Simplfy3D STL orientation

[Air Cooled]

What determines .stl orientation when the part file is first dropped onto the build platform in S3D?
Does it mean anything – I mean is it placed a certain way for a reason or is it just random?
I do change the orientation myself if I want to grow a certain way, but I was wondering what does the initial drop mean?

[supertrogdor]

The initial orientation is how the part was exported from the cad software. Sometimes when someone exports it from the software that is the best way to print it. You can always change it to your desired layout in simplify.

[Geoff]

What determines .stl orientation when the part file is first dropped onto the build platform in S3D?
Does it mean anything – I mean is it placed a certain way for a reason or is it just random?
I do change the orientation myself if I want to grow a certain way, but I was wondering what does the initial drop mean?

When you make a 3D model, it stores the point of origin in the STL file. S3D will simply load the model from it's point of origin and it considers that to be the Bottom, or 0 layer. Alot of people on thingiverse will upload a model with absolutely no thought for orientation or scale, which is dissapointing because it's so important.

A very quick way to centre something is load it into makerware, centre it on the platform and then save as a binary STL, it takes all of 5 seconds.

Another way, well the way I normally do it, is in Blender I find a face or vertice on the bottom of the model, I set that to the point of origin and then move the whole model to X,Y,Z 0,0,0 - which then imports directly flat on the build plate.

[Air Cooled]

I always change the orientation to what I want, but that would explain why some files come in from Thingiverse just the way you would grow them, yet others are way off.
Thanx for the replies!

[curious aardvark]

or simply click the 'centre and arrange' button in simplify3d
then you can double click the file and rotate to the best orientation for printing. Use the centre & arrange button to set centre and surface of the build plate at any time.

Sometimes i make an effort to stick the openscad file the right way up and sometimes I simply do it in s3d and export as stl in the right configuration. Depends which is going to be quicker ;-)

[jfkansas]

Command L in S3d now lets you select a face to put to the build plate.