& Construction

Integrated BIM tools, including Revit, AutoCAD, and Civil 3D
& Manufacturing

Professional CAD/CAM tools built on Inventor and AutoCAD
Integrated BIM tools, including Revit, AutoCAD, and Civil 3D
Professional CAD/CAM tools built on Inventor and AutoCAD
Streamline the process of handling various CAD data types for high-quality 3D printing.
Type:
Tutorial
Length:
3 min.
Transcript
00:04
Handling CAD data is the first step in creating high-quality printed parts.
00:08
The more types of CAD data you can read, the better,
00:11
as it may enable you to attract more customers and grow your business.
00:16
Yet, with so many different types of CAD files out there,
00:19
each with its own formats and parameters,
00:22
the cost of working with them all can quickly add up.
00:26
Unlike some solutions where you must pay extra for basic functionality like CAD import,
00:31
Netfabb allows you to read data from all commonly used CAD systems,
00:36
including CATIA, NX, Autodesk Inventor, SolidWorks, and many more.
00:42
When opening a CAD file, Netfabb stores the parametric information associated with the file.
00:48
During the import process, you can get to choose the tessellation setting and create a mesh.
00:54
However, you can change the setting at any stage of the print prep process
00:59
by simply re-tessellating the model using the underlying parametric information and optimize your workflow.
01:06
The parametric information stored in the CAD file enables additional workflows,
01:11
such as utilizing the stored face group information for quick surface selection when creating support structures.
01:18
Once the geometry has been read into Netfabb, you can analyze part features to predict cost and build issues.
01:27
By using a low tessellation setting, you can avoid long calculation times.
01:32
For a more accurate measurement, the mesh resolution can easily be increased.
01:37
If there is no CAD data available, Netfabb also has numerous tools to work with mesh files natively for your print preparation needs.
01:46
Netfabb is designed to speed up your workflow by allowing you to import files in batches,
01:52
reducing the time it takes to assess files, estimate build costs, and generate quotations.
01:59
If there are any errors in the file, they can be addressed in just a few clicks
02:04
using Netfabb's powerful mesh analysis and repair tools.
02:08
Netfabb has a powerful mesh editor, enhancing your productivity
02:14
by automatically repairing hundreds of parts at a time in batch repair mode.
02:20
This includes closing holes, eliminating self intersections, and wrapping.
02:25
It also comes pre-loaded with recipes for common repair sequences.
02:30
For special cases, you can create your own mesh repair scripts.
02:35
You can also use manual repair tools to assist in enhancing the manufacturability of a model.
02:41
With Netfabb, you can manually eliminate erroneous triangles, edit meshes,
02:48
and compare repaired parts with your original model
02:51
to determine deviations and verify build geometry.
Video transcript
00:04
Handling CAD data is the first step in creating high-quality printed parts.
00:08
The more types of CAD data you can read, the better,
00:11
as it may enable you to attract more customers and grow your business.
00:16
Yet, with so many different types of CAD files out there,
00:19
each with its own formats and parameters,
00:22
the cost of working with them all can quickly add up.
00:26
Unlike some solutions where you must pay extra for basic functionality like CAD import,
00:31
Netfabb allows you to read data from all commonly used CAD systems,
00:36
including CATIA, NX, Autodesk Inventor, SolidWorks, and many more.
00:42
When opening a CAD file, Netfabb stores the parametric information associated with the file.
00:48
During the import process, you can get to choose the tessellation setting and create a mesh.
00:54
However, you can change the setting at any stage of the print prep process
00:59
by simply re-tessellating the model using the underlying parametric information and optimize your workflow.
01:06
The parametric information stored in the CAD file enables additional workflows,
01:11
such as utilizing the stored face group information for quick surface selection when creating support structures.
01:18
Once the geometry has been read into Netfabb, you can analyze part features to predict cost and build issues.
01:27
By using a low tessellation setting, you can avoid long calculation times.
01:32
For a more accurate measurement, the mesh resolution can easily be increased.
01:37
If there is no CAD data available, Netfabb also has numerous tools to work with mesh files natively for your print preparation needs.
01:46
Netfabb is designed to speed up your workflow by allowing you to import files in batches,
01:52
reducing the time it takes to assess files, estimate build costs, and generate quotations.
01:59
If there are any errors in the file, they can be addressed in just a few clicks
02:04
using Netfabb's powerful mesh analysis and repair tools.
02:08
Netfabb has a powerful mesh editor, enhancing your productivity
02:14
by automatically repairing hundreds of parts at a time in batch repair mode.
02:20
This includes closing holes, eliminating self intersections, and wrapping.
02:25
It also comes pre-loaded with recipes for common repair sequences.
02:30
For special cases, you can create your own mesh repair scripts.
02:35
You can also use manual repair tools to assist in enhancing the manufacturability of a model.
02:41
With Netfabb, you can manually eliminate erroneous triangles, edit meshes,
02:48
and compare repaired parts with your original model
02:51
to determine deviations and verify build geometry.
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