• Chord height tessellation tolerance - Enter the chord height tessellation tolerance for generating the triangulated STL mesh. A smaller value will produce a finer mesh.
  
  
   

• Ascii File format - Specifies that the STL output file will be in ASCII or Binary format. Binary format produces a smaller file size while the ASCII format is more widely used.
   

• Translate to positive quadrant - Specifies that the triangulated mesh within the exported file should be moved to the positive x,y,z quadrant. This is for ease of positioning by the receiving system.
   

• Refine Facets to close volume - Attempt to repair facets along mating seams.
   

 

• Apply Twist Analysis - The two primary surface properties checked during analysis are curvature and twist.  A surface with a large amount of twist may have very little curvature and a different type of analysis is used.  An example of a high-twist, low-curvature surface would be a ruled surface created between two lines: with one line parallel to the x axis and the other parallel to the y axis and each lying in a different XY plane.
  
  Twist analysis performs additional analysis to account for twist.  In some cases this will result in more data being generated to accurately represent the surface and can increase the calculation time and size of STL files.
   

• Maximum Mesh Size - Use this option to set a maximum mesh size for the STL file.  A value less than the current geometry tolerance is ignored.  An isoline in each direction of the face (u and v) is calculated and the distance along this isoline is used to determine the maximum mesh size in that direction.  See Chord height tessellation tolerance above for an illustration.  Also refer to the figures below.

 

Sample Geometry to Mesh

 

Maximum mesh size = 0.0

 

Maximum mesh size = 20.0

 

• Relative Coordinate System
  At the Part Level, use this option to export relative to the World or the Local coordinate system. Use the Local Coordinate Frame command to create a local coordinate system of your choice.

 

• Default Directory
  This sets the default directory for locating files to import of the specified type. Pick the folder icon to select a path from the Directory Browser. The path will be added to the Default Directory Field. The Default directory field only applies to the active session while VX is running unless it is permanently saved using the Save Settings button on the Import Form.
  
  More about the Default Directory
  
  All import/export translators have their own default-directory on their options form.  If the default-directory is set, then the Directory Browser will always come up in that directory.  If the default-directory is not set, then the file browser will come up in the "last visited" directory.
  
  The last visited directory is not unique.  There is one last visited for all import translators and one for all export translators.  By default, the value in the Default Directory field is set to '.' which means, use the "last visited" directory.  The file icon allows you to browse for a directory which will then be the new default.  You can set the Default Directory back to "." by selecting Reset on the form.
   

• OK - Accept the new settings.

• Reset - Restore the previous settings.