Mesh to solid

[Dmonheart]

(please bear with me, this is my first post and I am very new to Autodesk products)

 

Hello

I need help with a project I am attempting to do on Inventor. I used Google Sketchup to create a model and realized that it needed to be in inventor- I exported the sketchup as an .stl and imported it into inventor. However, it imported it as a mesh instead of solid. I can't figure out how to make it solid and I need it badly. (Yes, I know, I should have thought this through before using sketchup). Any help is appreciated, thank you

 

I am using the student license for Inventor 2014

Edited May 27, 2014 by Dmonheart
Forgot some information critical to post

[JD Mather]

You will need to download and install the Autodesk Mesh Enabler to covert to solid.

 

 

But first, do you really really really understand what an stl file is?

[Dmonheart]

It's what the 3D printer at my school uses... I think.. I'm such a newbie I'm sorry. Thank you for the answer it helped a lot.

[JD Mather]

Do you understand the geometric definition of a "plane"?

 

An stl file divides up the surfaces of an object into small triangular faceted planar surfaces.

So if you have a round cylinder - it is simplified into a large number of planar facets that approximate a curve. The more facets - the closer to being a curve. But never a curve.

 

stl file are generally of little use in an engineering program other than for reference.

Unless your design was simple boxes - you will probably not be satisfied with the results of the conversion of stl to solid.

 

I recommend that you start over.

[Dmonheart]

Thank you for the clarification

[Lazer]

JD just out of interest is the Autodesk Mesh Enabler a free plug in?

[JD Mather]

JD just out of interest is the Autodesk Mesh Enabler a free plug in?

 

It is free to students

and

free to commercial users who are on subscription.