Book Image

3D Printing Designs: The Sun Puzzle

By : Joe Larson
Book Image

3D Printing Designs: The Sun Puzzle

By: Joe Larson

Overview of this book

Jigsaw puzzles derive their name from when they were cut from wood sheets using a hand-woodworking tool called a jig saw back in the 1760s. Have you ever wondered how a model idea for a jigsaw puzzle is articulated, and how it was made with these traditional tools? Through this book, you will master the techniques of designing simple to complex puzzles models for 3D printing. We will quickly introduce you to some simple and effective principles of designing 3D printed objects using Blender. Through the course of the book, you'll explore various robust sculpting methods supported by Blender that allow you to edit objects with actions such as bends or curves, similar to drawing or building up a clay structure of different shapes and sizes. Finally, when the model is sculpted, you'll learn some methods to cut the model and carve out multiple pieces of perfectly-fitting edges of different geometries to complete the puzzle. ------------------------------------------- Note from CM - [Page count: 60] [Price: $9.99 eBook | $19.99 print]
Table of Contents (11 chapters)

Pulling out the rays


We'll add more details to the face in a minute. First, let's finish out the main shape of the sun by pulling out the rays of the sun. The goal here is to make something curvy and artistic to look at, so for these parts, symmetry needs to be turned off first. Follow these steps:

  1. On the left-hand side of the 3D View, navigate to the the Symmetry/Lock part of the Tools tab in the Tool Shelf and click on the X button under Mirror to toggle X-axis symmetry off.

  2. Switch to the Snake Hook brush (K).

  3. Adjust the view and change the Radius (F) so that the brush is about big enough to cover about an eighth of the edge of the face.

  4. Adjust the strength of the Brush (Shift + F) to between 0.75 and 0.9.

  5. From the top of the head, being sure the center of the brush catches at least a little bit of the edge of the head, start drawing while moving the mouse in a curve away from the body.

    If the rays are being pulled out too far, undo the action, adjust the strength, and try again. If the brush...