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Blender 3D Printing by Example

By : Somma

4.3 (15)

Blender 3D Printing by Example

4.3 (15)

By: 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!

Preface

Preface

What this book covers

What you need for this book

Who this book is for

Conventions

Reader feedback

Customer support

Free Chapter

Thinking about Design Requirements

Thinking about Design Requirements

Thinking about printing processes

Thinking about size

Summary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mesh Modeling and Positioning the Details

Mesh Modeling and Positioning the Details

Modeling windows

Renaming and copying windows

Perfecting the positioning with Snap

Summary

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

Applying Textures with Boolean Intersection

Applying Textures with Boolean Intersection

Making template shapes

Taking an intersection

Finalizing and exporting the house

Summary

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

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

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

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

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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:

In Object Mode, right-click your object to select it. In this case, I select my hand.
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

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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