How to convert an STL to a Solid Body

How can we convert an STL geometry to a solid body with Ansys Discovery?

  1. Import the model into Discovery.
  2. Use the "Separate All" tool under the "Facets" tab to split the STL file into multiple bodies, if the STL was originally an assembly. 
  3. There are two approaches from here depending on how the split takes place.
    1. If there are faceted surfaces generated, then we should use the shrink wrap option around each individual body. Enable the "Preserve features" option. Modify the size to allow the shrinkwrap option to work correctly. Check the geometry carefully to ensure that the features of the body are retained.
    2. If there are only faceted bodies, go to the next step
  4. Right click on a body in the geometry tree and click "convert to solid." It is best to convert the solids one at a time, saving in between. The process for individual bodies can take some time depending on the size of the facets. Solid bodies will be generated at the end
  5. The solid bodies should be extracted by now. You can further process the part by combining faces or edges. You may need to repair some sections, which can be done with the options in the "Repair" tab. 
  6. Export the model in the geometry format of your preference.