Author: Joe Meiser

Preparing for 3D printing in Rhino (McNeel Wiki page) Lynda.com tutorials on preparing Rhino designs for 3D printing: Preparing a model for prototyping Shelling your model automatically Shelling your model manually Exporting for 3D printing * Note: logon to Lynda with your Bucknell account by following this link * Simplify3D tutorials, etc. Simplify3D troubleshooting guide Preform… Continue reading Additional resources

  Included below are images of some of the most common tools you’ll use in the finishing process. Pliers (blue handles) and snippers (red handles).  Great for ripping support material off and snipping it away.   Hacksaw (top) and coping saw (bottom).  Use for making big alterations to a printed part.   Files.  Good for… Continue reading Cleanup your printed parts by removing support, sanding, and/or gluing

Level the print bed before every job.  For best results with the MakerGear and MakerBot printers, level the bed before every job. This will help the filament adhere properly to the bed and distribute evenly.  In the image below we see a Student Technician using a sheet of paper to set the correct amount of space between… Continue reading Follow best practices for 3D printing

Toolpaths To 3d print a form we have to create what’s called a toolpath.  A toolpath consists of numerical g-code, which is essentially a set of instructions that tells the 3d printer what to do.  Fortunately, we don’t have to learn to write g-code because the software writes it for us based on how we… Continue reading Create the toolpath for your 3D print

Fortunately, exporting the file is simple.  Select everything you want to export, and then run the “export” command.  Choose to export your file as an OBJ or STL.   The only difference I know of between these file types is that OBJ files can contain texture information while STL files are strictly for geometry.  If… Continue reading Export the mesh from Rhino in STL or OBJ format

Even if your NURBS form is a single watertight solid there’s still a chance it will produce a mesh with errors.  Errors in the mesh can cause problems during the printing process.  Let’s look at how to check for errors and how to repair them. Mesh repair in Rhino In the example below the original NURBS… Continue reading Check the mesh for errors, then repair as needed

In Rhino we model with NURBS, which is a mathematical representation of form.  3D printing programs, on the other hand, work with STL and/or OBJ files, which are both mesh formats.  We therefore need to convert the NURBS form to a mesh in preparation for 3D printing.  It’s possible to directly export a NURBS form from Rhino as an… Continue reading Turn your NURBS model into a mesh of appropriate density

Many modifications can be done in Simplify3D and Preform, but I find it easier and faster to modify in Rhino.  In Rhino we also have more control for certain operations, we have a more complete set of tools, and we’re able to use the orthographic viewports.  Here are some modifications you may want to make… Continue reading Modify to facilitate an easier printing process / achieve a desired result

To 3D print effectively, your part must be a closed solid.  Another word that is used interchangeably with solid is watertight.  A watertight part is closed along every edge and face.  A watertight part would not leak if filled with (virtual) water.  If there are openings in your part — even very small openings — the 3D printing software… Continue reading Check if your form is solid– if it’s not, find the naked edges and close them up

While modeling, we can sometimes encounter very difficult problems that are best solved by reverting to an earlier version of the project.  It’s a good idea to save a new version of your file every half hour with “save as”.  This will take up some room on your flashdisk or hard drive, but it will save… Continue reading Save iterations of your project along the way

Make one single solid part.  In Rhino we often design forms using many different solids and surfaces that intersect each other. During the design process, keeping things separate makes it easier to make changes, but when it comes time to print the design we need to join everything together into one single solid part. This… Continue reading Join the NURBS geometry into one single solid part

To streamline your workflow and create good clean geometry that can be successfully 3D printed, do the following when modeling in Rhino: Design in millimeters.  If you model in inches you’ll have to deal with fractions, which can be cumbersome. Millimeters are easier.  Also, the software we’ll use to create the 3d printing toolpath works with… Continue reading Create the desired 3D form with NURBS geometry