How to import STLs into MATLAB WHILE maintaining their coordinate system

Hello, I have 3 STL files created through exporting different segmented areas as a surface mesh using ITK snap. I would like to import these into matlab so that they are aligned in the same way.

That way, when I convert into a binary map, I get a binary map with all 3 segmented areas aligned to each other

Thanks

Answer 1

[Raghava S N]

Hi Andrew,

STL files can be imported and aligned in the following methods –

• Using “stlread” - https://in.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/stlread.html
• The “importGeometry” function will create a DiscreteGeometry object of the STL file. Then, the ‘rotate’ function can be used to help align the 3D geometry. Here are some documentation links which may be of help: https://www.mathworks.com/help/pde/ug/pde.pdemodel.importgeometry.html https://www.mathworks.com/help/pde/ug/pde.discretegeometry.rotate.html?s_tid=doc_ta
• “import_stl_file” is also a another option for a faster version of “stlread”. Please refer to this MATLAB File Exchange link: https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/30923-fast-stl-import-function

Please refer to this MATLAB Answers post discussing alignment of STL Files - https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/1953324-how-to-aligning-stl-files-and-find-the-distance-between-them

Additional documentation that may be of use for alignment–

• https://www.mathworks.com/help/pde/geometry-and-mesh.html?s_tid=CRUX_topnav