3D PRINTING AT THE BAC REVISED JAN 28, 2014
3D PRINTING POLICIES 1 APPROVED OPERATORS: DAVID HANSEN ANDREW SHELBURNE STEVE POLLITT ONLY THESE PEOPLE ARE APPROVED TO OPERATE THE 3D PRINTERS 2 APPROVED USERS: ANY STUDENT, FACULTY, OR STAFF OF THE BAC WHO MEETS THE PREREQUISTES 3 PREREQUISITES: 1. DETAILED KNOWLEDGE OF A 3D MODELING PROGRAM THAT CAN EXPORT TO.OBJ OR.STL 2. THE ABILITY TO EXPORT AN.STL OR.OBJ FILE 3. COMMON SENSE (e.g. It can t print in mid-air) 4 FILE REQUIREMENTS: 1. MAKERWARE CAN ONLY ACCEPT.OBJ OR.STL FILES 2. THE GEOMETRY NEEDS TO BE CLOSED AND WATER-TIGHT 3. THE USER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPORTING THE.STL OR.OBJ FILE INTO MAKERWARE 5 TIPS/USEFUL INFO: FOR MORE ABOUT THE MAKERBOTS AND HOW THEY WORK, PLEASE VISIT: http://www.makerbot.com/discover/ 1
THE LOWDOWN 1 TIME IS A FACTOR: 1. 3D PRINTING IS NOT FAST - IT CAN TAKE SEVERAL TO MANY HOURS FOR ONE PRINT JOB 2. PLAN TO SPEND A COUPLE HOURS CLEANING UP YOUR DIGITAL MODEL BEFORE EXPORTING 3. IT MIGHT BE FASTER TO RETRACE THE EXTERIOR SURFACES (ALL THE THINGS YOU CAN SEE) 4. MODEL THE WALLS, NOT THE BRICKS. 2 DON T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF: 1. IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE A MODEL IT PROBABLY SHOULDN T SHOW EVERY POSSIBLE DETAIL 2. IF TIME IS LIMITED, MAKE SURE THE BIG PARTS ARE MODELED CORRECTLY FIRST, THEN WORK DOWN 3. MODELS SHOULD BE WATER TIGHT - IF IT S NOT WATER TIGHT, IT S NOT SOLID, AND IT WON T PRINT WELL 3 BE REALISTIC ABOUT REALISM: 1. AT 1/32 OR EVEN 1/16 IT CAN T PRINT A DOOR HANDLE, PANE OF GLASS, ETC. 2. MAYBE DON T MODEL EACH STAIR, MODEL THE IDEA OF THE STAIRS 3. IF YOU WANT ENTOURAGE IN YOUR MODEL, YOU SHOULD PRINT IT SEPARATELY 4 THEY ARE ACCURATE, BUT NOT PRECISE: 1. ONLY USE ONE PRINTER FOR ALL PARTS OF THE SAME MODEL 2. IF YOU ARE MAKING INTERLOCKING PIECES, TEST FOR FITMENT USING SMALL PIECES FIRST 5 COST: 1. 3D PRINTS COST 10CENTS PER GRAM - THE AVERAGE PRICE IS AROUND $8 FOR A LARGE MODEL 2. PAYMENT CAN BE DEDUCTED FROM YOUR BAC PRINTING ACCOUNT OR BE MADE IN CASH 2
FILE SETUP TIPS 1 SIZE AND ORIENTATION: 1. MAKE SURE YOU SCALED MODEL FITS INSIDE THE MAKERBOT (11 x 6 x 6 ) 2. MAKE SURE YOUR MODEL SITS FLAT ON THE C-PLANE - THINK OF THE LEGS OF A CHAIR, ALL FOUR SHOULD BE FLAT ON THE SURFACE 3. IF POSSIBLE, ORIENT THE MODEL SO THE MOST SUPPORTIVE SIDE IS FACIING DOWN 4. MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THE METRIC SIZE (MILLIMETERS) OF YOUR MODEL (OR SCALE IT TO MM S) 2 CLOSE YOUR GEOMETRY: 1. 3D PRINTERS CAN T MAKE ZERO-THICKNESS PLANES 2. OPEN SHAPES ARE OK, BUT THEY NEED WALL THICKNESS - I RECOMMEND 2MM MINIMUM - THINK OF A BOWL: IT HAS AN INSIDE SURFACE, AND OUTSIDE SURFACE AND A THICKNESS 3. MODELS SHOULD BE WATER TIGHT - IF IT S NOT WATER TIGHT, IT S NOT SOLID, AND IT WON T PRINT WELL 4. TAKE TIME TO CLEAN UP YOUR GEOMETRY AND REMOVING INTERSECTING GEOMETRY 3 PREREQUISITES: 1. KNOWLEDGE OF A 3D MODELING PROGRAM THAT CAN EXPORT TO OBJ OR STL 2. THE ABILITY TO EXPORT AN STL OR OBJ FILE 3. COMMON SENSE 4 FILE REQUIREMENTS: 1. MAKERWARE CAN ONLY ACCEPT OBJ OR STL FILES 2. THE GEOMETRY NEEDS TO BE CLOSED AND WATER-TIGHT 3. THE USER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPORTING THE STL OR OBJ FILE INTO MAKERWARE 5 TIPS/USEFUL INFO: FOR MORE ABOUT THE MAKERBOTS AND HOW THEY WORK, PLEASE VISIT: http://www.makerbot.com/discover/ 3
3D PRINTING PROCESS 1 AUTOCAD RHINO SKETCHUP (OTHER) SCALE TO MM MAKERBOT IS METRIC 2 AUTOCAD RHINO SKETCHUP (OTHER) EXPORT AS *.STL or *.OBJ 3 *.STL or *.OBJ IMPORT IN MAKER WARE STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY 4 ADJUST SCALE POSITION ORIENTATION EXPORT TO *.X3G to SD CARD 5 PRINT CODER RESPONSIBILITY 4
MAKERWARE OVERVIEW MAKERWARE : THE SOFTWARE USED TO POSITION/ROTATE/SCALE/EXPORT IMPORT EXPORT CHANGE VIEW POSITION THE BED ROTATE 6 inches Z SCALE PRINT AREA 11 inches X 6 inches Y THE BED: THE PRINT AREA OF THE MAKERBOT - 11 x 6 x 6 EXPORT: CHANGE VIEW: POSITION: ROTATE: SCALE: EXPORT: LOAD AN STL OR OBJ FILE THAT YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY EXPORTED LOOK AT THE MODEL FROM THE TOP, SIDE OR FRONT CHANGE THE MODEL S POSITION ON THE PRINTING SURFACE - WHERE IT WILL BE PRINTED CHANGE THE ORIENTATION OF THE MODEL IN X,Y, AND/OR Z AXIS CHANGE THE SIZE OF THE MODEL - IN MILLIMETERS SELECT PRINTER SETTINGS AND SAVE THE MODEL AS AN X3G FILE FOR PRINTING 5
MAKERWARE EXPORT MAKERWARE : THE SOFTWARE USED TO POSITION/ROTATE/SCALE/EXPORT YOUR MODEL BASICS RESOLUTION EASING ADVANCED SETTINGS PREVIEW EXPORT BASICS: RESOLUTION: EASING: ADVANCED: PREVIEW: THESE SETTING SHOULD BE AS SHOWN - EXPORT TO FILE / THE REPLICATOR 2 / MAKERBOT PLA FOR MOST MODELS: CHOSE BETWEEN DEFAULT HIGH / STANDARD / LOW RESOLUTIONS LOW 10% INFILL / 2 SHELLS /.3MM LAYER HEIGHT STANDARD 10% INFILL / 2 SHELLS /.2MM LAYER HEIGHT HIGH 15% INFILL / 2 SHELLS /.1MM LAYER HEIGHT SOME MODELS WILL NEED RAFTS AND/OR SUPPORTS ENABLED - HERE S WHAT THEY ARE FOR RAFTS USE IF MODEL HAS MINIMAL SURFACE AREA ON THE BOTTOM SIDE SUPPORTS USE IF MODEL HAS SIGNIFICANT/LARGE OVERHANGS USED PRIMARILY FOR EXPERIMENTATION FOR FINISH AND BUILD PROBLEMS RAFTS USE IF MODEL HAS MINIMAL SURFACE AREA ON THE BOTTOM SIDE SUPPORTS USE IF MODEL HAS SIGNIFICANT/LARGE OVERHANGS SELECTING PREVIEW WILL ENABLE THE PREVIEW FEAUTRE UPON EXPORT (SEE NEXT PAGE) 6
MAKERWARE PREVIEW PREVIEW : CALCULATES TIME/WEIGHT/LAYERS/TRAVEL LAYERS PRICE/TIME PREVIEW TRAVEL EXPORT PRICE: TIME: LAYERS: PREVIEW: TRAVEL: EXPORT: PRICE IS BASED ON MATERIAL USED - 10 CENTS/GRAM TIME IS ESTIMATED, BUT PRETTY CLOSE TO HOW LONG THE PRINT WILL TAKE SCROLL UP AND DOWN TO SEE HOW IT WILL PRINT THIS IS THE FINAL PREVIEW - IT S A PREVIEW OF THE PRINT JOB RAFTS WILL BE SHOWN, IF SELECTED IN THE EXPORT DIALOGUE SUPPORTS WILL BE SHOWN, IF SELECTED IN THE EXPORT DIALOGUE YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE MAKERBOT WILL MOVE AS IT BUILDS EXPORT TO AN SD CARD OR EXPORT TO THE COMPUTER FOR EMAILING TO APPLICATION SUPPORT 7
BAD PROBLEMS #1 OVERHANGS : THE BANE OF FDM PRINTING UNSUPPORTED OVERHANGS DON T DO UNSUPPORTED OVERHANGS UNSUPPORTED OVERHANGS PRINT LIKE SPAGHETTI. EITHER SECTION YOUR MODEL AND ORIENT THE SECTIONS SO THAT THERE ARE NO OVERHANGS, OR TURN ON SUPPORTS IN THE EXPORT PROCESS ONE MODEL MANY PIECES OFTEN, THE CLEANEST PRODUCTION COMES FROM PRINTING YOUR MODEL IN PIECES AND GLUING THEM TOGETHER AFTERWARDS ORIENT FOR SUCCESS IT DOESN T HAVE TO BE RIGHT SIDE UP. SOMETIMES A COMPLETE MODEL CAN BE PRINTED WITH GOOD RESULTS BY REORIENTING IT. YOU CAN ALSO REORIENT TO MINIMIZE SUPPORT MATERIAL 8
GOOD SOLUTIONS #1 DIVIDE AND CONQUER SCALE THE MODEL THEN SPLIT IT INTO PRINTABLE PARTS LAY ALL THE PIECES FLAT AND ON THE SAME PLANE 9
BAD PROBLEMS #2 REVIT : IS NOT A GOOD TOOL FOR EXPORTING OPEN GEOMETRY REVIT IS A BIM/DOCUMENTATION TOOL - NOT A MODELING TOOL CAN YOU MAKE AMAZING 3D MODELS IN REVIT? YES! ARE THEY GOOD FOR EXPORTING TO THE 3D PRINTER? NOPE! WHY IS REVIT NOT RECOMMENDED? REVIT MODELS EACH OBJECT - THE FLOORS, WALLS, WINDOWS, MULLIONS, ETC. AS INDIVIDUAL CLOSED PIECES. SOMETIMES THEY AREN T EVEN CLOSED. WHEN IT EXPORTS AN STL OR OBJ FILE, TRANSLATION ERRORS CAUSE BAD GEOMETRY TO BE PASSED TO THE 3D PRINTERS. EVEN WHEN THE GEOMETRY IS GOOD, IT IS STILL IN PIECES, SO OBJECTS THAT SHOULD BE SOLID - LIKE A CUBE MAKE OF WALLS, FLOOR, AND CEILING - ARE ACTUALLY HOLLOW. THIS RESULTS IN PRINTING FAILURES. RECOMMENDATIONS IF YOU REALLY WANT TO MODEL IN REVIT, THE BEST WAY TO GET A USABLE OBJECT IS TO EXPORT AS A DWG, IMPORT THAT DWG IN RHINO. THEN DELETE EXTRA SURFACES AND CLOSE UP ANY HOLES. 10
GOOD SOLUTIONS #2 FOR REVIT, THERE ARE NO EASY SOLUTIONS AT THIS TIME. 11