unfortunately i only have the option to export stl from fea software. i need that info to rebuild the cad model. it's a hot shape to cold shape transformation. so that the deformed part is the shape you want under load.

i'd much rather have a step file exported from fea but i guess that's too hard for them to do for reasons which you guys touch on in this forum sometimes.

thanks for the link to the script. i will definitely check it out. all i really need is the point locations from the stl too. so it doesn't even have to be a mesh in my case. i just need to know where to move the airfoils to so that i can re-loft the part. oh the joys of life.

i guess i should also add the cg location and inertias are needed for various analysis tasks. one of the things i hate about rhino is there ridiculous reporting of them. they clearly have no idea what they are doing. autodesk inventor was the best i have seen at reporting them and displaying the cg. but that's expensive software. i'm retired now so can't pay an arm and a leg to lease software. especially when that's the only thing i would need from the software.

i had tried autodesk fusion when it came out but really didn't like the interface. i looked at the fact sheet for visualcad and it isn't saying that it reports inertia. it doesn't even seem to loft based on the spec sheet. so it may be too basic of a program, which is why there is no youtube videos about it.

so far maybe viacad is about the only option. i used turbocad ages ago. not really sure if it could do the missing things i would need or not. any suggestions welcome though.