Book Image

3D Printing Blueprints

By : Joe Larson
Book Image

3D Printing Blueprints

By: Joe Larson

Overview of this book

A new industrial age is here. Machines designed to build useful and interesting objects have moved from the factory to the home. Whether you have a 3D printer or not, learning how to design your first 3D models is the best way to become part of the 3D printing movement. 3D Printing Blueprints will teach you, step by step, the tools and techniques of using Blender, a free 3D modelling program, to build 3D models for printing with simple and fun hands-on projects.3D Printing Blueprints uses engaging and fun projects that teach Blender modeling for 3D printing through hands-on lessons. First you'll learn basic modeling and make a small simple object. Then each new project brings with it new tools and techniques as well as teaching the rules of 3D printing design. Eventually you'll be building objects designed to repair or replace everyday objects. Finally you'll be able to even tackle other people's models and fix them to be 3D printable. Through the course of doing the blueprints you will custom build one-of-a-kind objects that you can call your own. Starting from a custom vase formed from a picture, lessons will progress to a multi-part modular robot toy. Then simple machines will be designed with custom gears and functions. Eventually you'll learn how to download models from the Internet and make custom objects. Finally you'll be able to build models with near real life specifications and make a print that can be used for small object repair. 3D Printing Blueprints will teach you everything you need to know about building custom 3D models to print successfully on modern home 3D printers.
Table of Contents (17 chapters)
3D Printing Blueprints
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Index

Making it a book end


As-is the back of this model is hardly presentable. One option would be to use the sculpt tools from Chapter 7, Teddy Bear Figurine to sculpt the missing parts of the lion. An easier option is to throw a cube behind it to hide the blemishes and call this project a book end:

  1. Add (Shift + A) a Cube.

  2. Scale (S) and Move (G) the cube until it is slightly taller and wider than the statue, and thick enough to hide the back of the lion. Try to be as precise as possible when positioning the bottom of the cube to the bottom of the statue, but don't stress too much about it. The bottom will be re-flattened.

  3. Add a Boolean modifier to the cube.

  4. Union the Lion_Capture object to the cube.

  5. Apply the modification.

  6. Enter Edit Mode (Tab).

  7. In Right side (NumPad 3) view in the Wireframe view (Z), Border Select (B) all the points that make up the bottom of the lion.

  8. Scale (S) along the z axis (Z) by 0 units to assure the bottom is perfectly flat.

  9. Exit Edit Mode (Tab).

Before exporting the model, Scale...