I dont know what I did. Whats this?

[user name]

When I get done designing a crown (3shape),I close the file. Open manufacturing directory, find the case and right click, select send to documents. In the manufactring directory, each case used to be one line. now it shows two lines.. under the column 'type', one line is a PTS file, the other is the STL. I just sent the STL line to documents. When I look there in documents, all the previous cases start with a yellow folder looking thing. The last one I just sent doesnt have that...it has a grey sideways triangle thingy. Under the column 'type', all the previous say File Folder. This latest one says STL 3D Model File.

What did I screw up?

 

[CoolHandLuke]

nothing. the pts file is typically import-able by several systems to use to detect the margin line. we get cases from some people that import in sum3d the wrong orientation; if they had sent the pts i could use that to mark the margin, but it really isnt absolutely necessary and really would not save much time. i can after all re-orient and re-mark the margin in a similar timeframe.

this file is generated because 3shape's manufacturing process for this particular material has a tickbox ticked, labelled "Milling"

if this tickbox was unticked the file would not try to add Drill compensation, nor output a pts file. saves you from re-checking and checking drill compensation settings in dentaldesigner.

if you try to open the pts file you will see it is one-sided, narrow and margin line shaped. since you open it in the "stl file viewer" program bundled with your 3shape system, it now will try to read all the pts files with that viewer. standard windows procedure.

if this last case has no pts file that would mean you used a different material for the two cases we are discussing.

 

[Edward123]

nothing. the pts file is typically import-able by several systems to use to detect the margin line. we get cases from some people that import in sum3d the wrong orientation; if they had sent the pts i could use that to mark the margin, but it really isnt absolutely necessary and really would not save much time. i can after all re-orient and re-mark the margin in a similar timeframe.

this file is generated because 3shape's manufacturing process for this particular material has a tickbox ticked, labelled "Milling"

if this tickbox was unticked the file would not try to add Drill compensation, nor output a pts file. saves you from re-checking and checking drill compensation settings in dentaldesigner.

if you try to open the pts file you will see it is one-sided, narrow and margin line shaped. since you open it in the "stl file viewer" program bundled with your 3shape system, it now will try to read all the pts files with that viewer. standard windows procedure.

if this last case has no pts file that would mean you used a different material for the two cases we are discussing.

Cool Hand... Your reply raised a question for me. I don't do any milling myself but recently I received a call from one of my outsource millers after sending in some single units for wax printing - that they were in the wrong orientation. Not knowing what this meant, we were asked to do a re-model (3shape) and re-send. I was informed that the second set was fine. After, I asked what this was all about and the explanation was somewhat confusing. They were talking about the orientation having most to do with bridges do to a bending software procedure but they were unable to tell me how I could check to make sure if my files were oriented properly. Would you be willing to explain in some detail what this is about and if I have any control over it?

 

[CoolHandLuke]

your outsource center must not want to use their software very hard. it is a printer. technically it will print in any orientation. there are orientations with best results though. we print every unit in a specific orientation but only because we are anal-retentive.

all printers have the ability to re-orient the part. to change the print angle. to optimize the amount of supports required. to optimize the surface finish.

unless your stl had corrupted (which is nobody's fault) i know of no reason to ask you to re-generate your stl, nevermind the fact that re-generating does not re-orient anything.

milling however is a different story. specially sum3d.

in certain rare cases sum3d doesnt seem to be able to detect a margin nor identify the prep direction. it just won't do it. i never understood why. but again as long as the unit imports into the software, youll be able to manually mark the margin and find the proper prep direction without any problem.

same with delcam.

 

[Edward123]

your outsource center must not want to use their software very hard. it is a printer. technically it will print in any orientation. there are orientations with best results though. we print every unit in a specific orientation but only because we are anal-retentive.

all printers have the ability to re-orient the part. to change the print angle. to optimize the amount of supports required. to optimize the surface finish.

unless your stl had corrupted (which is nobody's fault) i know of no reason to ask you to re-generate your stl, nevermind the fact that re-generating does not re-orient anything.

milling however is a different story. specially sum3d.

in certain rare cases sum3d doesnt seem to be able to detect a margin nor identify the prep direction. it just won't do it. i never understood why. but again as long as the unit imports into the software, youll be able to manually mark the margin and find the proper prep direction without any problem.

same with delcam.

Thanks very much for the helpful info!