Slicing STL's along x and y axis

[jam1962]

If my cnc machine is 3 foot long and my model is 6 foot how can I cut it in half, run the two peices and then glue them togeather. I have cut 3d but it only allows for z axis slicing, I have acess to Rhino but dont know how to use it very well.

[ger21]

Don't have a simple answer. Editing an .stl file can be very difficult. If you created the model, the easiest way would probably be to cut it in half before exporting the .stl files. Does Cut3D have an option of machining only half the part, or specifying a machining area?

[jam1962]

Thanks Gerry, Cut 3D will let you slice a model on the z axis only, so if if i have a 6 inch thick nodel I can slice it into two or more slices. no I havent made the model's myself. I was hoping for a farily easy solution.

[jeffery71]

Rhino4 works ok for trimming or slicing Stl.'s. If its a big file sometimes its a bit slow.

import your stl. into rhino 4

Create a Plane using the "plane" comand or selecting it from the menu. Make the plane larger than the mesh you are spliting

Orient the plane over the model that you want sliced and where you want
it sliced.

Use the "MeshSplit" command or select it from the menu. Then select your mesh that you want to split. hit enter.. and next select the plane you created as the cutting object hit enter and wait.

If it is a stl. with alot of faces it may take awhile.


There are faster tools for slicing large stl's than Rhino. Aspire works really nice. VRmesh is another nice program. Both cost $$$ though!

If you have any problems slicing it send me the file and I'll slice it for you

Jeff T.

http://www.3dcarvestudio.com

[jam1962]

Thanks Jeff, I was able to slice it the waqy you said with Rhino, now to see if it works well on the machine. Aspire would be good to have but a bit out of my range at the moment, plane on upgrading cut2d to vcarve if I ever get called back to work. Thank you for your knowhow. jay

[ger21]

Jeff, how do you slice an .stl in Aspire? I think I know how to machine just a portion of it, but you can't actually slice it, as there are no mesh editing tools in Aspire.

[jeffery71]

Gerry,

When you do it in Aspire you are making a different stl. so it technically is not the same model as far as how the polygons are laid out. But here is how you do it

Import your stl into Aspire. It will be a Component when you import it. (it will be gray color)

Use the Component Manager to "Copy Into Model" (it now will be a yellow color)

Draw a rectangle that covers half the model it should be lined up in the center where you want the split to be and should cover the whole model. See pic.


Then under modeling tools select clear inside area.

Make that into a compontent.

Copy the orginal component into the model and this time select Clear Outside Vectors. ..

You end up with two components like shown below.



Then export each component seperatly as a stl.

It sounds more complitcated than it actually is.

Rhino and Aspire are my two favorite programs!


Jeff T.

http://www.3dcarvestudio.com

[ger21]

That's what I thought you were doing, but as you say, it's not actually slicing it, as it creates a new .stl if you export it. Thanks.

[LEEJAKES]

Hi how would you go about doing this in rhino we have trouble splitting 3d STL's into smaller pieces.

[jeffery71]

See post #4 above for instructions on slicing a stl in Rhino... It needs to be version 4 of Rhino


Jeff T.

http://www.3dcarvestudio.com

[cabnet636]

you could get someone with aspire to tool path a front and back with the same model using the same vector for the split

jim