FreeCAD/C3/Working-with-STL-Files-in-FreeCAD/English

Title of the script: Working with STL Files in FreeCAD Author: Jakub Michalski Keywords: FreeCAD, STL, mesh, shape, solid, pocket, 3D modeling, video tutorial.

Visual Cue	Narration
Slide 1 Title Slide	Welcome to the Spoken Tutorial on Working with STL Files in FreeCAD.
Slide 2 Learning Objectives	In this tutorial, we will learn to: Export a FreeCAD model to STL format. Import an STL file into FreeCAD. Convert an STL mesh into a solid. Refine the solid and make modifications.
Slide 3 System Requirements	To record this tutorial, I am using: Windows 11 FreeCAD version 1.0.0
Slide 4 Prerequisite	To follow this tutorial, learners should know the basics of the FreeCAD interface and navigation.
Click Help menu In the drop down click Start.	Let’s open FreeCAD. Go to the Help menu. In the drop down click Start option.
In the start menu, scroll down. Under examples, select the PartDesignExample.FCStd file.	Scroll down to see the examples. Under examples select the PartDesignExample.FCStd file. PartDesignExample model loads in a new file.
Select the body in the model tree. Select file and click export.	Now let us export the FreeCAD file into STL format. Select the Body in the Model tree. Go to File and select Export or press Ctrl + E.
Select the Save as type as STL Mesh (*.stl * .ast) format. Type the File name as Example.stl and click Save.	Export File dialog box opens. In the dialog box, select the Save as type as STL Mesh format. Type the File name as Example and click Save. Users can save the file with some other name as well. This exports the part as an STL mesh file.
Select file and click new.	Now, let’s create a new file.Go to File click New
Select file and click import. Set the file type to STL Mesh (*.stl *.STL *.ast *.AST) Select the Example.stl file. Click Open.	In the new file, go to File and select Import. Set the file type to STL Mesh. Select the Example.stl file and click Open
STL Model in 3D view	The model is imported into the workspace.
Select the dropdown next to Draw style. Select Flat lines option.	By default the draw style is set to Shaded. Select the dropdown next to Draw style and select Flat lines option.This helps to clearly see the triangular meshes.
Switch to Part Workbench	Switch to the Part Workbench.
In the model tree select the model mesh.Go to the Part menu. Click Create shape from mesh option.	In the model tree select the model mesh.Go to the Part menu and click Create shape from mesh option.
Point to the pop window Click OK.	Shape From Mesh pop up window opens. Let’s leave the settings as default and click OK.
Show the model tree. Click the eye icon to hide the mesh.	A new Shape object is created in the tree.Hide the old Mesh object by clicking on its eye icon.
Show in the model.	This shape now allows selection of faces, edges, and vertices.We can use it for measurements or further modeling.
Select the shape object from the model tree. Select part. Click Convert to solid.	To create a solid, select the shape object . Go to the Part menu and click Convert to solid.
Show the model tree. Click the eye icon to hide the Shape object.	A new Solid object appears in the tree.Hide the Shape object as before. Now we can see only the Solid object
Select the solid object. Select the Part menu. Click Check geometry. Check the box for Advanced shape content and leave others as default. Click Run Check in the menu. Select the drop down of the shape content. Show the solid. Click Close.	To check if it’s a valid solid, select the solid object from the model tree. Go to the Part menu and select Check Geometry. In the left panel, Settings menu opens with check boxes. Check the box for Advanced shape content and leave others as default.Click the Run Check button in the menu.. Now select the drop down of the shape content. You can see the shape type as solid. Now click the Close button.
Select the Solid object. Select the Part menu. Click create a copy. Click refine shape.	To remove redundant faces, select the solid object from the model tree. Go to the Part menu, click Create a copy. From the submenu select Refine shape.This cleans up planar faces left by the mesh conversion.
Model showing refined solid	The refined model now appears smoother and cleaner.
Switch to Part Design Workbench	Let’s now switch to the Part Design Workbench to modify the solid.
Select the refined solid. Click Create Body.	Select the refined solid in the tree.Click on the Create Body tool.This converts it into a BaseFeature under the Body.
Click on the workspace. Set the view to top. Select the bottom face of the hole. Click Create Sketch.	Click on the blank space to deselect the selection. Set the view to top. Select the bottom face of the hole and click Create Sketch.
Select the Toggle grid tool. Select the Toggle snap tool. Select the drop down near the toggle snap tool. In the drop down enable Snap to grid.	In the Sketcher, let's draw a circle in the middle of the hole. Select the Toggle grid tool. Select the Toggle snap tool. Now select the drop down near the Toggle snap tool. In the drop down ensure Snap to grid is enabled.
Now select toggle construction geometry tool. Show the tools.	Now select Toggle construction geometry tool. Some sketcher tools now appear in blue colour. This mode is used to draw construction lines. These construction lines do not appear in the final sketch.
Select the View section tool. Select the Create line tool. Zoom in to the hole.	Select the View section tool. Select the Create line tool. Zoom in to the hole.
Place the cursor where the left side of the circle touches the grid. Left click and draw a straight line to the right end of the circle. Place the cursor where the top side of the circle touches the grid. Left click and draw a straight line to the bottom of the circle.	Place the cursor where the left side of the circle touches the grid. Left click and draw a straight line to the right end of the circle. Do the same to draw a line from top to bottom.
Select the Toggle construction geometry tool.	Now select the Toggle construction geometry tool. This exits the construction mode.
Select the create circle tool. Place the cursor near the intersection of the two construction lines.	Select the Create circle tool. Place the cursor near the intersection of the two construction lines. One of the lines will turn yellow in color. You can see the constrain symmetric symbol appears near the cursor.
Draw a circle. Select the dimension tool. Set the Diameter to 25mm. Click close.	Left click in the middle and draw a circle. Set the diameter to 25 mm using the Dimension tool. Close the sketcher.
Select Pocket tool. Select the type as through all. Click ok.	With the sketch selected, click on the Pocket tool.In the dialog box, set the Type to Through All.Click OK.
Show the model.	A hole is now created through the solid.This shows how we can edit STL models in FreeCAD after conversion.
Select the file and click Save As. Enter the name as Example_edited. Click Save.	To save the file, go to File and click Save As.Enter the file name as Example_edited.FCStd and click Save. Users may save the file with a different name.
Slide 5 Summary In this tutorial, we learnt to: Export a FreeCAD model to STL format. Import an STL file into FreeCAD. Convert an STL mesh to a solid. Refine the solid and modify it in Part Design.	With this we come to the end of this tutorial. Let us summarize.
Slide 6 Assignment Import Example.stl file into FreeCAD. Convert it to a solid and refine it. Create a circle of 30 mm in the center of the hole Extrude the sketch 70 mm.	As an assignment, please do the following:
Slide 7 Thank You	This Spoken Tutorial is brought to you by EduPyramids Educational Services Private limited SINE IIT Bombay Thank you for joining.

Contributors and Content Editors

Ketkinaina, Madhurig