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STL Files

Read and write STL files (ascii and binary formats)

(175 downloads for this version - 806 downloads for all versions)

Details

Version

1.0
A more recent valid version with binaries for Scilab exists: 2.1

Author

Jerome Briot

Maintainer

Jerome Briot

Categories

Data Handling

Domain-Specific

License

BSD (4.4)

Supported Scilab Version

5.5

Creation Date

August 26, 2016

Description

            Toolbox to read and write STL files (ascii and binary formats)

* Installation:
1. Download and extract the Zip file
2. Run builder.sce script in the sources folder 
3. Run loader.sce script in the sources folder 
4. Run demos in the *demos* folder 

* To read data from a STL file:
t = stlread(filename, fmt)

* To write data to a STL file:
stlwrite(t, filename, fmt)

Arguments:
- filename: a character string containing the path of the STL file
- fmt: a character string specifying the format of the STL file (e.g.
"ascii" or "binary")
- t: a tlist of type stldata

* Data storage:
Data are stored in a tlist of type stldata

The list fields are:
- header: the string at the begining of the STL file
- x: a [3xn] matrix wich represent the X coordinates of the model (one colum per
facet)
- y: a [3xn] matrix wich represent the Y coordinates of the model (one colum per
facet)
- z: a [3xn] matrix wich represent the Z coordinates of the model (one colum per
facet)
- normals: a [3xn] matrix wich represent the normals of the model (one colum per
facet)

* Data display in the Scilab console:

The display of the data is overloaded. Example:

-->t
 t  =
 
 Summary
   Header:    >3D Systems - View: ship.stl                                   
                
   #faces:    828 triangles
   #vertices: 2484 (non unique)

 Vertices coordinates [x y z] (first 5 only)
   2.02900 1.62800 0.91100
   2.22900 1.62800 0.91100
   2.22900 1.67200 0.91100
   2.22900 1.67200 0.91100
   2.02900 1.67200 0.91100
   ...

 Normals coordinates [x y z] (first 5 only)
   0.00000 0.00000 0.00000
   0.00000 0.00000 0.00000
   1.00000 1.00000 1.00000
   0.00000 0.00000 0.00000
   0.00000 0.00000 0.00000
   ...


* 3D model display:
The 3D model is displayed using the plot3d function:

figure

tcolor = 2*ones(1, size(t.x,"c"))

plot3d(t.x, t.y, list(t.z,tcolor));

a = gca()
a.isoview = "on"

Files (1)

[20.35 kB]

stlfiles.zip

Source code archive

Upload date : 2016-08-26 12:22:33
MD5         : 5f2c4b1d19313251c562295581c37aff
SHA1        : d113a9df018654a74aa6f653c6e0b30742eced09
Downloads   : 175

News (0)

Comments (4) ↑ Leave a comment

Comment from Remo De Donno -- March 17, 2017, 11:49:17 AM

To whom it may concern,

could you please share an example (demo) for writing an STL from a given surface?
The demos available are only for reading STL.

I have a surface (X,Y,Z) coordinates and I would like to export it in STL format.

Thank you and best regards,
Remo

Answer from Jerome Briot

-- March 17, 2017, 02:21:01 PM

Try this:

[X,Y] = meshgrid(-1:.1:1,-1:.1:1);
Z = X.^2-Y.^2;

[m, n] = size(X)

X = X.'
Y = Y.'
Z = Z.'

idx = []
subidx = [1:n-1 2:n ; 2:n n+2:2*n ; n+1:2*n-1 n+1:2*n-1]
for k = 1:m-1
    idx = [idx subidx+n*(k-1)]    
end

t = tlist(["stldata", "header", "x", "y",
"z", "normals"], "", [], [], [], [])
t.header = ''
t.x = matrix(X(idx), 3, -1)
t.y = matrix(Y(idx), 3, -1)
t.z = matrix(Z(idx), 3, -1)
t.normals = zeros(t.x)

stlwrite(t, "test.stl", "binary")

Answer from Jerome Briot

-- March 17, 2017, 03:32:26 PM

This answer has been deleted.

Comment from Remo De Donno -- March 24, 2017, 04:16:42 PM

Hi, 

when I try the example I get:

 !--error 999 
mprintf: Wrong number of input arguments: data do not fit with format.
at line       7 of function %stldata_p called by :  
t = tlist(["stldata", "header", "x",
"y","z", "normals"], "", [], [], [], [])


thank you

Answer from Jerome Briot

-- March 24, 2017, 08:42:52 PM

Sorry, there is a faulty line break in the example. 

You should add .. at the end of the line :

t = tlist(["stldata", "header", "x", "y", ..
"z", "normals"], "", [], [], [], [])

Comment from Remo De Donno -- March 27, 2017, 09:30:34 AM

Hi,

even trying .. I get the same error.

Also trying 

t = tlist(["stldata", "header",
"x","y","z", "normals"], "", [], [], [],
[]) 

(everything on the same line) the error message is the same.

The Scilab version I use is the 5.5.2.

Thank you

Comment from Remo De Donno -- March 27, 2017, 12:33:24 PM

Hi, 

I solved using the version 2.0 of this utility.

Since the "loader" is not available for this version (and the one of the previous
version
returns an error") the files "stlwrite.sci" and "stlread.sci" are
executed explicitely.

Answer from Jerome Briot

-- August 11, 2018, 02:23:58 PM

Hi,

better late than never, but you have to execute builder.sce to generate loader.sce