Artifacts in STL import

[aen916]

If I import an STL file I am getting a lot of surface artifacts where the surface is not smooth, and I have tried adjusting the peak angle. When I export I have no issues. Anyone have any ideas?

[Fuchur]

STL is 3-pointer only if I am not wrong right? That will never work well.
OBJs with 4-pointers only for instance do pretty fine, but importing polygonal models into a model / patches is always a challenge.

If you can, try to import it as a prop. That works most often pretty great but is not adjustable after that.

Best regards
*Fuchur*

[aen916]

Thanks, but I was pulling it in to modify, so a prop won't really work, I can try converting to an OBJ externally then pulling it in, but it may still use the triangles from the STL

[robcat2075]

A triangle import is just about hopeless for any purpose other than confirming that it is hopeless.

[Fuchur]

Very true... at least if you can't just peak everything.

Best regards
*Fuchur*

[Rodney]

If you upload an exmaple of the STL file you wish to convert that will help assess the best way forward.

Also, depending on the tools you have at your disposal there are a number of different approaches.

Most of us as Animation:Master user will say you'd likely save time just using the STL as a reference and model from scratch with splines and patches.

[nemyax]

aen916

You should turn the tris into quads in your model before getting it into A:M. Import your STL into an external package, run a tris-to-quads op and export to OBJ. You can do the whole thing in Blender (which anyone doing any kind of 3D work ought to have handy anyway just in case).