[calvin123]

I have been trying to import STL file into Gambit, but to no avail.

I use the option 'STEP' for importing, but I am not sure if I am right that! In STEP, I also don't know the meaning of model scale factor, heal geometry, make tolerant!

Could anyone help please?

[kdrbrk]

import step file and uncheck all of them. scale factor is 1. then you will be ok.

[calvin123]

Dear Burak,
Many thanks for your prompt answer. I think I have tried importing STEP file (I am not sure if this means about STL format file, but I guess so) and uncheck everything with scale factor 1, and I received error message something like 'transfer failure'.
Now I am at home and I don't have the computer with me, I will try again tomorrow with your suggestion when I get back to work.
If you have other options, please let me know too.
Many thanks.

[kdrbrk]

oh, I missed a point. the file must be a .stp or .step in order to do that.
can you convert your stl to step in some way? ex: solidworks, catia, etc?

[calvin123]

Dear Burak,
Thanks again for your prompt reply.
Frankly, I have no ideas about STL file format! I used Gambit few years back, and now I am told to use it again. Also, this is the first time I used the 'import' option in Gambit.
My work is to simulate flow around human body, and recently I was given the human body geometry and that is in STL format. I was told that I could use Gambit to do meshing etc, using STL format file.
When I open Gambit, I honestly cannot find the option in 'Import' for STL option. Wonder why people told me STL file works in Gambit!
I belief you are expert in Gambit, could you help me please?

[kdrbrk]

dear calvin,

I am no expert in gambit, just a 3 year user of it
I looked for stl file format (I have no idea about it as well) and found at wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format)

I use catia for cad, I looked for supported types from "open file" menu and I couldn't see the stl format.

maybe you should ask the person who gave you that stl format.

sorry I couldn't help much to you.

[calvin123]

Dear Burak,
Thanks for your prompt reply.
I think you are a lot better than in Gambit. I am using Fluent for CFD work, guess you might have idea about it.
Before, I used Gambit for meshing etc then run in Fluent. So in my work place now, we also use Gambit.
The person who gave me the STL file created the file not from CAD; it is from a software called Poser which makes human body shapes.
Now, I am really in the middle of nowhere, if you see what I mean. Don't know what I can do with this STL file and cannot do any work in Gambit

[kdrbrk]

you can consult to The person who gave you the STL file about your problem. he should be more experienced than me about reading or converting stl file.
or maybe you can look for other forums about this. I really don't know how to fix your problem... sorry

[calvin123]

Dear Burak,
Many thanks for all your help anyway. As you saiid I had better ask that person about the file format, though I believe she doesn't know much about it

[calvin123]

Hello Burak,
I managed to open the STL file in Gambit. In Gambit Import>mesh>STL (from pull down menu) etc if you want to check this out.
Now, I have a question and I believe you know better; the STL I opened is a mesh file (original), after opened in Gambit, I can see the shape of the human body with mesh (but I think it is not really mesh!). These are vertice data, but not a volume. I would like to create a volume (human body as a volume), could you please let me know what to do?
Many thanks.

[kdrbrk]

I dont know how to create volume from vertices but if they are faces, than you can cerate a volume from geomerty-volume-stitch faces (or something like that) and select them all.

[calvin123]

I look at the vertices and it seems that they are f_vertices. Do you know what these 'f_vertices' mean? Are they different from normal vertices?

[kdrbrk]

I have no idea , sorry

[calvin123]

Many thanks for your prompt reply.