Book Image

Simplifying 3D Printing with OpenSCAD

By : Colin Dow
5 (1)
Book Image

Simplifying 3D Printing with OpenSCAD

5 (1)
By: Colin Dow

Overview of this book

Want to bring your 3D designs to life with OpenSCAD, but don’t know where to start? Simplifying 3D Printing with OpenSCAD will teach you the key skills so that you can focus on your ideas, not troubleshooting your 3D printer. With the help of this book, you’ll build a solid foundation in 3D printing technology, the software used for designing your objects, and an analysis of the G-code produced by the 3D printer slicer software. You’ll also get to know your 3D printer and find out how to set up a printing job effortlessly — from configuring the parameters to build well-defined designs. Consider yourself a practical learner? Use real-world examples such as designing and printing a 3D name badge, model rocket, and laptop stand, to dive into the world of 3D printers build your skillset. By the end of this 3D printing book, you'll be ready to start designing and printing your own 3D printed products using OpenSCAD and being your ideas into reality.
Table of Contents (16 chapters)
1
Part 1: Exploring 3D Printing
5
Part 2: Learning OpenSCAD
9
Part 3: Projects
13
Part 4: The Future

Controlling a 3D printer using G-code

Computer Numeric Control (CNC) is a method of controlling a machine from a computer or controller. Early CNC machines from the 1940s used punch tape and were used to crudely control machines of the time. Combining advanced computer systems with machines in the 1960s gave way to the CNC machine we know today.

3D printers are, in essence, a form of CNC machine. While CNC machines are subtractive as they chip away material to make parts, 3D printers are additive as they deposit material. G-code is the language that CNC machines and 3D printers use to communicate with their respective controllers.

In this section, we will explore G-code and use it to control our printer.

What is G-code?

So, what exactly is G-code? As mentioned, G-code is the language that 3D printers and CNC machines use for instructions. To get a more detailed understanding, let's look at how a computer communicates with a 3D printer.

Looking at Figure 2.1,...