Re: 3 D Printing 16mm models
Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2021 10:46 am
I am now getting somewhere with the figures created in "Makehuman/Blender".
Firstly I have tried the "Chitubox" slicing software. It does seem a much more user friendly and versatile package for working with complex shapes like figures. However the BIG thing you need to know is that it does not work with "Anycubic Photon Zero" printers. At least this printer is not one which it can generate sliced files for.
Bear in mind that I got this particular printer because it was very cost effective, and although the size it can print is small, it is big enough for 16mm figures - which is what I specifically wanted it for. Dinah paid significantly less than £100 for it as a special offer.
Back to slicing. Although I couldn't use the Chitubox software the videos were very useful. I came away having a much clearer idea if how to orientate the figure and how to organise the supports. So I am back to using the printers own slicing software.
So some photos of my developing understanding: My first attempt at a seated first class figure. With a top hat. You can see that there is a big block of solid support under the figures bottom. There was also a tube of resin around the face - and I have prized some of that off before taking this photo. In doing that some of the brim of the hat came away.
I next tried printing it at an angle; Now there are a different set of issues, including the top of the hat missing. Most significantly there are blocks of support under ankles bottom and back. These would not be so easy to remove in a way which didn't affect the end result.
I have now realised that the BIG problem with these figures is that there are problems with the "mesh". In other words the figure consists of s set of triangles interconnected. There are overlaps, holes and triangles which are not connected. So the slicing software is having problems working out what to print. I need to repair the defects. That is the difference between the figures from thingiverse and these figures. The thingiverse figures don't have problems with the mesh, so they slice properly.
I remembered a comment that Steve or Philip made some time ago about fixing figures like this and the word Meshmixer seemed to ring a bell - so I searched for it. It turns out to be a reputable mesh repair tool! So I have installed it. Now trial and error leads to the next photo: You can see that I have turned the figure so that the front rim of the hat is pointing upwards. I know its on its back - but that is so that the front of the hat doesn't need supports. The supports under the legs are ones that I created manually - but there is still a block of resin under the back. Not very big and therefor the figure is usable. There is no block under the hat, so that is an improvement.
Now I have looked at some videos on using meshmixer and think I have a better understanding of how to repair the mesh. So I think the mesh is now repaired and this is the result: That is how I think it should come out! The supports are all individual and the whole figure has printed cleanly.
Success!
Trevor
Firstly I have tried the "Chitubox" slicing software. It does seem a much more user friendly and versatile package for working with complex shapes like figures. However the BIG thing you need to know is that it does not work with "Anycubic Photon Zero" printers. At least this printer is not one which it can generate sliced files for.
Bear in mind that I got this particular printer because it was very cost effective, and although the size it can print is small, it is big enough for 16mm figures - which is what I specifically wanted it for. Dinah paid significantly less than £100 for it as a special offer.
Back to slicing. Although I couldn't use the Chitubox software the videos were very useful. I came away having a much clearer idea if how to orientate the figure and how to organise the supports. So I am back to using the printers own slicing software.
So some photos of my developing understanding: My first attempt at a seated first class figure. With a top hat. You can see that there is a big block of solid support under the figures bottom. There was also a tube of resin around the face - and I have prized some of that off before taking this photo. In doing that some of the brim of the hat came away.
I next tried printing it at an angle; Now there are a different set of issues, including the top of the hat missing. Most significantly there are blocks of support under ankles bottom and back. These would not be so easy to remove in a way which didn't affect the end result.
I have now realised that the BIG problem with these figures is that there are problems with the "mesh". In other words the figure consists of s set of triangles interconnected. There are overlaps, holes and triangles which are not connected. So the slicing software is having problems working out what to print. I need to repair the defects. That is the difference between the figures from thingiverse and these figures. The thingiverse figures don't have problems with the mesh, so they slice properly.
I remembered a comment that Steve or Philip made some time ago about fixing figures like this and the word Meshmixer seemed to ring a bell - so I searched for it. It turns out to be a reputable mesh repair tool! So I have installed it. Now trial and error leads to the next photo: You can see that I have turned the figure so that the front rim of the hat is pointing upwards. I know its on its back - but that is so that the front of the hat doesn't need supports. The supports under the legs are ones that I created manually - but there is still a block of resin under the back. Not very big and therefor the figure is usable. There is no block under the hat, so that is an improvement.
Now I have looked at some videos on using meshmixer and think I have a better understanding of how to repair the mesh. So I think the mesh is now repaired and this is the result: That is how I think it should come out! The supports are all individual and the whole figure has printed cleanly.
Success!
Trevor