Inventor: Export model to ASCII or binary STL

by Vladimir Ananyev

Issue

In Inventor 2013 the SaveAs method of the PartDocument by default creates binary format STL. Can I control output file format – binary or ASCII?

Solution

SaveAs method to translate files is very easy to use and supports a wide variety of formats but has limited flexibility with respect to controlling the various options when doing the translation.

Another approach takes advantage of the fact that translators in Inventor are implemented as a special type of Add-In. All translator Add-Ins are required to support a common set of methods and properties which allows you to write a program that drives the translator. The best resource for this information is the programming help.

 

Related link:   Good overview on Inventor translators. 
You may download here very useful utility developed by Brian Ekins. This utility writes a report that contains information about all of the loaded translators, their Add-In ID, and the options supported by each Add-In.

Here are Save Copy As options for export to STL:

Name Value Map:

        ExportUnits = 4

        Resolution = 1

        AllowMoveMeshNode = False

        SurfaceDeviation = 60

        NormalDeviation = 14

        MaxEdgeLength = 100

        AspectRatio = 40

        ExportFileStructure = 0

        OutputFileType = 0

        ExportColor = True

Option OutputFileType controls file format:
0 – binary, 1 – ASCII.

 

VBA example:

 

Public Sub ExportToSTL()

 

  ‘ Get the STL translator Add-In.

  Dim oSTLTranslator As TranslatorAddIn

  Set oSTLTranslator = ThisApplication.ApplicationAddIns _

        .ItemById("{533E9A98-FC3B-11D4-8E7E-0010B541CD80}")

  If oSTLTranslator Is Nothing Then

    MsgBox "Could not access STL translator."

    Exit Sub

  End If

 

  Dim oDoc As PartDocument

  Set oDoc = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument

 

  Dim oContext As TranslationContext

  Set oContext = ThisApplication.TransientObjects.CreateTranslationContext

 

  Dim oOptions As NameValueMap

  Set oOptions = ThisApplication.TransientObjects.CreateNameValueMap

 

‘    Save Copy As Options:

‘       Name Value Map:

‘               ExportUnits = 4

‘               Resolution = 1

‘               AllowMoveMeshNode = False

‘               SurfaceDeviation = 60

‘               NormalDeviation = 14

‘               MaxEdgeLength = 100

‘       
        AspectRatio = 40

‘               ExportFileStructure = 0

‘               OutputFileType = 0

‘               ExportColor = True

 

  If oSTLTranslator.HasSaveCopyAsOptions(oDoc, oContext, oOptions) Then

 

    ‘ Set accuracy.

    ‘   2 = High,  1 = Medium,  0 = Low

    oOptions.value("Resolution") = 1

   

    ‘ Set output file type:

    ‘   0 – binary,  1 – ASCII

    oOptions.value("OutputFileType") = 1

   

    oContext.Type = kFileBrowseIOMechanism

   

    Dim oData As DataMedium

    Set oData = ThisApplication.TransientObjects.CreateDataMedium

    oData.FileName = "C:\temp\Plate.stl"

 

    Call oSTLTranslator.SaveCopyAs(oDoc, oContext, oOptions, oData)

  End If

 

  Beep

  MsgBox "Completed"

End Sub

 

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