Possible to edit .stp file?

[bgc...@gmail.com]

Hi everyone,

I've spent hours trying to edit whpthomas dial indicator: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:41090 .stp file, all i need to do is enlarge the hole slightly to fit my dial indicator. So far i've opened the file in cubify invent, 123d, sketchup, freecad, and blender. I've figured out how to resize the hole in 123d, but am completely unable to measure the current diameter, and it doesn't allow me to enter a new diameter, only an edit value to add/subtract. Cubify invent doesn't let me make any modification to the object at all, it wont even let me change the color which is driving me insane. This has to be the simplest modification on the planet to make and i just can't figure it out. Thanks for any help.

[Wingcommander whpthomas]

What size hole do you need? I will make you a custom one.

[bgc...@gmail.com]

9.51mm would be perfect. I really appreciate it!

[bgc...@gmail.com]

Oh, i forgot to mention i need V2, thanks again!

[Wingcommander whpthomas]

9.51mm would be perfect. I really appreciate it!

 Done!

[bgc...@gmail.com]

Awesome, you're the best! Was it going to be impossible for me to edit the .stp files easily, or did i overlook something simple?

[Wingcommander whpthomas]

Awesome, you're the best! Was it going to be impossible for me to edit the .stp files easily, or did i overlook something simple?

Can't answer that - I don't have Solidwords, but if I import the STEP files into ViaCAD or SharkFX, I can cut holes into them, or use a CSG subtract to chop things out of them. And when I send files to other engineers STEP seems to work just fine.

[DHeadrick]

I think he means STL files.  STP files are easy to modify in any cad package.  STL files are another story.

[Michael Carnright]

I used a drill bit :-D

-Gernreich

[bgc...@gmail.com]

Nope, definitely .stp STEP file, i don't know if i'm just too dense to figure it out, but i was completely unable to make any changes to the file in cubify invent. I was able to modify it in 123d but i couldn't figure out how to measure the radius in that software, and was equally as hopeless in the others i mentioned.

[Joseph Chiu]

STEP files are popular in the mechanical/solid modeling world, while STL files are meshes which do not carry underlying geometric data.   

CAD programs, if they support the STEP format, should allow you to make changes to the part by constructing new geometries -- at least in theory.  I've experienced importing issues or problems with the engine not being able to compute the updated geometry with Alibre and with TurboCAD.

TurboCAD has a "surface modeler" mode of operation which lets me make changes to STL files.  It's what I used to make the modified spool holder for the Replicator.

As for finding the center of a circle -- it might be possible to apply geometric techniques to find a center of a circle by picking three vertices on the cylinder?  I know with TC, there's a "draw a hole through three points" mode that automates that process.

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[David Celento]

What about IGES/IGS format? This generally works well for both solid and surface modelers (which "think" in NURBS) and converts to polygon format for 3d printing.

As an experiment (to simulate what people need to do who use surface modelers that don't read STEP files), I tried to modify your dial gauge adapter, Henry (to move the assy down, due to a shorter neck on my gauge) but editing the STL file was so involved, I gave up.

I use Rhinoceros a lot, which can read STEP files, but it's rare that surface modelers have this feature; thus, I can revisit this in STEP format. However, I feel the OP's pain!

If Thingiverse encouraged IGES/IGS files as well as STL, modifying geometry would be much simpler and FAR more useful -- assuming people understand watertight modeling, obviously.

The problem with STEP files is that (generally) only solid modeling programs will read them. Great for the engineering/science crowd, not so good for the art/architecture/design crowd.