Skip to main content
L
LK_97690241-Visitor
1-Visitor
May 7, 2021
Question

Importing large STL file

  • May 7, 2021
  • 2 replies
  • 1368 views

Hi!

 

One of our partners provided us an stl file for one fo their products. I would like to import it and creo is struggling with it. Are there any options to optimize the import method? Is there any way to reduce polygon number or points during import? Or maybe there is a free conversion software I can use to do it manually?

 

Thank you in advance.

2 replies

KenFarley
KenFarley21-Topaz II
21-Topaz II
May 7, 2021

An stl file is just vertices and faces (triangular, as I recall). It's just data. When Creo reads it in it's just an exact copy of all the data into a model, represented with surfaces, one for each facet. It's a pretty horrible type of file to use for any further modeling - no true surfaces, a simple cylinder is a huge number of facets, etc. There's no way to read it in that makes it smaller.

You could always have the creator of the file use a larger tolerance, which would reduce the size of the file by representing things in a "chunkier" manner, but it will look worse, etc.

Sorry if you have to have an STL for a follow-on process, I've only ever used them as output files from Creo to make rapid prototype parts and the like.

B
23-Emerald III
BenLoosli23-Emerald III
23-Emerald III
May 7, 2021

Much better if you request a STEP file.

What CAD system are they using, as that may open other options.

Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement