CADfix STL Creation and Reverse Engineering

CADfix offers extensive faceted model processing tools including: STL file creation, the processing and repair of imported STL and other facet files, and the reverse engineering of facet models to BREP CAD geometry.

STL Creation and Repair

The robust CADfix STL export offers the user full control over the STL file triangle density and quality. A “Minimal” STL option controls the chord deviation from the original CAD model and is ideal for visualization and DMU applications where a lightweight representation is required for viewing, packaging or clash detection. The “Quality” STL option generates an analysis-style mesh with equilateral triangles and greater user control over facet length, turn angle, growth rate and more.

CADfix robust STL creation with advanced user control

CADfix also provides a set of diagnostic checks and repair tools to find and fix problems in imported faceted models. The source of the model could be an STL file or another faceted file format imported in to CADfix. The user can scan for and fix common issues such as low facet count, invalid triangles, holes in the model, zero area triangles, folded and intersecting triangles, and internal voids.

Reverse Engineering (Back to CAD)

CADfix can import a faceted model from formats including JT, STL, 3D PDF, CATIA V5 CGR and CATIA V4 SOLM. These can then be reverse engineered into general CAD BREP models defined using NURBS and analytic surface geometry.

CADfix automatically splits the imported faceting into regular regions of triangles and trims them to creates new BREP CAD geometry and topology from these regions. Full automation is possible where the original faceted model contains clearly defined facet groupings or when detectable feature lines exist in the faceted model.

The CADfix reverse engineered BREP geometry can be exported to CAD as a usable model for design purposes, or to CAE systems for meshing and analysis.

Faceted model imported, split into sub-regions, and new CAD geometry created