Can you convert STL to DXF?

[Gamble]

Is there a way to me to convert my STL files for my 3d printer to DXF so i can print them on my plasma cnc? Or vicea versa?

[awerby]

A STL file is a way of writing down the vertices of a mesh composed of a lot of triangles connected to one another in 3 dimensions. A DXF file that will drive a plasma cutter is a series of line or arc segments strung together on a plane. They really aren't the same sort of thing at all, and there's no direct automatic way to translate a STL to a DXF. You could probably trace around the outlines of your mesh with a vector drawing tool and get something that resembled your model to some extent, though. Similarly, you could take that 2D DXF file and use it as a basis for extruding a mesh into 3D, providing you had CAD software that could import it.

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com

[Gamble]

Yes if there is a way to do the outlines or 2d to interface between the two that would be great. The dxf doesn't have cut paths on it, that comes later when I generate the gcode.

[Wolfie]

Well, I am going to assume you are not in possession of a 3D plasma cutter.

STLs generally represent 3D objects. Your DXF should represent a 2D outline to cut out using your plasma cutter.

I have done something similar to what I think you want to do, but for use with my CO2 laser cutter. I imported the STL into MODO and exported it as DXF. Doubt you have MODO and its $1k. So, go online and find an STL converter that handles DXF output. Google is your friend here. I then used Corel Draw to convert the DXF to 2D. When you open a DXF in Corel, it will ask you the projection (top, bottom, left, right, isomettric, etc), choose top. The DXF will now be a flat drawing and you should be able to delete all the lines in the middle retaining outer perimeter (assuming thats what you want to cut). Then you can export as DXF again from Corel and have a nice clean 2D dxf for use by your plasma cutter software to generate gcode from. You can get a free demo of corel that will work for this process, at least temporarily.

[AndyNelseo]

Is there a way to me to convert my STL files for my 3d printer to DXF so i can print them on my plasma cnc? Or vicea versa?

There is an online tool called Atomic Compiler which does exactly that. I can't vouch for how well it works for this application because I only use it for other stuff but the gist of it is you upload your .STL, you write some code for what you want to do on the website, and then you download what you did.  Usually your code just modifies your .STL but I have seen in the tutorial that you can use it to slice through an .STL to get a .DXF (or an .SVG.)

There is a bit of a learning curve because you basically have to type in commands to do things as opposed to using a GUI. However if you look in the tutorial there are code snippets that show you how to do stuff, and for something simple like this you should just be able to copy and paste.

[AndyNelseo]

I think you can also do this with openScad but I've had so many issues with it crashing or running slowly when the .STL files get larger than around 10K triangles that I got frustrated. However I think if you have a smaller file it should work well.

[AndyNelseo]

Oh...didn't realize this thread was really really old...

[AndyNelseo]

Sorry, forgot the link if you want to use Atomic Compiler. It is (not surprisingly) just www.atomiccompiler.com

[curious aardvark]

lol 'really really old' In 3d printing terms - definitely :-)

But useful information is always welcome.
So thanks for the info and inks :-)