Simplify3D doesn't appear to tell the OS that it can open .stl files, which means that you can't drop an STL file onto the Simplify3D app icon, or double-click an STL file, and have it open into Simplify3D. Both of these are standard behavior on the Mac, and simplify the workflow. For example, "download an STL file from Thingiverse and open it into Simplify3D" should be as easy as clicking on the download in the browser and having it open into Simplify3D.
It's pretty easy to do. https://developer.apple.com/library/ios ... ports.html .
Re: Feature request: Mac file open .stl file
actually just right click on an stl file, then get info. click on the open with dropdown, choose s3d then click change all.
Re: Feature request: Mac file open .stl file
It doesn't work. The OS launches Simplify3D, but the app doesn't accept the STL file to open. The only file format that S3D will open is a "factory" file.
For it to work, the app needs to (1) tell the OS what kinds of files it knows how to open, which is the spec I posted before, and (2) it needs to accept STL files via File/Open.
Simplify3D is a really great app, but it's a really odd Mac app. It violates Mac UI conventions all over the place. The core functionality is really good, which is the most important thing, of course, but they could really use a day of some great Mac UX designer's time to make the Mac app UX as good as the core engine.
For it to work, the app needs to (1) tell the OS what kinds of files it knows how to open, which is the spec I posted before, and (2) it needs to accept STL files via File/Open.
Simplify3D is a really great app, but it's a really odd Mac app. It violates Mac UI conventions all over the place. The core functionality is really good, which is the most important thing, of course, but they could really use a day of some great Mac UX designer's time to make the Mac app UX as good as the core engine.
Re: Feature request: Mac file open .stl file
wait a min are you saying you can only open a facotry file and no stl's or its just not under the file drop down. just drag and drop the stl on the window or click the import button and your finder window should open. if you pick an stl file it should open right up. i would think thats the way it should be. a factory file is a native s3d file so that would be under file/open. the stl is not an s3d file type so it should be able to open via drag and drop or import. maybe its just me but im on a mac and it always seemed quite normal.
just to add to this, i went into my cad software (rhino5) which opens just about everything and under the file tab and open, you can only open .3dm files which are rhino files. if you want to open an stl or any other file type you need to import it.....just an observation and im not even sure if this is what your talking about or you have an actual problem or bug and cant open stl's at all.
just to add to this, i went into my cad software (rhino5) which opens just about everything and under the file tab and open, you can only open .3dm files which are rhino files. if you want to open an stl or any other file type you need to import it.....just an observation and im not even sure if this is what your talking about or you have an actual problem or bug and cant open stl's at all.
Re: Feature request: Mac file open .stl file
I concur with the original request, S3D should have the ability to open STL files by double clicking on them.
Jim, you can select the application you want to use to open a file, as you explained how to do above. For example, Photoshop and Preview can both open JPG files through double click, even though JPG is not a "native" Photoshop format. Rhino is a modeler, so I'm not surprised that it doesn't open STL files, but S3D is a slicer and host, and STL would be a natural format for it to treat as its own. On my Mac, currently Repetier-Host, OpenSCAD and Cura have all registered to be able to open STL files; Simplify3D should do the same (and be able to open them....)
Jim, you can select the application you want to use to open a file, as you explained how to do above. For example, Photoshop and Preview can both open JPG files through double click, even though JPG is not a "native" Photoshop format. Rhino is a modeler, so I'm not surprised that it doesn't open STL files, but S3D is a slicer and host, and STL would be a natural format for it to treat as its own. On my Mac, currently Repetier-Host, OpenSCAD and Cura have all registered to be able to open STL files; Simplify3D should do the same (and be able to open them....)
Re: Feature request: Mac file open .stl file
Exactly. The entire point of Simplify3D is that it takes STL files and turns them into gcode files to print. My normal workflow with every other slicer is:jsc wrote:I concur with the original request, S3D should have the ability to open STL files by double clicking on them.
Jim, you can select the application you want to use to open a file, as you explained how to do above. For example, Photoshop and Preview can both open JPG files through double click, even though JPG is not a "native" Photoshop format. Rhino is a modeler, so I'm not surprised that it doesn't open STL files, but S3D is a slicer and host, and STL would be a natural format for it to treat as its own. On my Mac, currently Repetier-Host, OpenSCAD and Cura have all registered to be able to open STL files; Simplify3D should do the same (and be able to open them....)
Download an STL file. Open it from the browser, which launches the slicer, loads the STL file, and places it in the middle of the build platform. Click 'slice' and generate a gcode file using my default settings.
With S3D, the process is:
Download an STL file. Launch S3D. Switch to Finder, find the downloaded file, and drag and drop it into S3D's main window. Create a new process, and configure it for my printer. Process the file.
The two "breaks" in the process are:
1) I can't just open the STL file to launch the slicer and load the STL file. So I have to do a bunch of clicking and app switching instead of one click. That's fixed by this request.
2) S3D loses all settings every time it quits. I assume that's been requested about as many times as they have customers, so I didn't bother.
Re: Feature request: Mac file open .stl file
i totally understand what you guys are saying. im not disagreeing with you at all. i personally have never found this to be any issue and never even thought about it. maybe its just the way i normally work. s3d is usually always open already so i dont have to click anything. i grab the stl and drag it into the app. i just dont see it getting any easier than that. i dont see why i would goto the file menu and click open then try to open the stl. to me that seems so much more time consuming BUT to each his own and if you guy have a way that works for you then stick with it.
as for your other issue laird, if s3d isnt saving settings for you then it should and you should look into that with support. if i relaunch my model isnt there of course but all the settings are exactly like i left them. click the add button so the settings pop up and take a look. it should be the last ones you left off with. nothing reverts to default or is wiped clean at all.
as for your other issue laird, if s3d isnt saving settings for you then it should and you should look into that with support. if i relaunch my model isnt there of course but all the settings are exactly like i left them. click the add button so the settings pop up and take a look. it should be the last ones you left off with. nothing reverts to default or is wiped clean at all.
Re: Feature request: Mac file open .stl file
On not opening STL files, it's not that I'd go to the file menu and select open routinely (though that should certainly work) it's that I should be able to open the STL file anywhere else I can open files, such as from the browser, or double-clicking the file in Finder, or dropping the file onto the app icon in the Dock, or opening it from a script, and have it launch the app and load the STL ready to print. Very convenient, and it's how all other slicers work. It's easy to implement, so not a big technical issue, more an irritating oversight.jimc wrote:i totally understand what you guys are saying. im not disagreeing with you at all. i personally have never found this to be any issue and never even thought about it. maybe its just the way i normally work. s3d is usually always open already so i dont have to click anything. i grab the stl and drag it into the app. i just dont see it getting any easier than that. i dont see why i would goto the file menu and click open then try to open the stl. to me that seems so much more time consuming BUT to each his own and if you guy have a way that works for you then stick with it.
as for your other issue laird, if s3d isnt saving settings for you then it should and you should look into that with support. if i relaunch my model isnt there of course but all the settings are exactly like i left them. click the add button so the settings pop up and take a look. it should be the last ones you left off with. nothing reverts to default or is wiped clean at all.
You can, as iimc else pointed out, tell the OS to try to open STL files into S3D (get info, then tell the OS to open the file in Simplify3D, with a bunch of clicking to override the fact that the OS knows the app can't open the file), but it doesn't actually work - it launches S3D, but doesn't open the STL file, just an empty build platform. Associating documents with apps that cat open them n's odd side effects can't open them such as causing the files to have a generic document icon, when they should have an App-specific STL file icon (so you know what the file is, and what app will be opened by opening the file). As I said, I can work around it, but it makes them look bad not to handle File Open of STL/OBJ files.
On the positive side, they fixed the 'losing the settings' bug, and made a number of other little UI improvements, in 2.1 which is just out. Yay.
Re: Feature request: Mac file open .stl file
Mac OS X file associations were added in version 3.0
