User's Manual

DOC08010 Rev. A (DRAFT 1) 5–9
Stratasys P750K User Guide
Preparing Models for Production
Modelȱpreparationȱinvolvesȱtheȱfollowingȱbasicȱsteps:
1. Placeȱobjectsȱorȱassembliesȱonȱtheȱbuildȱtray.
2. Ifȱnecessary,ȱmanipulateȱtheȱobject’sȱorientationȱandȱposition.
3. Selectȱtheȱmaterialsȱandȱmodelȱfinish.
JustȱasȱStratasysȱprintersȱcanȱproduceȱdifferentȱmodelsȱonȱtheȱbuildȱtrayȱ
usingȱdifferentȱmaterials,ȱyouȱcanȱproduceȱcomponentsȱofȱaȱmodelȱwithȱ
different
ȱmaterials.ȱToȱdoȱthis,ȱeachȱpartȱofȱtheȱmodelȱmustȱbeȱaȱseparateȱstlȱ
file.ȱIfȱtheȱmodel’sȱcomponentȱpartsȱwereȱnotȱsavedȱinȱtheȱCADȱsoftwareȱasȱ
separateȱstlȱfiles,ȱyouȱcanȱuseȱObjetȱStudioȱtoȱseparateȱtheȱmodelȱintoȱ
componentȱparts.ȱ(Thisȱisȱdescribedȱinȱ“SplittingȱObjectsȱintoȱ
Components”ȱ
onȱpage 19ȱandȱinȱ“DividingȱObjects”ȱonȱpage 51.)
OBJDF Files:
Overview
Anȱobjdfȱfileȱdescribesȱbothȱtheȱgeometryȱofȱaȱsingleȱobjectȱandȱtheȱ
materials,ȱandȱfinishȱrequiredȱtoȱprintȱit.ȱTheȱobjdfȱfileȱcanȱrepresentȱanȱ
objectȱthatȱisȱaȱsingleȱstlȱfile,ȱorȱanȱobjectȱassembledȱfromȱcomponentȱstlȱ
files.ȱ
ObjetȱStudioȱenablesȱyouȱtoȱsplitȱanȱstlȱfileȱrepresenting
ȱaȱcomplexȱobjectȱ
intoȱanȱassemblyȱofȱcomponentȱstlȱfiles,ȱandȱsaveȱtheȱassemblyȱasȱanȱobjdfȱ
file.ȱEachȱpartȱ(stlȱfile)ȱdescribedȱbyȱtheȱobjdfȱfileȱcanȱhaveȱitsȱownȱmodelȬ
materialȱcharacteristic,ȱsoȱthatȱtheȱStratasysȱprinterȱproducesȱtheȱ
componentȱpartsȱfromȱspecificȱmaterials.ȱ
Anotherȱuseȱforȱobjdf
ȱfilesȱisȱforȱsavingȱaȱgroupȱofȱseparateȱobjectsȱonȱtheȱ
buildȱtrayȱasȱoneȱunit,ȱtogetherȱwithȱtheirȱrelativeȱpositionsȱandȱmaterials.ȱ
Thisȱisȱespeciallyȱusefulȱforȱproducingȱmodelsȱinȱtheȱfutureȱwithȱtheȱsameȱ
materials.ȱInȱfact,ȱwhenȱyouȱsaveȱobjdfȱfiles,ȱyouȱspecifyȱmaterialsȱforȱ
printingȱmodelsȱ
withoutȱregardȱtoȱtheȱmaterialȱcartridgesȱloadedȱinȱtheȱ
printer.ȱThe ȱsameȱobjectȱcanȱlaterȱbeȱplacedȱonȱbuildȱtraysȱforȱprinting.ȱEachȱ
timeȱyouȱsendȱaȱbuildȱtrayȱtoȱtheȱprinter,ȱyouȱdecideȱwhetherȱtoȱallowȱ
printingȱwithȱsubstituteȱmaterialsȱorȱonlyȱwithȱtheȱmaterialsȱspecified.
TheȱConnexȱversionȱofȱ
ObjetȱStudioȱenablesȱyouȱtoȱdisplay, ȱmanipulateȱandȱ
printȱcomponentȱpartsȱofȱaȱmodelȱassemblyȱthatȱwasȱsavedȱasȱanȱobjdfȱfile,ȱ
sinceȱeachȱcomponentȱisȱaȱseparateȱstlȱfile.ȱThisȱcanȱbeȱusefulȱforȱprintingȱ
onlyȱspecificȱpartsȱofȱaȱmodel.
Furtherȱexplanationsȱofȱobjdfȱfiles,ȱandȱtheirȱfeatures,ȱappearȱ
throughoutȱ
thisȱchapter.
Model Files
Toȱproduceȱmodels,ȱyouȱopenȱoneȱorȱmoreȱmodelȱfilesȱinȱObjetȱStudioȱandȱ
positionȱobjectsȱonȱtheȱbuildȱtray.ȱYouȱcanȱplaceȱobjectsȱonȱtheȱbuildȱtrayȱinȱ
severalȱways:
• byȱinsertingȱindividual stl or slc filesȱ(orȱanȱassemblyȱofȱstlȱfiles).
• byȱinserting anȱobjdfȱfileȱ(anȱassembly).
• byȱpastingȱobjectsȱthatȱyouȱcopiedȱtoȱtheȱWindowsȱclipboard.