Export

Export

Acquiring, aligning and converting data have no use if you can not send this information to other softwares. The export functions can be used to create files that can then be imported in other softwares.

OpticalRevEng Dental offers 2 different export types: Manual and Automaic. Manual exports can be used everytime and in any kind of projects; Automatic exports are project specific. The automatic exports functions can be configured in the Options dialog.

Formats

OpticalRevEng Dental supports the following formats

• Acquisitions
  • 'Scan' : This export function will create one file (.cri) for every 3D image taken by the scanner, and an additional file (.scan) with a data description. Can be used only by OpticalRevEng Dental and all the file need to be kept togheter
  • 'ZScan' : This export function saves the same information as the Scan export but compressing everything in only one file
• Meshes
  • 'STL ASCII/Binary' : The STL file format is the most used, quite every 3D software can read/save stl files. It does not save all the information of the 3D Objects. Colors and the connection between every single face are not saved so two different software can read the same STL file and show different results.
  • 'OFF ASCII/Binary' : The OFF format is a really simple file format as described here [OFF Format]. It keep more information than the STL format but the binary version may not work on every software
  • 'PLY ASCII/Binary' : The PLY format, as the OFF format, can contain more information about the 3D data but is not so well supported by other softwares
  • 'OBJ' : The OBJ format is only ASCII, can keep the most informaton about the 3D data, even the color, and is quite compatible with most softwares

If you need the most compatibility the best format to use is the STL. If you want to keep the most accurate 3D data the OBJ format is better.

Manual Export

There are two ways to save the Acquisitions and the Meshes on disk

Single Object Export

If you need to export a single element from the project you just need to:

1. Right click on the element in the Project Tree
2. Select Export.. from the Context Menu
3. From the dialog that will pop select where you want to save the file, the name and format for the data.

Multi Object Export

If you need to export more than one element of the project in the same file you have to:

1. Select from the project tree all the data you want to export togheter
2. From the File menu select the Export Visible function
3. From the dialog that will pop select where you want to save the file, the name and format for the data.

Automatic Export

To use the automatic export function you just need to click the Export To Cad button in the Main Toolbar. Then the software will export all the project data according to the current project.

Protesis Project

When you start the Protesis Export the software will first check that all the meshes are ready to be exported and all the implants have been aligned to the implant library. Then it will search for an export folder and an export base name:

• If the project was created by exocad the export folder will be the one created by the Exocad DentalDB and the name will be the exocad project name
• If the project was created manually by the user the software will show a dialog to choose where to export and the export name will be the same as the folder name

The system will then export all the surfaces as meshes and, if working with exocad, the implants position in the .implantPos format. </br> To allow Exocad and other cad systems to recognize the esported surfaces all the file will follow the same name scheme:

[Project Name]-[Object Name]-[Object Attribute].[File Format]

So for example:

Project: 3 Element bridge over 2 implants on the upper jaw with separate gingiva and antagonist
Project Name : 2099-13-32-0001-002
Files:
2099-13-32-0001-002-uppwejaw.stl 
2099-13-32-0001-002-15.implantPos
2099-13-32-0001-002-17.implantPos
2099-13-32-0001-002-upperjaw-gingiva.stl
2099-13-32-0001-002-lowerjaw.stl

Orthodontic/Scheletric/Impression Project

For the other kind of project the export is simplier because there are only at most 2 file to export, one for every jaw. You can choose in the Options where and how to export the data for every project type. You can choose:

1. An export folder: If you select an export folder all the export will be automatically done in the choosen folder, if not the software will export the data in the Scan Project folder
2. A file name format : You can choose how the software will create the file name of the files using the data in the project.

Final transformation

Working with 3D Objects need some spacial reference. The scanner system use the following:

Z Axis -> Occlusion Direction (From Lower To Upper)

X Axis -> Coronal Direction (From Left To Right)

Y Axis -> Sagittal Direction (From Back To Front)

Other software may use different spacial reference. To better integrate with other systems we provide, in the Options, a Final Transormation, a movement that will be applied to all the project data togheter just before the export. In this way you can adapt the spacial reference to the CAD system you're going to use without changing how the OpticalRevEng Dental software works.

For example to work with orthodontic softwares that need the occlusion axis to be the Y Axis you just need, in the Orthodontic Options page select Occlusion On Y

Next

Now that you know how to export files to be used in other software you can return to the Main Page or continue to read about Model Base Trimming