crash importing .stl from openSCAD

[cedric]

wings3d crashes when it's importing a .stl from openSCAD. To reproduce:
1)Start openSCAD, click file->examples->example001.scad
2)choose file->export->export as .stl->choose a nice name :-)
3)start wings3D, click file->import->.stl, choose the file, and click OK
Wings3d now gives the message:
Internal error - log written to c:\Users\Cedric\Desktop\wings_crash.dump

my versions:
OpenSCAD version 2014.03
Wings3d 1.5.1
Windows 7 Pro SP1

[oort]

cedric,
There may be something strange about the .stl file that Wings3D does not like. Maybe it is not a closed mesh??? Try exporting a simple cube from OpenSCAD as .stl and see what happens. Maybe if you post the .stl file that is causing a crash someone can see something in the .stl file...

Edit: I did some googling and it looks like OpenSCAD exports .stl files in ansi format. Wings3d Requires .stl files in binary format... Wings3D needs Binary .stl

The following website may help you...OpenSCAD and Wings3d

oort

[cedric]

In my first post, I attached the crash dump, and the .stl file that triggeres it.
How hard is it to change wings3d so it accepts ascii stl files? Would you accept a patch? Is somebody already working on it, so I can team up?

kind regards,
Cedric

[oort]

Cedric,
Sorry I didn't open the zip file to see what was in it...

Probably no one is working on it now. Micheus is the one doing stuff right now and he is busy with other parts of Wings3D. Please do join in the work of programming if you are able. Download the source files and set up your system to compile Wings3D. There is information on that in the Programming section. If you need help getting that set up ask there. You will find a file named wpc_stl.erl in a folder named C:\wings-1.5.2\plugins_src\import_export.

I imagine the biggest challenge in updating the plugin to support asci files is knowing the difference between asci and bin .stl files. Hopefully you have this knowledge... You will also need to learn Erlang if you do not already know it. I have done some work in Erlang without having any prior experience in programming. My work has been in hacking existing files to add features, which is what you would need to do. I would leave binary as the default and add the option to choose asci.

If/when you get it to work you can submit the changes for approval. I have no experience in that process...

Hope you join us,
oort