Help the noob impress his boss with 3D printing...please

Support Modeling
1

I’ve been a 3D artist for several years - using other people’s models. I’ve fiddled around with Sketch Up, but that’s about it. Now I am trying to learn Blender and create my own models. My boss thinks this is great and wants to use it for new product design - I’m all for it!

I have created my first item and it looks good IMHO and prints well enough. See the attached image. However, there is a problem I am hoping someone can help me with.

As it is now, the mesh is basically solid with a shaft knocked out of the middle. The areas with the “ice cubes” are solid. I would like to convert this model so the interior of the object follows the outer surface with a thickness of something like 3 mm.

It seems to me, there should be a way to select all the outer faces without getting the inner ones, then copy them and do something like apply a solidify modifier. Is that possible?

Any help would be most welcome, as I say - I am very much a noob.

Attachments

Ice Towel Jar Concept - 3d Printed Concept Item.jpg1331×2300 163 KB

Ice Towel Bottle Decimated.blend (5.53 MB)

2

What type of 3d printer are you using, it can really decide on final outcome. plus what is that?

3

The easiest way would be to delete all the unwanted interior vertices and use a solidify modifier to do the thickness. Depending on the medium for the printing, some faces might need some support, but it should get you closer to what you want, I think.

4

(Oh, and you might have to do a little clean up on some edges that wind up overlapping.)

5

I was afraid of that…the inside is kind of a mess. Oh well, can’t be lazy all the time!

Thanks for the helpful response!

6

I’m using a Replicator 2 and the item is basically a plastic jar with an ice cube look to the surface. In production, it will be molded with a screw on lid - kinda like a soda bottle.