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 a solid base


Before continuing, now is a good time for another gentle reminder about saves. Use saves (Ctrl + S) and incremental saves (F2, +) from time to time.

A proper vase will hold water, so this vase will have to be modified so the base instead of having a 2 mm wall will be solid, and the bottom of the body and foot closed so it can hold water and print. This involves selecting the internal walls of the vase, which can be difficult to do without selecting the external walls as well, so a new selection operation will the used; Select More:

  1. Apply the Solidify modifier.

  2. Toggle to the Wireframe view on (Z).

  3. Enter the Edit Mode (Tab).

  4. (De)select All (A).

  5. In the front view, zoom in on the base and identify a line of vertices, where the noses meet which are on the inside and carefully Border Select (B) the whole line. Try to identify a line that is not so close to external lines in this view to make the selection easy:

  6. From the menu at the bottom of the View Panel, click on Select More or...