3D Print tryout - Final print results

[3DE_Study]

Cura uses mm for the models. The red represents your layers. The light blue represents what’s called a “skirt” that the printer will print around. The skirt is a setting that can be disabled or changed in size, but its meant to provide a stable ground so the model doesn’t come off during a print. The white blocks are areas that the printer will jump from during the print.

In the 3D printing realm, mm is the primary source of measure. I will provide a link to a video that will help you set up this unit of measure in blender.

How To Setup Blender 3.0 In Millimetres (mm) Precision Modeling

For a successful print however you need to also take into account the temperature of the nozzle by the size of the print. If the temperature is too high for a small print, the plastic will curl and not make a very good print (if finish at all).

In Cura, you can adjust the layer density, layer height, the temperature, and the speed of the fans to cool the plastic before the printer returns to that part of the print.

I am providing this list of settings not to discourage, but to place focus on elements that I sure wish I knew about when I started (It was a struggle). I couldn’t even get my prints to stick to the print bed, it’d just get stuck to the nozzle and burn.

A channel I recommend that helps explains these settings is:

Make With Tech (MakeWithTech)

It has a playlist with 56 videos dedicated to getting started with 3D prints. I also recommend getting a 3d printer for home to further solidify the concepts of 3d printing (there are actually very affordable printers nowadays).

I apologize my posts are such long reads, but I am quite familiar with not have the explanations when I need them (searching for hours). So I like to pack as much as I know to get others closer to their goals faster than I did. If you have any more questions let me know.

[FedPete]

I decided to break down the problems into smaller projects. Like this door arch.
I applied the mirror and a single subdivision. There is (I think), no need for a higher resolution because its size will be about 2cm in print.

Also, it gives me more insight into the warnings the 3D-print addon generates. Some are expected. Others, like zero face and edge, are for me a strange phenomenon.
And with a simple object, it’s easier to manage.

I think the most problematic ones are the “Overhang faces”, which I have 300 of them.
It could be solved by rotating the print direction.

[FedPete]

@3DE_Study

I also recommend getting a 3d printer for home to further solidify the concepts of 3d printing (there are actually very affordable printers nowadays).

My nephew has bought one, and after some initial prints, it’s gathering dust.
Which is my initial worry also. That’s why I use a print shop and doesn’t need to hassle with printing problems. Also better quality.
So I thought, I like to create 3D objects, and he likes to print and paint them. The reason for this study.

@3DE_Study

I apologize my posts are such long reads, but I am quite familiar with not have the explanations when I need them (searching for hours).

Long reads are not a problem if you are interested in a subject. It’s pointing me and others in the right direction.

[FedPete]

The print looks very noisy, but that’s because of the print size.
About 2.5cm height. It just a virtual test to see what I can do with details.
Like the doorknob and window.
The cobblestone frame look even rougher, but that’s OK, it’s resembling rocks.

I’ve managed to make Blender to Cura works with even scale, thanks to the video provided by @3DE_Study. It was a logical set up. But, my project is in a mesh because all the created objects are minimized a scale factor of 1000. I worked in meters, but for the printer I need mm.
It works but, I like to have the scale set to one.
Fixing this means, dropping duplication for some items and killing modifiers. But lessons learned!

• Remesh of objects (sculpting) not needed to print. But it helps to create a complete none manifold object. Now I have loosely couple objects, creating holes in the print mesh. Cura complaining.
• Set up Blender correctly at the start of the project, to prevent scaling issues. Use mm.
• Make every single object none-manifold by default.
• Test detail scale upfront

[3DE_Study]

There is also an option, when exporting as an .stl file, to export only the one selected object in the blend file. For a while, I had been making separate files for different parts in the same blender scene.

I can already see that you have made great progress.

[NP5]

The overhang issue is frequently sorted out by the slicer adding a support structure that is just removed when printed like the extra added to help secure the model to the base plate. Obviously one orients the model to minimise the need of support structures, where practical.

[OboShape]

nice one, its coming along.
Good to see the different approaches and design differences your looking at.
almost all of my stuff from blender that goes to my printer is non organic, so mechanical and simplistic.

getting Cura on the go, to where you are now with the last screenshot, is a great visual aid to see how each layer is laid down and how it will hopefully behave.

breaking it down into printable parts is a great way, bit of gorilla Glue and a sort if woodworking ‘biscuit’ approach has worked for me for a few things.

ie, take a small cylinder for a peg. and either bool the holes out of the two parts and print the peg, or leave a peg and a recess to mate together.

[OboShape]

forgot to say, im sure you probably noticed it, but the preview in cura, that double handles black line, you can drag the upper dot down and it will show you what it intends to print layer by layer.

[FedPete]

Yes, I understood that already. I have a small question about print precision.

The melted wire has a height and a width. Depending on the nozzle to object (leveling bed) distance. Does the nozzle print on the dimension of the 3D object, or inside?

Say, nozzle print width is 0.2 mm my object design is 50mm, the physical printed object will be 50.2mm? (both side 0.2 /2 mm over)

[OboShape]

As far as I understand it will print inside, so the outer wall it lays down is up to the outer boundary of the model.

its got a handle on the line size based on the settings of the nozzle size etc.
so, its pretty good dimensionally, as far as squirting molten plastic can be i think

think the issue would come in if theres really tiny parts, where it will do its best, but there has to be some give in what it can make.

I’ve not properly calibrated mine, but the 20mm test cube isn’t far off

[FedPete]

Good to know! Not that I’m trying to create mechanical precise objects. But trying to work on a more tiny scale. Then print margins have a relative bigger influence.

I change my design a bit. Minimizing the overhang, using beams rotated 45 deg. Basically, they act as a form of physical texture and a guideline to paint stuff.

[FedPete]

This is strange! The four corner beams of the house body, are loosely printed, just two sides.
I think because they are separated objects. Now I doubt again, originally I would convert it to a single object and do a sculpt remesh. File size, increases, better none-manifold. But also more zero faces and edges, because due to the remesh faces and edges becomes smaller then a printer can handle.

I’m glad I don’t have a printer at home, because I would already have printed a version. Which would be a bad print, seeing all the issues I have. Wasting a lot of time and plastic.

[NP5]

Yes has to be a single mesh object. But you could make a ‘kit’ of parts for assembly. For example, each wall and roof slope laid flat on the bed.

With some thought, including location fittings on the back. Although they would be plate side, supports would be put in and still a lot less than filling the whole house as in your first example.

[FedPete]

I did a boolean UNION join with those side columns.
This works. But my model is a bit in disarray, no more modifiers and a bit of subdivision.
I had to clean up the mesh a bit by hand (4 times) … Designing for 3D is a different ballgame.

[OboShape]

It does have its additional quirks.
Especially when I don’t pick up on surface normals straight away. The vertex mode tool of select all by trait > non manifold is my new best friend.

Sounds like your getting to grips with it tho.
And thank you for blogging your journey n thoughts

[FedPete]

The red warning for overhang is get better. I think most areas can be printed because they are small areas. Except for the roof tile overhang. If not yet found a solution for this.
I can switch on auto support, but then every tiny red area will get supports.

And other Idea I have implemented is to make support beams part of the design, like I already did for the roofer on top.

[FedPete]

@OboShape

The vertex mode tool of select all by trait > non manifold is my new best friend.

That’s why I want to jump over to sculpting and remesh the data. Then it’s none-manifold by default. But large file-sizes and no big flat faces as in CAD design.

I had one object with inverted faces (inside out), Cura didn’t complain, but printed items inside the house. Following the object outlines. The red overhang areas where on top of the object, instead of under the object.

[OboShape]

There should be an option for the angle that supports are needed.
There’s also an option for only putting tree supports just on plate I think.

[FedPete]

I’ve split the house in half, using the Bisect tool.
The cut is filled and 100% flat.
The roof tile overhang is solved, but new ones arise. The chimney will be a problem!

Strangely enough, the cyan " touched the flatbed " face is partly red.
Which is strange, because the cut was 100 flat. I could drag it a bit lower, but then I will miss a part of the housing body, which doesn’t fit the opposite side.

Also planning ahead on where to place the cut is something to remember. Because on the other side (not shown), the cut was in a bad spot.

[FedPete]

This is so strange and annoying.

Use the same model as before, but now try to slice using bisect on a different spot, going for three printable parts. Blender doesn’t respond after the slice. It doesn’t crash, but internally is doing something. Also, the INFO panel doesn’t say anything, memory is 128MB and 60K faces. Doable for every hardware I would say.
The only change I’ve made is slicing through the chimney.

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I used a different sequence of selecting Bisect options, and the ‘fill’ option, is the one blocking progress in this tool. I can imagine it’s a heavy calculation, but I need this function to make it non-manifold.
And if my laptop has problems with this. Then it is not possible to do it by hand.