Zero Plane on Imported STL

[wmgeorge]

I have my STL file created by a customer. Its suppose to be made 3/4 inch thick, with pockets designed and placed by the customer, some 3/8 inch deep others 1/4 inch and some 1/2 inch deep measured from the top. So when I place a Zero Plane is it top, middle or bottom of the project.

Yes, I am not confusing it with Z axis Zero on the machine or Zero on the top of the workpiece. I found nothing in the documentation.

[mtylerfl]

All depends. Post a a couple screenshots...top view and a side view. Perhaps that will help us advise you. Also let us know what thickness the material is you plan to use (same as model thickness or more?)

[wmgeorge]

Ok, I do not have any pictures to post but I will try to clarify. The project is to be done on 3/4 inch MDF, the file is a STL scaled to Inches 3/4 Inch deep. The question is, the Zero Plane can be set at 3 presets TOP Middle or Bottom or numbers set by the user. The project is...., think a 20 inch serving platter with cutouts at 1/8, 3/8 and 1/2 inch deep for glasses or cups.

So where does that Zero plane go?

Is the Zero Plane in VCP just a limit depth for tool paths?

[martin54]

If you are talking about the import screen & you have a 3/4" model in 3/4" material then it will probably need to go at the bottom, basically if it is any higher then you should see it passing through the blue model

[wmgeorge]

If you are talking about the import screen & you have a 3/4" model in 3/4" material then it will probably need to go at the bottom, basically if it is any higher then you should see it passing through the blue model

So if it was at middle would it limit any tool path to .375 deep?

So the purpose of the Zero Plane in the Z is to limit the depth of a Z cut or tool path?

[ger21]

If you are talking about the Zero Plane you set during import, anything below the Zero Plane is removed, so you probably want to set it to the bottom, so you get the entire model.
Try importing it all three ways, and see the differences.

[wmgeorge]

If you are talking about the Zero Plane you set during import, anything below the Zero Plane is removed, so you probably want to set it to the bottom, so you get the entire model.
Try importing it all three ways, and see the differences.

Hi Gerry and that is what I found out I had it set to the middle and it limited the 1/2 inch deep cut to 3/8. I just wanted the official reason for setting the Zero Plane at a certain depth. Its my understanding it can also be used for other functions. Not much in the documentation for VCP?

I did a Search here and came up with 600 odd results most did not cover my question... which seemed so simple and straightforward.

[martin54]

I started typing trying to explain but the tutorials do it much better, this one on importing 3D components should help, the tutorial covers different things but the zero plane is explained around about the 13 minute mark if thats all you want to watch

http://support.vectric.com/tutorials/V9 ... kmarks=stl

[wmgeorge]

I started typing trying to explain but the tutorials do it much better, this one on importing 3D components should help, the tutorial covers different things but the zero plane is explained around about the 13 minute mark if thats all you want to watch

http://support.vectric.com/tutorials/V9 ... kmarks=stl

Thats great but a one sentence answer is all a really needed. I find videos and tutorials a slow way to get information. Just tell me in the documentation and I can read and find it before the video loads.

Thats why I do not use other software (that much), I know AutoCAD and have used it since 1992. I just want a quick answer and Fusion sends you to a time wasting video. Where a one sentence or paragraph is all I need in the documentation.

Thanks for the Reply.

[ger21]

I just wanted the official reason for setting the Zero Plane at a certain depth

Unfortunately, it's model and project dependent, and there is no fixed rule on where it should be placed.

[mtylerfl]

Unfortunately, it's model and project dependent, and there is no fixed rule on where it should be placed.

Exactly. That’s why screenshots would have been helpful for all.

Slow or not, the tutorials are loaded with useful information that will come in handy for this and future projects.

[gregk]

I started typing trying to explain but the tutorials do it much better, this one on importing 3D components should help, the tutorial covers different things but the zero plane is explained around about the 13 minute mark if thats all you want to watch

http://support.vectric.com/tutorials/V9 ... kmarks=stl

Thats great but a one sentence answer is all a really needed. I find videos and tutorials a slow way to get information. Just tell me in the documentation and I can read and find it before the video loads.

Thats why I do not use other software (that much), I know AutoCAD and have used it since 1992. I just want a quick answer and Fusion sends you to a time wasting video. Where a one sentence or paragraph is all I need in the documentation.

Thanks for the Reply.

The documentation mentions the zero plane function in the context of model import. You can find it here.
The documentation says:

Zero Plane Position In Model
This slider bar determines where the 3D model will be cut-off when converting to a Component. You can move this up and down with the mouse or use the Middle or Bottom buttons to locate the plane in the correct position.

Note: Anything in the original model which is an undercut (goes underneath another part of the 3D model) will be discarded and a vertical wall will be created down to the plane from the silhouette (looking down Z axis) edge of the model.

So, since it seems that you don't want to discard any part of the model you are importing, the zero plane should be placed at the very bottom.
Please note that this setting only affects how the model in question is imported. It does not affect the toolpath generation.
I hope this helps.

Greg K

[mtylerfl]

Greg to the rescue! I was just about to search the documentation myself (glad you beat me to it, Greg!)

[wmgeorge]

I started typing trying to explain but the tutorials do it much better, this one on importing 3D components should help, the tutorial covers different things but the zero plane is explained around about the 13 minute mark if thats all you want to watch

http://support.vectric.com/tutorials/V9 ... kmarks=stl

Thats great but a one sentence answer is all a really needed. I find videos and tutorials a slow way to get information. Just tell me in the documentation and I can read and find it before the video loads.

Thats why I do not use other software (that much), I know AutoCAD and have used it since 1992. I just want a quick answer and Fusion sends you to a time wasting video. Where a one sentence or paragraph is all I need in the documentation.

Thanks for the Reply.

The documentation mentions the zero plane function in the context of model import. You can find it here.
The documentation says:

Zero Plane Position In Model
This slider bar determines where the 3D model will be cut-off when converting to a Component. You can move this up and down with the mouse or use the Middle or Bottom buttons to locate the plane in the correct position.

Note: Anything in the original model which is an undercut (goes underneath another part of the 3D model) will be discarded and a vertical wall will be created down to the plane from the silhouette (looking down Z axis) edge of the model.

So, since it seems that you don't want to discard any part of the model you are importing, the zero plane should be placed at the very bottom.
Please note that this setting only affects how the model in question is imported. It does not affect the toolpath generation.
I hope this helps.

Greg K

Greg, thank you I will check the documentation again, maybe what I was using has not been updated? Yes, its there so mister stupid (me) missed it So when I set the Zero Plane in the middle it effectively limited the tool path for the pocket that was suppose to be .500 to .375.

Thanks to all who replied.

[Adrian]

The documentation is a web link, so always up to date, unless you're on a machine that doesn't have a web connection in which case it uses the local version. They are the same though.

I find the best way to use the Help Contents to quickly find something is to use the interactive features. I don't use the STL import but I got to the description of the zero plane in a few clicks by clicking the pictures, icons and links starting at the modelling tools and following the links shown.

Think of the zero plane on the import as a horizontal knife. It will slice and discard anything below it. It's nothing to do with toolpaths as Greg says, it's purely to do with determining what part of the STL you want to import. In your case you basically chopped the bottom 0.125 off the pocket I would say.