Help Converting STLs to Solids

Software Fusion 360 - CAD
1

Hello All,

I am new to the world of machining, software, etc.

I have a project on my hands that I have to push forward.

I am wondering if anyone could assist with taking STL files I have and getting them to be solids so that they can be CNCd.

Thanks!
Thor

2

Depending if they were once created on something like Fusion 360, it can be inserted as a Mesh file and then converted to a solid body very well.

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3

They were designed in Sketchup.

4

Welcome to the Forum!

Did you design them and are you able to access the skp files?

If so, then you can import the SKP files into Fusion rather than using STL as a poor intermediate file. I believe that Fusion will import these as a solid model, but, if not, would, at least, treat them as surfaces which will be easier to convert to solid model.

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5

I guess that was confusing:

You can convert most stl files in Fusion 360 to a body but the ones that convert really well would be a design that could have been made in Fusion 360.

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6

I tried loading the files into Fusion 360 and I’m not sure what functions i should use to make it a solid. Because i made it in Sketchup, the holes in my parts aren’t actually circles. They have many, many segments. When loaded into Fusion, I don’t what to do to make it a single line.

7

I did design them and I can access the skp files. I’ll try it out.

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8

I just processed an old SKP file I had laying around. Here is the process that worked well:

  1. Upload the SKP in the Data Panel.

  2. Open the file. In my case I had three objects. One real body and two faces that were really sketches that I used to generate the body.

  3. I turned off the face objects and clicked on the body, which was shown as a mesh with an Exclamation Mark.

  4. I clicked on the Mesh Tab (Top row, next to Surface), clicked on ‘Prepare->Repair’. Apparently one or more of the faces were facing inside instead of outside. Repair fixed that.
    EDIT: I forgot one step…

  5. Prepare->Generate Face Groups - this will group related faces for conversion into a solid.

  6. I clicked Modify->Convert Mesh, chose the Body, and selected Prismatic Method.

  7. Clicked OK and BOOM! Mesh ready for machining!

9

That is why I provided the links to those two videos. They go thru all the steps.