Create 3D printing supports in Blender


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9 responses to “Create 3D printing supports in Blender”

  1. I got it now! Here's my clarification. The miracle begins at 3:33 starting with making a curve. He is using Pie Menus, a plug-in. Also many of his keystrokes are different. Maya?
    Here is 31 steps:
    – Create a curve path:
    1. 3:33 Object mode(tab), Add curve path (shift+A not shift+ctrl+A) (do not know why he duplicates (shift-d) here)

    – Make a curve point:
    2. Edit mode (tab) Selecting all but one of the vertices and delete them (x), leaving ONE vertex: (shift click each, not ctrl+shift+alt click). (I hope I saved you the hour I lost to that one: it looks the same if you delete all the vertexes, but it won't work.)
    3. magnet, snap to faces or edges

    – Place support points on the model:
    4. Shift-d place, click, repeat to place curve-points.

    – stretch down to the bottom:
    5. 7:05 miracle continues: select all (a) extrude (e) along Z (z) drag and confirm (enter/click)
    6. Repeat #5 (e,z,enter) once to near the bottom
    7. even up the bottom: scale (s) along Z (z) line up at zereo (0) (bug? fix: pivot on bounding box)
    8. repeat 6 above (e,z,enter) until you have 3 new dots at the base

    – Thicken:
    9. 7:49 on the far right panel pick the curve tab (Data), past the wrench
    10. down to "Geometry", type in Bevel Depth= 1.0 to 1.5 mm
    11. back up to "Shape" fill=full

    – Make a sharp pencil:
    12. 8:13 unselect all (a) lasso or box (b) and select all the bottom dots
    13. 8:24 grow the selection (ctrl + numpadPlus — not ctrl+3)
    14. inverse (ctrl + i) to select only the top point.
    15. scale in (alt + s) to make a cone point
    16. inverse (ctrl+i) move-Go (g) to stretch down
    17. de-select bottom points with lasso (ctrl+shift+rightMouse) or box (b, middleMouse drag)
    18. Scale in (alt+s) to make narrow

    – Move and bend supports:
    19. 9:20 turn off snapping (magnet button)
    20. Select points and move (g) lock the z (shift+z)

    – Extend base with a overhanging edge:
    21. 10:37 select second from bottom points (side view (numpadOne), box(b), scale (alt+s))
    22. select bottom points, scale (alt+s) but not as far

    – Fill the holes in the base:
    23. Object mode (tab),
    24. Convert curve to mesh (alt+c)
    25. edit mode (tab), select all (a)
    26. Menu , select, Select Boundary loop
    27. optional Zoom on selection (numpadPeriod)
    28. Fill (f) — Note that this also fills in the top and makes it manifold.

    – Clean up:
    29. remove duplicate vertices (left panel (t), tools, mesh tools, remove, remove doubles)
    combine:
    30. Object mode, select both model and support (shift+click), Join (Ctrl+J)
    31. Edit mode (tab), Select all (a), recalculate normals (ctrl+n)

    Print it!

  2. This is a feat of great import! I don't see this technique anywhere! However, I am not able to reproduce this, but I have not given up yet. Heavypoly, can you tell us key preferences? Maya? Pie menus?

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