Book Image

Blender 3D Printing by Example

By : Vicky Somma
5 (1)
Book Image

Blender 3D Printing by Example

5 (1)
By: Vicky Somma

Overview of this book

Blender is an open-source modeling and animation program popular in the 3D printing community. 3D printing brings along different considerations than animation and virtual reality. This book walks you through four projects to learn using Blender for 3D Printing, giving you information that you need to know to create high-quality 3D printed objects. The book starts with two jewelry projects-- a pendant of a silhouette and a bracelet with custom text. We then explore architectural modeling as you learn to makes a figurine from photos of a home. The final project, a human hand, illustrates how Blender can be used for organic models and how colors can be added to the design. You will learn modeling for 3D printing with the help of these projects. Whether you plan to print at-home or use a service bureau, you’ll start by understanding design requirements. The book begins with simple projects to get you started with 3D modeling basics and the tools available in Blender. As the book progresses, you’ll get exposed to more robust mesh modeling techniques, modifiers, and Blender shortcuts. By the time you reach your final project, you’ll be ready for organic modeling and learning how to add colors. In the final section, you’ll learn how to check for and correct common modeling issues to ensure the 3D printer can make your idea a reality!

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Table of Contents (16 chapters)
Preface
Preface
What this book covers
What you need for this book
Who this book is for
Conventions
Reader feedback
Customer support
Free Chapter
1
Thinking about Design Requirements
Thinking about Design Requirements
Thinking about printing processes
Thinking about size
Summary
2
Using a Background Image and Bezier Curves
Using a Background Image and Bezier Curves
Getting started
Adding a background image
Tracing with Bezier curves
Summary
3
Converting a Bezier Curve to a Properly Sized 3D Mesh
Converting a Bezier Curve to a Properly Sized 3D Mesh
Converting a Bezier curve into a mesh
Selecting vertices and making a new face
Extruding to make 3D objects
Scaling and sizing the mesh
Summary
4
Flattening a Torus and Boolean Union
Flattening a Torus and Boolean Union
Creating and laying out a torus
Rotating the torus (for Service Bureau)
Giving the torus a flat bottom (for home)
Combining objects together with Boolean Union
Exporting your work for 3D printing
Summary
5
Building a Base with Standard Meshes and a Mirror
Building a Base with Standard Meshes and a Mirror
Working with a cube and cylinder
Using Object Origins to line up objects
Making the base whole
Summary
6
Cutting Half Circle Holes and Modifier Management
Cutting Half Circle Holes and Modifier Management
Duplicating and sizing a cylinder
Placing the hole and preserving wall thicknesses
Mesh modeling to make a half cylinder
Making a hole with Boolean difference
Changing your object with modifier order
Summary
7
Customizing with Text
Customizing with Text
Adding a new text object
Changing font settings
Converting the text to a 3D mesh
Finalizing the bracelet
Summary
8
Using Empties to Model the Base of the House
Using Empties to Model the Base of the House
Using Empties for reference images
Modeling the base of the house
Summary
9
Mesh Modeling and Positioning the Details
Mesh Modeling and Positioning the Details
Modeling windows
Renaming and copying windows
Perfecting the positioning with Snap
Summary
10
Making Textures with the Array Modifier and Scalable Vector Graphics
Making Textures with the Array Modifier and Scalable Vector Graphics
Making brickwork with the Array Modifier
Importing a Scalable Vector Graphics file for stonework
Summary
11
Applying Textures with Boolean Intersection
Applying Textures with Boolean Intersection
Making template shapes
Taking an intersection
Finalizing and exporting the house
Summary
12
Making Organic Shapes with the Subdivision Surface Modifier
Making Organic Shapes with the Subdivision Surface Modifier
Thinking about overhangs and flat bases
Making a low-poly hand
Adding a Subdivision Surface Modifier
Summary
13
Trial and Error – Topology Edits
Trial and Error – Topology Edits
Preparing yourself mentally
Adding extra edge loops
Moving vertices and edge loops
Modeling fingernails and wrinkles
Summary
14
Coloring Models with Materials and UV Maps
Coloring Models with Materials and UV Maps
Using materials
Coloring with UV Maps
Exporting and uploading X3D files
Summary
15
Troubleshooting and Repairing Models
Troubleshooting and Repairing Models
Removing duplicate vertices
Flipping face normals
Finding and fixing non-manifold edges
Repairing models with 3D Builder
Summary

Exporting and uploading X3D files

Once you are satisfied with your model, you will want to export it for 3D printing. The STL file format we have used for the other projects does not include information on the colors and materials. For a full-color project such as this one, we will want to use a format called Extensible 3D Graphics to make an X3D file. The steps are as follows:

  1. In Object Mode, right-click your object to select it. In this case, I select my hand.
  2. Go to the File menu at the very top of the screen. Click Export and pick X3D Extensible 3D (.x3d):
Telling Blender to export the model to X3D format
  1. Customize the filename, if desired, and click the Export X3D button:
Clicking the Export X3D button saves the file

If you only colored your model with materials and did not use a UV Map or Texture Painting, then this X3D file is all you need for the 3D Printing Service...

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