[x3d-public] STL File Format for 3D Printing - Simply Explained | All3DP

[Michalis Kamburelis]

2017-08-14 3:35 GMT+02:00 Don Brutzman <brutzman at nps.edu>:
> Good article of general interest:
>
>         STL File Format for 3D Printing - Simply Explained | All3DP
>         June 13, 2017 bub Dibya Chakravorty
>         https://all3dp.com/what-is-stl-file-format-extension-3d-printing
>
> Interesting thought question:
>
> -if we follow Fraunhofer's SRC pattern and have both ExternalShape and
> ExternalGeometry nodes,
> -  and now replace SRC with glTF 2, then
> - might we similarly allow loading of STL models in ExternalShape and
> ExternalGeometry nodes?
>

1. view3dscene https://castle-engine.sourceforge.io/view3dscene.php
can already read STL files (both text and binary encodings) and
render them, and convert to X3D. You can also use "Inline" node to
include STL files inside a larger X3D scene.

2. STL became a standard format for 3D printing, but it's simplicity
comes at a price. It does not carry *any* information beyond
coordinates and normals.

  This is not a criticism per se -- the STL simplicity works great in
some usecases, like 3D printing.

  But for visualization, when you want to show something "pretty" (not
only to check whether your shape is correct), you will usually want
something more. At least simple 2D texture coordinates. And STL does
not allow them. (Not to mention colors per vertex, multiple texture
coordinates, custom shader attributes...).

Regards,
Michalis