I am using ViaCAD 2D/3D Vers.10 on a Macbook for creating and processing objects for 3D-printing.

But I have a problem to convert (change object type) an imported mesh to a volume because of the limitation to 3000 facets.

So now I am looking for a way to convert the mesh file before I use it in ViaCAD. But for that I need a converting software from STL(mesh) to vc3 (ViaCAD) without limitations in facets.

Have anyone an idea? My searching was unsuccessful by now

Thanks
Jo

If you want to do CAD-like operations on mesh models, shelling or thickening, filleting and blending only work properly in very narrow circumstances even if your model's converted to a solid. Do you want to do CAD-type work on mesh models, like adding screw posts or ribs or flanges? TurboCAD, even the lower-end deluxe version, does that very well, performing booleans between mesh objects as if they're solids, and it is a proper parametric modeller for mesh objects, so has the tools to size and position things properly. I've used TurboCAD for many years and I've developed a methodology in it to shell meshes without having to convert them into solids. Alternatively, you might import your mesh into VC, build features like those posts or ribs as mesh objects using the model as reference, then export all of those objects together and use a mesh program like MeshMixer to boolean them together.

Chris, thanks for the headsup to those apps, they're interesting.

Edited by user Friday, January 24, 2020 9:56:36 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Thanks for your answers by now. I'll check the suggestions to find out what the 's the best way for me.

BTW: Is the limitation to 3000 facets not existent in power pack ???

Thought parallels gave mac users access to Windows? If you want to send me an example file or post it here I'll try power pack mesh to analytical for you see if it's worth while upgrade.

The limitation is still there with power pack. Apparently it never used to be a problem but the converted part was impossible to work with

I heard it was just a massive file and super slow to do anything with so they put a restriction on it of 3000 facets.

Yeah there is an attach radio button on the reply form.

Cheers

I changed the suffix to slt because styl is not allowed to upload. So please change the suffix back to stl

Sure - here comes the "txt" version

SHARK POWER PACK VERSION

Can't upload the bloody thing. Crappy restriction that restricts a file that is no where near the file limit!
I'll keep trying, it's essentially the same.
In shark you get a dialog as attached

Edited by user Tuesday, January 28, 2020 11:59:51 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

The instep-Version works perfect for me - but unfortunately I don't have access to a Windows-System.

But I understood that the transfer also works in ViaCAD(Powerpack). Can you edit the transformed object (e.g. volume operations like divide or join) ?

. . . and save it as an ViaCad volume object (vc3 format) ??

Mac paints you into a corner that limits the choice of software for this, try open-source FreeCAD, available for PC, Mac and Linux. Import a mesh object into FreeCAD, highlight it in the ComboBox panel and, in the Part menu in the Part Workbench (different UIs for different jobs), select "make shape from mesh". It asks you for a tolerance, default .010 works well enough, your KameraAdapter took 10 seconds or so on a very humble 1.6 GHz Celeron laptop to convert to a "shape", then highlight the new shape and again in the Part menu, nominate "create solid from shape". Highlight the Solid in the ComboBox and File|Export to .stp or .step, CAD solid format parts that VC will import.