have emailed the author to see if he like rubies and SU, no response...
yet

john

always forget the link.....
http://www.old-jewel.com/trampoline/video/index.html

worth a read

http://www.shapeways.com/blog/archives/358-HP-3D-printing-PLASTIC-JAM-OPEN-INPUT-TRAYS.html

double success, only four buttons, Plugin Menu working and everything else back in...

@tig said:

Here's v2.3 - a typo preventing the Plugins Menu item from working has been corrected. :oops:

hi, after fresh instal of SU7, + v2.3, I have Plugin Drop-Down Menu functionality on EEbyR only, is the same typo in the others?

still got my extra Button, you'll just have to do an extra tool for it...

cheers john

@tig said:

I think you are not getting anything in the Plugins Menu on a Mac

I stripped out everything on my Mac, copied the entire (intact, clean, fresh, working with 4 Buttons) SU Plugins folder over my network from the wife's MacBook and I still get the fifth button, I may as well do a fresh instal of SU before I really need to get in with some work...

john

Morning TIG,

UPDATE on the Mac extra button...

I just did a complete brand new instal of SU7.1 + SU (standard issue) rubies on my wife MacBook (she left it at home, not me),

I then downloaded into and unzipped all 4 EEby folder into the SU /Plugins/Examples folder, then copy/pasted 1 x #ex...;1 x deB...;1 x TIGGtools and 1 of each EEby...

I then opened the other /Plugins/Example/EEby.../TIGtools folders one at a time and copy/pasted the contents into /Plugins/TIGtools and said yes replace duplicates

I then trashed the zips and folders in Examples and fired up SU for the first time ever on that machine

The upshot is I only have the four[4] correct buttons, hooray, however the plugin menu functionality is still missing.

So the extra button must be a clash on my setup, so I'll remove DrivingDimensions and Kirril's rubies (as I've had global setting problems related to them before) and see if that sort's out my extra button issue.

BTW... there all fantastic tools and I'm only trying to be helpful, so tell me if it's not.