Stratasys 180-00108 uPrint, Руководство пользователя, Страница: 36 / 68

Stratasys Document Number 206465-0001
Operation 36
Setting up your STL file for printing
This section describes how to:
• Open your STL file with the CatalystEX software.
• Setting the scale and orientation of the part.
• Model material fill type.
• Support material fill types.
• Adding your part to the pack
• Printing your part.
Opening your STL file with CatalystEX:
1. Create an STL file using your CAD software. Refer to your CAD software help section for more
information about converting your CAD drawing into STL files.
2. Open the CatalystEX software.
3. From the File menu select Open STL...
4. Navigate to and Select the STL file that you have created.
Setting the scale of your STL file:
Before you process a part for printing, you can change the size of the part within the build envelope. Every
part has a pre-defined size within the STL file. After you have opened the file you can change the size of
the part produced from the STL file by changing the scale. The scale always relates to the original STL file
size definition.
For example: a cube that is defined as 2 X 2 X 2 can be built to be 4 X 4 X 4 by simply changing the scale
to 2.0. If after changing the scale to 2.0, you decide that a size of 3 X 3 X 3 would be preferred, change the
scale to 1.5 - the scale relates to the original size of 2.0, NOT the resulting 4.0 from the first scale change.
1. Click within the scale input box to type a scale of your choice.
Setting the orientation of your STL file:
The Orientation tab has an expanded model window. It provides options for viewing a part, measuring a
part, orienting a part, processing a part and viewing the layers of a part. How a part is oriented in the
modeling window will determine how the part is oriented when it prints on the modeling base.
Orientation impacts the build speed, part strength, surface finish and material consumption. Orientation
can also affect the ability of CatalystEX to repair any problems with the STL file.
You can choose to Auto Orient your part, which allows CatalystEX to determine the best orientation for the
part, or you can manually change the orientation of your part.
Orientation Considerations:
• Build Speed - Closely related to material use. In general terms, a lesser amount of supports will
allow for a greater build speed.
Another factor affecting build speed is the axis orientation. The printer can build faster across the
X-Y plane than it can along the Z axis. Therefore, orienting a part so that it is shorter within the
modeling envelope will produce a quicker build.