There is an old thread here about scaling in one axis: Autodesk’s Meshmixer (3.2) can do that. I wanted to make a downloaded phone stand wide enough (2.5 x) to be a tablet stand. It’s under the “Edit / Transform” menu item. Solidworks 2015 could read the .stl file, but wouldn’t let me modify scaling for an individual axis.
I also use NetFabb to do a lot of STL manipulation and it works great. You could also use MeshLab to do this, both free
It’s unfortunate that FormLabs chose to lock the 3 axis in Preform, it would be so much easier if that simple function was available within Preform.
Their argument is that there are a lot of CAD programs that can do that so they don’t want to add any complexity to the program, yet by simply asking the end user to open up a CAD program just to perform this simple task, is adding a whole new layer of complexity to the user’s task, one that some users may not able to do.
Somehow it didn’t occur to me to try MeshLab. Thanks for the reminder! I thought NetFabb was a paid and expensive program?
The question of where software should be on the power vs. difficulty-to-learn curve is feedstock for several beer and pizza discussions, I think.
Netfabb basic is free, and does quite a bit “for the money”.
Anyway, when Autodesk bought Netfabb, they renamed Netfabb Basic to just Netfabb. They offer a 30 day free trial, during which time everything works. After 30 days, you get nagware, and the pro features get locked out, leaving you with Nefabb Basic.
You can download the new Netfabb from Autodesk, or you can download the older versions which Autodesk doesn’t offer anymore (Win 32bit, Linux)
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What is the percentage of users that don’t create their own 3D models and/or don’t already have an mean to modify them ?
Only scaling a part, especially on only one axis, seems like a pretty niche need.
My guess is around 80% of overall printer owners don’t have the software or modeling experience to create their own parts. At a local meetup Friday, I was the only one of four. They got joy from building their own printers, making them work, and understanding the g-code modifications they needed.
I suspect that forum members here probably ALL have modeling capabilities. I certainly don’t want to have CAD software without a printer, and vice-versa.
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Sure, there is a big difference between FDM hobby users and Formlabs consumers. I wonder what someone would do with a Form without CAD capabilities.
Interesting view, although I agree with Paul, I would think that the majority of 3D Printing fans do not have any CAD abilities. I also agree with you that, that situation is much more prevalent on the FDM side of the hobby/business.
It would be very interesting to start a poll to see how many users here (FormLabs forum) have CAD abilities, and what CAD programs they use. I think you’ll probably be surprised to see the actual numbers.
Does anyone know how to start a Poll?