5 Ways to import STL files in SOLIDWORKS - Best Practices

Learn how to import STL into SOLIDWORKS and best practices to have STL as an editable model. Subscribe 🔔 bit.ly/2IYElVz
Because of the 3D print, STL is the file that is easiest to find as a free model. For many STL editing is an impossible task, but with SOLIDWORKS you can import and modify them easily.
In this video, I'll show you 5 ways to import and make editable STL files. The applications are infinite, from importing of scanned model to modification or implementation of a model in your design.
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[@ArtemSure]

Thank you! it helps a lot. Actually, so far ONLY explanation which is clear enough and helped with STL editing

[@boxyscoots-6233]

Very helpful. Thanks!

[@michaelfargo2564]

Very well done and easy to comprehend! Thank You!

[@DWorkshop]

Glad it was helpful!

[@HaekalAlchatieb]

whoaaaa thank youuu

[@fluffyflunk]

Thank you! :) Helped me as a beginner a lot.

[@DWorkshop]

Great to hear!

[@igormazulev9106]

Wow. Thank you!!! Very hakpful and very easy to start working wit STLs.

[@DWorkshop]

Glad you like it!

[@caycitayfun9635]

Thanks for everything :)

[@ManuelMartinez23]

Very usefull video. Thanks

[@thanos-2395]

Thank You My Great !!!❤️

[@DWorkshop]

You're welcome 😊

[@catalinalb1722]

Great explanation! 🙂 👍

[@DWorkshop]

Thank you :)

[@free_at_last8141]

Thank you, very helpful.

[@DWorkshop]

Glad to hear it!

[@hasanalkumaish6940]

Thank you usefull

[@ForestSchool]

fine lessons

[@user-lm3hm5el8c]

Thank you.

[@yemenihur8306]

thanks

[@shimoncohen7443]

Great video 👍

[@DWorkshop]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@Banjoba]

This is a good video.

[@DWorkshop]

Thank you!

[@chooyatam]

Very useful, my only request is to dot it a bit slower when you reach for certain tools and options. These practices and steps which are obvious for you may be completely new to your viewers. Just give our eyes a few seconds more to cope with your cursor. Thank you!

[@DWorkshop]

Thank you, I'll try to be slower.

[@Autokinotita]

the second method doesnt work for me, still cant edit even tho its one body no mesh

[@DWorkshop]

Do you receice some errors or it's just ignoring the body? Some STL files have a lot of errors and need a lot of work around untill you achieve what you want, but if it's not working at all probably you have Graphic body or Surface, not Mesh body and you must to convert it to mesh body or solid. Graphic body is still one whole body, but not editable.

[@p2dmechzonephysical2digital]

great

[@MDMAx]

Tytyty!

[@gauravrasaily7460]

Thank you a lot, i have imported a .stl file in Solidworks as a solid body but while doing so I lost some of the features of the design, In such condition, how can I proceed ahead and make the body ready for operations such as sketch, extrude, cut and fillet.

[@DWorkshop]

If you want to import STL in existing model, I would recommend first to import it in empty part file, save it as SolidWorks file and then import the SoludWorks file in the one you need.

[@SandeepSingh-43]

Hi, I would like to send a sample file that was saved as an STL from Blender. Can you do a video to show the process on extracting the surface

[@DWorkshop]

Hi @SandeepSingh-43 probably you would like to check all of the videos that I have about STL/Mesh. You can find them collected in a playlist here: kzbin.info/aero/PLdfEJ9NcD36TGUlGpZh8KHKjJRnK_sZ9k

[@bobbysanderz6769]

hi thank you for sharing this with us may i ask what CPU you using in youre PC? that mesh file was kinda heavy and youre pc handle it so well i want to upgrade my pc and ill be realy greatful for your help

[@DWorkshop]

Hi, Bobby Sanderz. The PC I use to make the videos is a bit old already gaming PC and I would not recommend it as a CAD machine AMD Ryzen 5 3600 6-Core Processor 3.59 GHz, RAM 16GB, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Super. What I use for work is Lenovo ThinkPad P15v mobile CAD workstation and it's much better. Important for SW machine is Certified Graphic Card and quality RAM at least 16GB. Most of the problems with SW machines are coming from Graphic Card or its driver. Under this link you can check the performance of different configurations and pick one that fits your needs and budget. All scores are in seconds (lower is better) www.solidworks.com/support/share-your-score/

[@jeromehe]

Great lessons! Thank you so much! I have a question: I followed your #2 method to import the mesh, then I tried to make a extrude cut on the mesh like you did, but the solidworks tells me its invalid because I can't merge mesh geometry with a regular geometry. I then tried to coverge a cylinder into a mesh and use subtract bodies which worked, but still the fillet I applied after is kind of messy. Do you know how to simplify the process like you showed in the video? Thank you so much!

[@DWorkshop]

Hi Jeromehe, it could be because of the version of SolidWorks you use, which one is it? The video is done with SolidWorks for Makers 2023, which has slight differences with SolidWorks Professional 2023, but mostly is corresponding to it as features.

[@jeromehe]

@@DWorkshop I see, I'm using the 2021-2022 student edition.

[@DWorkshop]

Hmm, that should work with your version. Would you reach out to me in LinkedIn and send me some screenshots, so I can check what's wrong. www.linkedin.com/in/danutep/

[@jeromehe]

​@@DWorkshop Thanks for helping out! I just update my Solidworks to 2022-2023 and it worked perfectly! They add the new feature to 2022-2023 so the mesh can work with regular geometry now.

[@DWorkshop]

Great to hear, thank you for sharing it'll help others too.

[@davidteixeira7390]

Hi! First of all congrats for the video 🙌. I was hoping that you can help me. As I import a STL, as a mesh body, first of all I cannot see all the facets as you see (display state: shades with edges) and second when I try to simply make a cut to the model it cannot resolve. What am I doing wrong? Thank you in advance. Greetings from Portugal!

[@davidteixeira7390]

(...)Solidworks 2019 SP4

[@DWorkshop]

If I'm not wrong mesh editing was introduced in 2020, I think you cannot do all the imports I'm showing in this video, at least not in the same way. Sorry, I can't help more than this.

[@MrMaks727]

Hello, I really like that shape, where can I get that file? Thanks!

[@DWorkshop]

Hi @MrMaks727 it's really easy to do it by yourself: make contour with spline, extrude 1mm and add dome to top and then bottom face and you have a stone pebble. This is the file for you anyway drive.google.com/file/d/1BH7SapwS-U2tLJzdgWjlK6o_bjgifdAS/view?usp=drive_link

[@cjmerobot1204]

Than you, too bad the latter methods do not work in SW 2018 😕

[@DWorkshop]

Yes, this are newer features. But you can check out my video how to become a Champion kzbin.info/www/bejne/eXbNqYekhKh7mM0 and by becoming a Champion you'll have SolidWorks Makers. Soon will be updated video, because since this year minimum certification requirement is CSWP, but the rest still applies as it is.

[@ilustradsn]

Hi I need the 3D sculptor for solidworks.. do you know if there’s a way to model with this powerful tool? I need something like add - ins for my solidworks 2022... thank you

[@DWorkshop]

Hi 3D Sculptor is a Role in 3DEXPERIENCE platform that gives you access to x-Shape. This is browser and cloud based software and as far as I know there is no such for PC version. Today I played a little with x-Shape, but I'm really new to it.

[@ilustradsn]

@@DWorkshop yes, that’s what I heard.. I need an easier push pull software, because solidworks is more technical and the 3d sculptor is more fluent for the creation of organic shapes . Thanks for your answers 😊

[@DWorkshop]

@@ilustradsn x-Shape is definitely push and pull software. Do you use Free Form feature in SolidWorks? It's not so easy as x-Shape, but for me does a great job to make flower petals and other organic shapes in SolidWorks.

[@FabHay110]

"Soild Body" --> create msh bodies bounded by singlefaces" I am using the student version 2021 and when trying to edit the imported stl geometry, the following error message appears. "the feature has not been completed because the mesh geometry cannot be merged with regular geometry" May you have an advise?

[@DWorkshop]

Hi @FabHay110, Thank you for your comment. It's possible that in your version this functionality is still not supported, but I'll propose you to try a workaround. It works in my version I hope it'll work in yours too, make your SW bodies as you wish to have them, then convert the solid bodies to mesh bodies and combine imported and converted mesh bodies.

[@FabHay110]

Thank you@@DWorkshop , It works partly. But anytime when i try to make a pattern or a swept boss/base the same error occurs. Trying to reconstruct the model. Thank you and thanks for your clear and useful videos.

[@DWorkshop]

Hi @FabHay110, try to make pattern of bodies only and swept without merging. I hope it helps. Alternatively try to work with ScanTo3D add-in if you have it. My first video of the ScanTo3D series is here kzbin.info/www/bejne/nGfaqqWLj8SHe5o, the rest you can find in my STL playlist kzbin.info/aero/PLdfEJ9NcD36TGUlGpZh8KHKjJRnK_sZ9k

[@skylordslay]

it doesn't even give me the option to open an STL in the file finder. it doesn't show

[@DWorkshop]

You can set the option in advance in SOLIDWORKS, go to Options - > Import -> Then from the drop down menu for file format choose STL and it will open the same menu. The difference is what you set there will remain and if you need a different type of import, should go the same route and change it again.