Organizing STL Files and Adding to ClipArt

[Rcnewcomb]

Over the years I've collected a lot of STL files. If you have Aspire you can convert your STL files to 3dClip files and then add them to your ClipArt section within Aspire.

The process I use is as follows:

Create a new project that is 6x6x1 with Very High Resolution.

Go to File/Import/Import Component / 3D Model

Select the STL file and resize it to fit withing the project dimensions

After you have completed the import go to the Modeling Tab and right click on the component and select Export as 3D Clip Art

Save the 3dClip file in a folder under where the Clip Art is stored. You can add your own folders to aid in organization.

Later, when you open Aspire and look through your clipart you will see the new file(s) in the preview. Use them like any other clipart.

[Hermie]

Thanks Randall, brilliant, I have a few files that would work on. Maybe it will force me to get organized too.

[Clockman]

Thank's for posting that, very interesting

[ZipperHead55]

I'm just seeing this post for the first time, and I have been doing this for a while now, but the only difference is I tended to go much bigger (24" x 24" x 1.5"+), in case I needed the crests larger than 6" (I was thinking I would lose resolution if I started smaller (6", as per OP's suggestion) and then go larger for my actual carvings.

I never experimented with what the "sweet spot" is: large enough to be detailed, but not so large/detailed as to be a resource hog, and I'm wondering if anybody else has (ie am I wasting time, processing power, etc by making it so large, or am I "future proofing" by having that clipart at a higher resolution in case I need it larger. Nowadays, storage space isn't such a concern: I'd rather have a highly detailed model at 250MB (or larger) than wishing I had made it larger (to save on storage space) and ending up with a "meh" quality carving later down the road.

As an aside: make sure you don't have models/components hidden when you do the exporting to clipart: the clipart will have those hidden components in it's model tree (thereby making it larger, more cumbersome than neccesary). This may have been changed over newer updates, but I distinctly remember this being an issue when I was an eager beaver, converting ALL of my 3D models to clip-art, so I didn't have to go through the Import STL process every time I brought in models I wanted to add to a project.

Allan

[Holzarbeiter]

Thanks for the excellent tip,Randall!
Is there anything magical about the 6x6x1 size you use?

[Rcnewcomb]

Is there anything magical about the 6x6x1 size you use?

It corresponds to the size of most of my projects. <wink>

[Holzarbeiter]

Is there anything magical about the 6x6x1 size you use?

It corresponds to the size of most of my projects. <wink>

Got it...thanks! Im already putting this clever idea to work.
Thanks again & Merry Christmas!