Loading huge files

[pm_dude 27]

Hello,

I have obj files I want to load in Cura but some files are huge (worst file is 1Gb) and that is not even merged as one file yet. I'll reduce the poly count as much as I can but this is coming from ZBrush and some mesh are around 10M polys.

Is there any way to load files that big to prepare gcode files for print? I know that the UI support less than the engine but I dont know if that could handle it + I would need to be able to validate the slicing before doing a 20 hours print...

Thanks

PM

 

[Daid 303]

I have a new GUI that I'm working on, which works with higher poly models. But 1GB is really pushing it.

Biggest test model I have has 2949120 triangles. And is 150MB. This one loads in the new GUI while it fails in the current release.

However, this new GUI doesn't to GCode preview yet. So I do not know yet if it can handle a resulting GCode from a file this big.

(The engine shouldn't have a huge problem with 10milion polygons, as long as it doesn't run out of memory. But it might take a while to slice the initial step)

Also, if you can "convert" the OBJ to binary-STL by external means, that would really help in loading the file. The OBJ file format take a lot longer to load then binary STL.

 

[gr5 2,004]

10 million polys on a print the size of a human (6 feet tall) is probably detail finer than .1mm (smaller than the XY resolution of the nozzle).

I have found that zbrush models reduced to a mere 100k polys still looks very good.

I'm not sure how smart zbrush is about reducing polygons. I recommend this method which is very sophisticated in which polygons it removes, and which it keeps (meshlab is free):

http://www.shapeways.com/blog/archives/226-polygon-count-reduction-with-meshlab.html

 

I don't know if even meshlab can open a 1G stl but it probably will. It might take 20 minutes though so watch some youtube or something while waiting. Be patient. Once it's loaded don't try to rotate it, just go straight to the poly reduction step.

 

[pm_dude 27]

Meshlab worked like a charm!!

It took a minute to load the file and about the same to do the reduction.

I had to reduce to 12.5% (half 3 times) or around 1.2M polys to get it to load in Cura. File is 50Mb now when every other things like normals and vertex colors are out of the way too.

@Daid Cant wait to see that new Cura working

 

[pm_dude 27]

actually even down to 1.6% is very good (5Mb obj file)

very impressive reduction