I forget if maya has an stl export, but if it does, do that, then bring it to rhino and go from there.

otherwise try converting the model in maya to polygons before export, and export as .obj, then in rhino do the normal checks to see if it's closed.

possible problems are inverted faces from nurbs to mesh when you import to rhino, so the OBJ thing could help.
Also, a useful tool in rhno once you've got a mesh is the select naked mesh points command (i just type selnaked and it completes it for me) - this highlights all open points/edges, and then I use weldVertices to fuse the points together. Neither of these has ever been precise, and I'm not really sure what they are supposed to do, but I've had good luck in the past closing objects like this.

i do .iges than rhino than .stl than software for 3d printing than 3d printer than model in my hands

ya it can be a HUGE pain in ass but you gotta go through and join all the naked edges and 'bad geometries' in rhino... I think they call them "bad objects" or something like that. basically you have to have an air-tight object....

Then you gotta mesh and export as .stl

Please allow me to bring the question further ; what is it the 3D printer ask ? Do it requier points to lead the plain xy head , why shuld the problems then be irelevant geometric rules , whatever shuld it matter if a xy are negative values case one of the foults obviousy to be avoid by these safety rutines ? Let me add ,that the 1994 .stl format also is a huge pain , with othervise by rule 3D max modeling, gee even the company who promoted this technique seem to surpass it.

maya>Export VRML> Import VRML into 3d print software

lots of IGES from other programs can be cleaned up in Rhinoceros i say try again find the holes and fill them.

what peter said

And when you think about it --- have you ever tried open a ,Wrl file to see what it contain, what a laugh !

export from maya....

.iges files for nurbs components (the surfaces should be closed and the surface normals all facing "outward") -- "display" > "nurbs components" > "normals" (surface normals)

.obj files for faceted components


then import into rhino...

then export as .stl... you may need to play with the settings for exporting as .stl from rhino...

I had the same problem with a very big and detailed model....I ended up braking it down into these components...and it worked great...

good luck...

Cleamson, define what you mean by solid? You IGES should appear as individual polysurfaces in Rhino if you started with NURBS in Maya. But they should make up a "volume". You can select the polysurfaces and join them into "solid" parts. Then you can export the STL.

If they are a little leaky at the edges, you can still give them a shot with z-corp. The parts may not be 100% watertight, though that's the goal.

If you are finding that one part is solid, and one is not. Try exporting each part individually from Rhino. Then open each in the z-corp software.

Although it's a pain, Magics is really useful at times...

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, I think I've got it. Theres a few leaks in it still but ill see if the print still comes out okay.

Thanks again!

take the extra time to fill your holes or you will be wasting material i say.

How so?

The z-corp preview does not lie. Inspect each layer. WYSIWYG. Save tedium for extreme cases.