Manifold? Non Manifoold? What the heck.

7 Dec, 2018 03:26 PM

I initially posted this in the
¨3D Printers, Makers, DIY hacks, solutions and post printing tools¨ group,
but since it is direct related to FreeCad issues, here I go again:

Yes, I have issues, who does not?

Mine are with the G-code slicers. Nope, I am not crazy, just issues...

So when I export some of my creations from Freecad in *.stl or *.obj, etc, then upload into Merlin it is warning me the object is not Manifold (watertight), and the slicing goes bananas, more or less, some I manage to print with some errors that I can neglect, but some, hey, the slicer would not even slice it, at all.

I need to understand what the problem is, where in thee FreeCad I must go to fix that and how.

Also I need to understand if anybody else here has similar problems, and whit what programs (both ends, designing and slicing) and how do you sort that thing out?

I have looked into MeshLab that in theory can fix it, sometimes the result is even worse. Or is it me... lol

Also the Repetier itself sometimes fixes it, sometimes is only destroying everything or filling in all the holes I need empty.

Need more input from all sorts of experience you guys had.

Are some non free programs more unlikely to issue such error? Like Inventor or Blender or else?

Asking for a friend (I am my best friend, trust me...)

Nemesis

Jan 5, 2019

Hi,

If your mesh is not manifold that means your Solid in Freecad is not a single solid.

what version of freeCAD do you use?

if it is 0.17 and > and you work in the partdesign workbench, a "body" is a single solid, so if your design is composed of various bodies you should merged them with a boolean operation to make them a singl solid.

if you work with part workbench, you have to take care of what solid you are exporting.

share a file, or at least, ask some advice on the freecad forum which is very dynamic

you may also find information here about STL exports

Emil Pop

Jan 8, 2019

Thanks Nemesis for the help, one step at the time I learn how to use it, I come from Inventor, and FreeCad although it behaves similar, it seems to me it is more like a rudimentary pale copy, or is it just me? Lol.

Emil Pop

Jan 13, 2019

one of those days I shall take the time to share the files, time is one luxury I do not have those days, hope to free me a bit, between job, building up a business, learning to swim in FreeCad (total immersion, not draw anything in Inventor for 3 years now, or Autocad for 9 years) and creating up my 3D printer starting from a basic kit 6 months ago and going to the pro level with dual direct drive extruders (for now, hope to go up to 6) that Slicr3 makes me offset supports by 5 centimeters (what the hell is wrong with Slicr3, all the time does thigns eird or wrong?), testing Cura to see how it behaves and trying to understand why my second nozzle does not receive power from Arduino... headache.

And Yes I have installed FreeCad 0.17 from the day one, on damn windows. I guess I shall pass on Linux.

FreeCAD Help & Showcase

Created by Danilo Monteiro on 20 July, 2018

34

1758

Manifold? Non Manifoold? What the heck.

FreeCAD Help & Showcase

Created by Danilo Monteiro on 20 July, 2018

34

1758

Manifold? Non Manifoold? What the heck.

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