Leading global interoperability solution provider, International Technegroup Incorporated (ITI), is pleased to announce the release of CADfix STL, a free desktop application for generating high-quality, watertight STL files.
CADfix STL generates high-quality STL files from imported STEP or IGES CAD models, with user options to define the required mesh style and close control over triangle sizing parameters. The resulting mesh can be exported to STL, a neutral mesh file, or the .nas and .odb formats for downstream reuse.
The different mesh style options enable users to produce high-quality triangles suitable for downstream CFD analysis and other simulation applications or to generate a minimal mesh giving a lightweight representation for visualization. In each case, configurable mesh parameters, including sag distance, turn angle, and edge length, allow close control over the fidelity of the mesh produced.
When generating quality facets, advanced mesh sizing parameters such as expansion rate, minimum edge length, and a minimum number of triangles per edge provide the user with greater control over the properties of the STL mesh produced. An additional option to smooth the mesh can also be employed to post-process the facets and ensure a more regular distribution.
CADfix STL gives users full access to the associated CAD model attributes and assembly product structure, with the ability to read and modify properties such as color, layer, and label.
Before exporting to STL, the user can preview the mesh, allowing tolerances to be modified quickly to ensure that an appropriate mesh is achieved consistently.
When exporting, the user can separate the model into multiple STL files, with a different STL file for each part, or separate STL files based on matching attributes of the CAD faces such as color, layer, and label.
CADfix STL is the latest addition to the product CADfix family, founded on ITI’s extensive geometry handling expertise and aimed at solving complex CAD interoperability problems. For CAD models that require repair, defeaturing, simplification, or other advanced geometry processing as part of the PLM workflow, users can upgrade to the CADfix Data Exchange, CADfix PPS, or CADfix Viz solutions.
