MODELING FOR 3D PRINTING |
THERE ARE
SOME THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN CREATING 3D MODELS FOR PRINTING. FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES TO MAKE SURE YOUR MODEL PRINTS NICELY. |
UNITS |
MAKE
SURE YOUR SOFTWARE IS USING MILLIMETERS, NOT METERS OR INCHES. TO DOUBLE CHECK (OR IF YOU WANT US TO SET THE SIZE FOR YOU) ALWAYS LET US KNOW WHAT SIZE THE MODEL SHOULD BE. |
NO SMOOTHING |
ALL 3D
MODELS ARE MADE FROM LITTLE TRIANGLES FORMING A MESH. MOST 3D SOFTWARE USES "SMOOTHING" TO MAKE THINGS LOOK NICE... BUT THIS SMOOTHING IS USELESS FOR 3D PRINTING UNLESS YOU APPLY THE SMOOTHING TO THE MESH.
WE OFTEN RECEIVE MODELS
CONTAINING (FOR INSTANCE) SPHERES |
WATERPROOF MESH |
YOUR
MODEL SHOULD CONSIST OF A SINGLE CLOSED MESH WITHOUT ANY HOLES (MISSING POLYGONS). THIS DOES NOT MEAN THERE CAN BE NO HOLES IN YOUR MODEL, BUT IF THERE ARE, THESE HOLES MUST ALL BE PART OF THE ONE SINGLE MESH (SO THERE ARE INSIDE WALLS TO THE HOLES). SO THE MESH CAN BE ANY SHAPE, AS LONG AS IT COULD BE "FILLED WITH WATER WITHOUT LEAKING". |
INSIDE INSIDE & OUTSIDE OUTSIDE |
ALL THE
TRIANGLES IN YOUR MODEL HAVE AN INSIDE AND AN OUTSIDE SURFACE. MAKE SURE ALL INSIDES ARE ON THE INSIDE, AND ALL OUTSIDES ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE MESH. IN TECHNICAL TERMS: NO FLIPPED NORMALS PLEASE. |
NO LOOSE OR NON-MANIFOLD VERTICES |
THIS
MIGHT SOUND QUITE TECHNICAL. DON'T WORRY, WE'LL KEEP IT SIMPLE. ALL THIS MEANS IS THAT THE MODEL MUST CONSIST OF A SINGLE MESH ONLY. SO NO LOOSE PLANES OR VERTICES FLYING AROUND OR INSIDE THE MODEL. ALL THE EDGES CONNECTING THE VERTICES MUST ALL BE PART OF THE SINGLE MESH. ANY CONNECTING EDGES THAT ARE NOT PART OF THIS "SKIN" MAY CAUSE UNWANTED EFFECTS IN THE PRINTER SOFTWARE. ALSO MAKE SURE THE MESH NEVER CROSSES ITSELF (SELF-INTERSECTION). |
THE 45 DEGREES RULE |
THIS
RULE STATES THAT THE MODEL'S SKIN SHOULD NOT LEAN OUTWARDS MORE THAN 45 DEGREES - (SAME GOES FOR INWARDS IN CASE OF HOLLOW OBJECTS). HERE'S WHY: OUR PRINTERS WILL PRINT THE BOTTOM LAYER OF YOUR MODEL FIRST. EACH NEXT LAYER HAS TO BE PRINTED ON TOP OF THE PREVIOUS LAYER. IT CAN STICK OUT OVER THE SIDE A BIT, BUT NOT TOO MUCH ! FOR INSTANCE: IF YOUR MODEL IS A SAUCER, THE SKIN IS LEANING OUTWARDS TOO MUCH. EACH PRINTED LAYER WILL EXTEND OUTWARDS SO MUCH FURTHER THAN THE PREVIOUS ONE THAT THERE WILL BE NOTHING FOR THIS LAYER TO PRINT ONTO. ANOTHER EXAMPLE: IF YOUR MODEL IS A STANDING FIGURINE WITH ITS ARMS HANGING DOWN, THE PRINTER WILL START WITH THE FEET, THEN BUILD UP THE LEGS, KNEES, ETCETERA, NO PROBLEM. HOWEVER, AT SOME POINT IT WILL START PRINTING THE TIPS OF THE FINGERS - IN MID-AIR...
THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE
CAN NOT PRINT A SAUCER OR A FIGURINE, SUPPORT STRUCTURES ARE
REMOVED AFTER PRINTING. PLEASE NOTE
HOWEVER THAT ON OUR WELL-TUNED PRINTERS |
TINY, THIN AND FLIMSY BITS |
OUR
PRINTERS CAN PRINT MINUTE DETAILS, BUT THERE ARE SOME LIMITATIONS WHEN IT COMES TO TINY, THIN AND FLIMSY BITS LIKE TREE BRANCHES, POINTY EARS, THIN WALLS AND SUCH. THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE SPECIFICATIONS OF OUR PRINTERS - LET'S HAVE A LOOK AT THEM. THE X-Y MOVEMENT PRECISION IS 0.01 MM (!) SO NO PROBLEM THERE. VERTICAL PRINT RESOLUTION IS DETERMINED BY THE LAYER HEIGHT. WE OFFER 4 DIFFERENT OPTIONS: - BUDGET RESOLUTION: 0.2 MM PER LAYER (= 5 LAYERS PER MM) - MEDIUM RESOLUTION (STANDARD): 0.15 MM PER LAYER (= 6.7 LAYERS PER MM) - HIGH RESOLUTION: 0.1 MM PER LAYER (= 10 LAYERS PER MM) - ULTRA-HIGH RESOLUTION: 0.05 MM PER LAYER (= 20 LAYERS PER MM) FOR MOST PRINTS, MEDIUM RESOLUTION GIVES BEST PRICE/QUALITY RATIO.
FOR THIN VERTICAL PARTS IT IS
BEST TO STICK TO ONE OF THESE SIZES: |
HOLLOW / SOLID |
MOST
"SOLID" OBJECTS ARE PRINTED WITH A "SHELL" FOLLOWING THE SHAPE OF THE MESH, AND A "FILL" OF 20 - 25 %, WHICH MEANS THAT THE INSIDE IS FILLED WITH INTERNAL WALLS INSTEAD OF A SOLID (100 %) FILL. THIS SAVES A LOT OF PRINTING TIME (=COST).
IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE TO
PRINT HOLLOW OBJECTS (0 % FILL). THIS ALSO WORKS FOR CUPS AND VASES - JUST TELL US TO PRINT WITH NO TOP. OR
YOU CAN CREATE A HOLLOW MODEL WITH YOUR OWN WALL THICKNESS(ES) |
ORIENTATION |
FOR
EACH OBJECT THERE IS AN OPTIMAL ORIENTATION FOR PRINTING. |