Preparing for printing from 3D Warehouse to 3D Printer

SketchUp is a free 3D drawing program for the architects and designers which are used to easily create printable models yet the models need to address before printed from the 3D printer. The models which are need to download sometimes found that they are not solid create big problem in the printing time.

Aaron has come with a solution; he needed a printable scaled version of the US Capitol Building and to record the technique of transforming the unprintable into a solid one.

Basic demands for 3D Printing:

• Water-tight Model • No paper-thin surfaces • Minimum wall thicknesses and feature sizes • Outward-facing surfaces

1. Water-tight Models: The models which are needed to turn into solid should be fully enclosed as like creating an interior space where water could be hold without overflowing it. All the nearby lines and vertices of every model need to be in one point not the close enough but should be perfectly in one line. To fix or stray the model either the stray vertex could move to the main vertex or the gaps could be filled by drawing new lines.

2. No paper-Thin surfaces: In case of drawing the artistic models, paper-thin features create problem as they prevent in printing as there is not a significant amount of material there. In this case to fix the model one could extrude the surface to make it a little thick or can delete it simply.

3. Minimum wall thicknesses and feature sizes: Every 3D printing system has a certain requirement in case of thickness of wall and feature sizes. These features give assurance about printing the model correctly which will not break quickly. By deleting the model or extruding the surface a little bit this probl3em can be solved.

4. Outward-facing surfaces: Often having surfaces in a model face a wrong direction and printing software ask for a side of each surface for printing. This can be fixed by right-clicking on the bad face and selecting Reverse Faces. Reverse faces will be found by following steps, open the Styles window, click on the Edit tab, click on the Face Settings box and then the Back Color has to change into a bright color.

Convert to STL Format: After doing all the things that are described above, most 3D Printers ask models to convert into the STL file format. There are many ways to covert SketchUp file into an STL file and the best free converters for using is the SketchUp to DXF or STL Plugin. At first deselect the model, then click on tools > Export to DXF or CAD > Export Unit into Inches > Export To in STL.

Check for STL Errors: After converting it become ready for checking errors but sometime it will make some errors so checkout online for fixing the STL errors.

Aaron Dietzen, SketchUp’s sales manager tried to print his SketchUp file through 3D printing. He has needed a printable scaled version of the US Capitol Building and he made a recording of the process of transforming the unprintable into a solid model. The original model had a great look so Aaron kept all his focus in the 3D printing. Throughout the model, many things could be found such as single surfaces, nested components and each and every thing t print.

The converted model might be like a baffling task to get all of geometry it need to clean up and then turned into a solid ready-to-print thing. It should be done carefully as the process can be defined into a series of simple steps.

There is a tutorial video on YouTube as a help. For more follow blog.sketchup.com



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Published By
Rajib Dey
www.sketchup4architect.com
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How to Select a Part of a Model in SketchUp

3D modeling on SketchUp involves easy steps to help you draw a perfect model. The tools and extensions save your time and keep the designing process smart and simple. SketchUp, like other 3D design applications, follow the common processes at the initial level of your design. ‘Selection’ is one of the basics and most necessary features designers should be well-acquainted with. The content brings to you different applications of the ‘selection’ tool for designing a perfect model.

To move anything in your SketchUp model, you have to select that object first. Through selecting the model, you inform the SketchUp that you are working on that portion of your design. You can rotate, copy, move or anything want after selecting the model.

Things you need to know for using the ‘selecting’ tool:

Selecting entity in your SketchUp: You must know that every single thing of your SketchUp model is an entity that is also categorized in a few names as per their appearance. Elements, objects and annotation are the three basic parts of the selection.

Elements are similar to edges and faces in a design and they together make an object. An object should contain a separate name and meta data that defines it. Annotations are texts, guides and selection planes. The remaining things other than elements and objects are called annotation.

Selecting a thing (lines or faces) is not easier, though. Experts have also taken time to know how to select only edges in SketchUp. If you, too, are wondering how to do this, go to the wire frame mode and select the object by dragging. Since only edges will appear in wire frame mode, it will be easier for you to select an edge.

Click to select things you want: The easiest way to select an object is to click on that particular thing while you are using the select tool. To select more than one object, you need to hold the shift key and click the objects you want. Knowing the usage of shift key in selection will help you learn further about SketchUp. You can add and subtract both with the shift key.

The entities look differently as per their character: After selecting an edge, a face or an object, you find a few changes in its appearances. Selected edges transform into blue, selected faces covered with blue dots, and selected groups and components are surrounded by a blue box – these changes are visible by designers.

Double or triple click for the selection: Double click or triple click can be termed as the SketchUp select tool shortcuts. Double clicking an edge allows you to select edges and adjacent faces both. Through this, you can also select connected lines in SketchUp very well. Triple clicking an edge or a face selects the entire model.

Select many at once in SketchUp: When you need to select many things in your SketchUp design, Selection boxes will help you. Such selection is two types – window selection and crossing selection. Window selection is called when you click and drag from left to right. This way, you can select things inside your selection box.

Cross selection is when you click and drag right to left. It selects anything that touches your selection box.

Knowing properly the application of selection tool will resolve complicated problems like how to select edges and more. The basic of the selection tool is to move an object in your model.

Article Source: www.dummies.com

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Published By

Rajib Dey

www.sketchup4architect.com

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