Add tag information in .stl file

Hi all,

I've a 3D STL Model like as image in attachment.

I need to add on this model some "reference points" and insert these points in .stl file each one with special identifying text in addition to the spatial numerical coordinate contains in stl file. I think that these points can't be simple points to appear in .stl file but is necessary that these points must be mesh (small sphere?).

The purpose of all this is to measure the distance between pt.1 - pt.2, pt.2 - pt.3 only from numerical coordinate of stl file and without 3d model on screen.
For example:


NAME | SPATIAL COORDINATE

point1: 1,000   3,000   7,000

point2: 4,000 2,000 6,000

I have to tell my external algorithm (not grashopper) to calculate the distance between point1 and point2 with only use of .stl file.

Anyone can help me?
Thanks

Attachments:

reference-points.jpg, 65 KB

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Birk Binnard on August 9, 2017 at 5:23pm

Although I don't exactly understand your objective I can tell you that the format of an STL file is a plain text file. You can open any STL file with Notepad or any program that will read standard text. That means you can edit an STL file with any program that edits plain text.

In an STL file, any text the follows a semicolon (;) is ignored by software that reads STL files and converts them into machine tool control statements. That means you can put any comment you want anywhere on any line of an STL file by simple preceding the comment with a semicolon. Moreover, you can add lines to an STL file by making the first character in the added line a semicolon.

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