How to use/import a 3D scan .stl or .obj mesh?

lars_rengersen

I want to use a 3D scan mesh for some reference points in a part studio.
How do I accomplish this?
When I import a .stl I just get some random parts.
In the tab mouseover I do see my mesh.
See attached screenshot.

So my question is, how to import a .stl mesh and use it in Onshape?

peter_bodon

Hi @lars_rengersen, did you ever find a solution to your question of importing your engine bay mesh?

I am trying to do the same thing and I find that most CAD packages are able to import dirty (real world) 3D scan data without a problem but no OnShape!  All I want to be able to do is reference points and surfaces on the scan for things like bolt holes and to ensure I don't have collisions with the parts that I am designing.  I don't want to use OnShape to print the 3D scan or anything like that so I don't understand why it simply leaves out parts of the .obj file that it considers to have problems.

GWS50

I have not had an issue where Onshape only imports part of the OBJ/STL. There is a tick box for importing parts with faults which will allow anything non-manifold to come in. Often running a repair prior to import can help. Most scan software is very good at repairing the original scan data even in non-watertight meshes. (Meshmixer and Meshlab are to useful programs for mesh manipulation. Both are cross-platform and free)
Are you able to share the OBJ file?

lars_rengersen

In the end I managed to import one scan I fine tuned with Meshmixer. From my understanding if the scan has too many datapoints Onshape cannot process it.

peter_bodon

GWS50 said:

I have not had an issue where Onshape only imports part of the OBJ/STL. There is a tick box for importing parts with faults which will allow anything non-manifold to come in. Often running a repair prior to import can help. Most scan software is very good at repairing the original scan data even in non-watertight meshes. (Meshmixer and Meshlab are to useful programs for mesh manipulation. Both are cross-platform and free)
Are you able to share the OBJ file?

This is where my obj is - I hope you can access it:
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/08f130325ae4f3ce2b4555ab/w/93a19d5a70344266fa3b0909/e/36e50eb397a275a4880d441e

This is a fairly typical use case for a 3D scan of a vehicle. The purpose is to be able to pick-up a few key reference points and then design things that don't collide with other parts of the scan.  
Fusion 360 has no problem with this scan at all but I'm more familiar with OS so I'd prefer to be able to do this type of thing in OS rather than having to learn another CAD package.  FreeCAD also opens it up and renders it properly - just saying.