1 Topic by Oztin (edited by Oztin 2013-04-15 04:52:24)

  • Oztin
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Topic: Investigating potential 3D printing, many questions!

Hey all,

As the title says, I'm looking to get into 3D printing for prototyping and/or crafting my own original stuff for gifts and the home. I've been reading a lot about it but am filled with many questions. So, first, I'll ask and explain what I'm trying to do as best as I can. I don't want to invest money into something that isn't feasible for a home user to do, after all.

First, I am aiming to take 3D models I make that are very high resolution and convert them into tabletop miniatures and/or small statues for gifts (my dad, for example, really likes dragons and I would love to have one of mine made up for him).

(I can't post links for some reason so I took out the w w w . in each.)


I stumbled across this thread in one of my searches... privateerpressforums.com/showthread.php?13570-I-got-my-typhon-printed-and-now-to-paint!

The model in there (at the bottom of the first post) is roughly the end-goal of most of my prints, unless for simple things.

The model he had printed appears extremely smooth. I want to achieve the same level of smoothness. I know that there are several "resolutions" that are printed, the most common and most advertised for Solidoodle being .3mm. With this being a "high res" print, will Solidoodle's resolution of .1mm be capable of achieving that kind of result, or am I going to need better than the SD3?

On that same note, I did find this: solidoodle.com/2012/11/best-resolution-yet/ The resolution here seems reasonable, although I can still see stepping.

From what I read, Solidoodle doesn't completely fill solid areas (to be mindful of the filament use). Can you make it fill the area so it is completely solid? Would this fix any issues regarding strength and/or overhangs without support?

If the Solidoodle is not capable of getting that kind of resolution but I still want to use it, what can I do to try and achieve that kind of detail out of a Solidoodle print? I've read mixed uses of Acetone but do not quite understand how it would affect the end piece. Some of the parts I'm making would be extremely small.

As for modeling, I've read basically any software package should be able to output to an STL. Some people mention converting to an OBJ then changing file types again to an STL. What standard does Solidoodle best utilize? I am going to either be using Maya or Blender for my models (depending on if making at home or work) and potentially taking the mesh into ZBrush.

Aside from the "out of the box" settings, which would I likely need to test and tinker with to achieve the results I'm looking for?

I've read there are different ways to print, like KISSlice (I forget the others). Which is good at what, if they're supposed to be specialized, or is it guesswork?

Thank you in advance for the answers! I'm sure I'll have more questions and I hope I have added enough details.

2 Reply by adrian (edited by adrian 2013-04-15 10:58:24)

  • adrian
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Re: Investigating potential 3D printing, many questions!

You will see 'banding' in most 3D printed parts - to get super smooth you will either need to lightly sand it (what a lot of the pros still do with models) or use a 'smoothing station' that uses acetone vapor to slightly melt the surface and get rid of the banding - at the cost of some finer surface details (may or may not be an issue). This of course is in reference to the standard uniform 'layer' banding.. not the uneven 'wobble' you may see discussed which is a separate mechanical related issue that can be reduced/eliminated depending on the severity of the issue on your particular printer (some have it, some don't, some have resolved it, others swear it gets worse no matter what they try - YMMV)

With regards to the 'infill' of models - its entirely user selectable, from 0 to 100% - so whatever your model needs or the strength your going for is up to you.

As for the 'file format' - its not the solidoodle that determines that, but rather the 'slicing software' - which for any new user will be Repetier and using Slic3r. They deal with .STL's almost exclusively - so you want to export from whatever package and end up with an STL - either directly or via a secondary program to convert from a to b. I personally tend to use with OpenScad or SketchUp - both of which natively export STL. You can however use many others, from AutoCad to Blender.
My suggestion is stick to Repetier/Slic3r until you've rounded the corner on understanding the elements of 3D Printing, and from there, it comes down to what happens to work best for the models you most use. Why just the other night I found the current 0.9.9 version of Slic3r didn't handle a model properly, where as the older 0.9.8 version did just fine. This trend is repeated across all the various slicers (the 3 big ones being skeinforge (older and less 'user friendly' than the rest), Slic3r (the 'default' for Solidoodle these days and what I tend to use the most with the most user friendly interface) and for really hard models you reach for KISSlicer, which is good on many models that the others fail at, but has its own entire learning curve and workflow management requirements).