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SoliForum - 3D Printing Community → 3D Modelling/Scanning/Design → .STL headache
I designed a part in sketchup, downloaded the plugin and saved the file to my desktop. The file ended up on the desktop, but is blank and I cannot open it, or find any .stl files even with pronterface or repetier. Please help. Signed, about to pull my hair out.
Your message isn't real clear. Were you able to get the STL plugin installed to Sketchup? If so then the only way (or at least how I do it) to open a STL file is to start a new Sketchup file an import the STL. The way to create a proper STL file is to export it from your Sketchup model.
I design in Sketchup and export to STL and print all of the time, so know that this is possible.
When you save the Sketchup model as STL, does the plugin tell you how many triangles it exported?
When you say "it is blank", what do you mean? The file size is zero? When it is opened in other programs, you can see nothing?
Download MeshLab and NetFabb Studio (both free) and see if they can see anything in the STL file.
You cannot Open it with Repetier? But you say you cannot "find any STL files" with Repetier. I am confused.
I designed a part in sketchup, downloaded the plugin and saved the file to my desktop. The file ended up on the desktop, but is blank and I cannot open it, or find any .stl files even with pronterface or repetier. Please help. Signed, about to pull my hair out.
O.K. started from scratch.
- draw simple structure
- File<export to DXF or STL
- export<milimeters
- export to dxf options<STL
- save to desktop
- 33 faces exported 0 lines exported 90 objects ignored
- close sketchup
- look at desktop and see file, but looks like a blank sheet of paper as if it is an empty file
- open Meshlab and cannot find file in the open file<desktop menu.
- bang head on desk. Ha ha
any suggestions ?
O.K. started from scratch.
- draw simple structure
- File<export to DXF or STL
- export<milimeters
- export to dxf options<STL
- save to desktop
- 33 faces exported 0 lines exported 90 objects ignored
- close sketchup
- look at desktop and see file, but looks like a blank sheet of paper as if it is an empty file
- open Meshlab and cannot find file in the open file<desktop menu.
- bang head on desk. Ha haany suggestions ?
My Export to DXF or STL is under the Tools menu in Sketchup, but that seems to be a nit.
If you look at a file as it lies on the desktop, the way that it looks has nothing to do with whether it has content or not. What happens if you try to open the file (double click it)? Does it open in one of the mesh programs that you installed? Does Windows ask you what program you wish to use to open the file?
If the file is called "fred.stl", it is hard to see how MeshLab would be unable to find/see the file.
Do you have Windows set up so that you can see the file extensions, or are they hidden? Does the file name look like "fred.stl" or just "fred'?
Jon
When I open with meshlab it tells me file format not supported. Under my file (STL test) it says file type is file. I just don't think the files are getting exported as actual stl's.
Upload your stl to here. http://cloud.netfabb.com/ They will process your file in a few seconds and email you a link. Once you view the link they send you, click it an view your model. If it looks correct it should print.
Sketch up is a pain, there are plenty of free or cheap options to create your models for printing. I know it's not a perfect solution and they all have learning curves but almost ever 3d modeling and rendering program can export STL fine.
Not to belabor the point, I have no problems exporting STLs from Sketchup (using the free plugin). We need to help understand what is going wrong in this particular situation.
Sketch up is a pain, there are plenty of free or cheap options to create your models for printing. I know it's not a perfect solution and they all have learning curves but almost ever 3d modeling and rendering program can export STL fine.
This is a bit of a long shot but are you exporting the model with a line selected?
I have found that if anything is actively selected then it only exports that part, so if you have a single line selected then that is all you get, but of course as there is no surface with the line it just just you a blank file.
As a test you can select half of the model you have and try again to see if that shows up at all.
Also you may want to look at the solid inspector plugin for Sketchup by thomthom. This has saved me loads of work when things don't come out right and the "is not manifold" error pops up but gives little other information. This highlights the error so you correct it. Very useful indeed.
Silly question, but does the file have an extension of .stl? I remember something along the way where some program didn't give it an extension when I hit export. No idea if this was sketchup though.
If that is all ok, have you tried exporting a simple cube?
I think the problem is there is no .stl extension on anything I have exported. I have tried exporting with nothing selected and with the whole thing selected (as in tripple clicking the object first). None of my files ever have an .STL extension. I also downloaded 123D and even that software would not give me an file with an .STL extension. I can save the file and reopen with whichever program created it, but when I save as an STL, it either asks which program to open with or it gives me some kind of "Certificate" file. Out of despiration I used my notebook and even with a diferent computer, I can't get it to work. There's got to be something I am missing during the saving process. I hate to give up on this endevor as it seem soo much fun, but if I can't get the software to work, there's no sense in continuing my order. I am a very mechanically, and somewhat computer literate person, but I am just stumped. Would it help if someone walked me through the process on the phone?
Does anything else have extensions, or is windows set to hide extensions of known file types?
All extensions are hidden. Could that cause the program not to see the file. I would think it would still see that is is an STL even though the icon dosn't show that it is. How do you "show" extensions. Windows 7 BTW.
O.K. quick google serch taught me how to show them. I will try this tonight and post results. Cross your fingers for me.
If this does not fix the problem you are having could you try to post the files your are getting here on the forum? it may have some clue to whats going on even an empty file 
One other thing, you did not mention which stl plugin you are using? there are quite a few... I just tried the cadspan plugin and another plugin(???) on my mac, the cadspan one puts an export menu under tools the other one puts it under the File men. I assume you are using windows(ver? >vista) because you mention 'certificate' type file... I haven't tried it on the windows laptop I have running one of my printers because I have a print running and if/when windows crashes so does the print 
so it will be a little while before I could try it....
I will try that if I can't get it to work tonight. Ya'll are awesome . Thanks for all the input!
WooHoo! I got the file imported. It still saves as some type of certificate, but I can right click the desktop file and open with meshlab, and it works. Now i just need to learn how to use meshlab. Are there any meshlab tutorials dedicated to manifold and slicing? The ones I saw weren't geared toward 3d printing.
Give me a week... working on that one right now... but I've been away from the computer for the past 4 days...
See the post "Modeling Basics" for base information. Updates on the post will follow.
WooHoo! I got the file imported. It still saves as some type of certificate, but I can right click the desktop file and open with meshlab, and it works. Now i just need to learn how to use meshlab. Are there any meshlab tutorials dedicated to manifold and slicing? The ones I saw weren't geared toward 3d printing.
Actually somehow you got your extensions in windows mixed up. Just use the open with and select the box that says always and now double clicking on an STL file will run the program of your choice.
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