Feature request for STL and mesh files

Feature requests
1

Please follow the format below for requesting a feature.

The problem that this feature will solve:

A way for Shapr3D to take MESH or STL files and create a negative of the item so that you have an externally workable file that is native inside shapr3D. If I had a simple X Y Z calibration cube in STL format that i wanted to import and make changes to, I would have to natively recreate it. But if there is a way I can have Shapr3D create a negative (example: take a larger cube, put the STL file inside that cube, and subtract it), that cube I made in Shapr3D now becomes a mesh file that is uneditable, and its just a negative. If the process could be done again, then you take that negative and fill in a void and that positive file could be a workable file.

Brief description of the outcomes that you expect from this feature:

This feature would allow shapr3D users to start working with mesh objects where we need to make modifications to existing STL or meshf iles.

What can’t you achieve without this feature?

This will help break down the barrier for CAD modeling and design for complex structures (airplanes as one example) where you only need externally accurate copies of an STL but need to make modifications or break an item apart and create internal features from a solid mass.

2

Not a dev or Shapr team member

This is 2 different types of modeling, solid vs surface. Generally these are 2 completely different CAD programs that work independently. Converting to stl is fairly straight forward, converting to solid is very difficult as with surface modeling geometry is less defined, even a flat surface that is made of hundreds of triangles would require a program to determine that it’s flat. Complex shapes may take too much to interpret what features are and how to re-create them in a solid form.

There are programs that can modify stl files and there are a few that advertise conversions of stl into step files for importing into Shapr and other solid modeling programs. I haven’t found a reliable or workable free conversion site or software.

Or perhaps one of the available AI programs can convert an stl to a step file since they have the computing power to process such complex geometry, might be worth looking into.

3

I understand, I just think that this could be a nice feature request that can be very useful if we only care about really trying to take STL files, get the surface characterized enough to be able to model off of, and then we can cut the model up in half or so and make any internal subtractions or additions as necessary.