Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] digitized elevation grid to STL code & Windoze.exe software released for free....

Hi Michael,

A few resources:

http://www.vr.clemson.edu/rp/rp_stlfile.htm from Doug Fortune

http://www.micromouse.ca/ AccuTrans 3D (Fred, Vector)

Watch Doug's email for release of CNC_STL.EXE, which will take a set of
points (point cloud) and generate a BIN STL file. The STL file can be
read by STLwork, or STLtrans, and converted to a surface DXF file.

I don't know what Dolphin wants, but I suspect it will like DXF's.

Doug and a few of us have been corresponding off-line on the CNC_DXF
code. The STLtrans program can take EDM files and generate STL's. If
you can genearate a point cloud, the new AccuTrans can read point
clouds.

a portion of Doug's code should be able to get my digitizing data into
STL's. AND, finally, my DLG's!

Doug's email had the STL definition, it's really a quite simple format:

The ASCII format is described as followed:
<STL file>::=<facet 1><facet 2>...<facet n>
<facet>::=<normal>< vertex 1>< vertex 2><vertex 3>
<normal>::=<lx><ly><lz>
< vertex >::=<x><y><z>

<BINARY STL file format>::=<STL file entity name><facet number N><facet
info>
<STL file entity name >::=<80 bytes entity name, spaces are used to
fill the blank>
<facet number N>::=<4 bytes long integer>
<facet info>::=<facet normal><facet vertices><2 bytes spaces><facet
normal ><facet vertices><2 bytes spaces> ... ...
<facet normal>::=<lx,ly,lz, float, 12 bytes>
<facet vertex coordinates>::=<x1,y1,z1,x2,y2,z2,x3,y3,z3, float, 36
bytes>

HTH

Alan KM6VV


Michael Milligan wrote:

>
> I have recently been asked about the Import of .STL
> files into Dolphin but so far have been unable to find
> any information about .STL through our UK sources.
> I would appreciate some initial information on these files :-
>
> What is an STL file.
> Is the format defined somewhere.
> Is it a proprietary file format or a
> general standard format.
> What software produces STL files.
>
> Thanking you in advance
>
> Regards