solid objects for 3d print

Support Modeling
1

Hi

I have an issue with 3d printing from a .stl file. the file was generated in zbrush, It all worked fine apart from one object which was a primitive generated in blender, exported as an .obj and then imported to be used in zbrush. It printed hollow, and collapsed. It was a contiguous mesh, so no holes.

Does anyone know how to make an object solid throughout in blender so that it prints as such?

Cheers

Steve

2

Check you don’t have any flipped normals during the export/import to zbrush.

Richard

3

Yeah I have had export issues with meshes that seemed OK. Recalc Normals fixed it.

4

Hi

Normals were ok it seems, the problem seems to be about thickness of the model, I had only a skin, no internal topology. is there a way of easily creating a skin inside a mesh so that I can generate depth and hense a thick/solid part for printing?

cheers

steve

5

Try the Solidify Selection script.

Edit Mode: Mesh/Scripts

6

sounds interesting, but I cant find it? could you point me in the right direction.

thanks

7

Make sure you have scripts installed with your version of Blender. It should be automatic with most builds but I understand that sometimes you can install Blender and there are no scripts. (These scripts will run without Python by the way)

The modeling scripts should be here:

Edit Mode: Mesh (menu)/Scripts(menu)

Scroll down til you see Solidify Selection.

If there are no scripts there that is another issue to be solved.

8

thanks, found it, ill give it a try :wink:

9

Ok Ive tried it. the problem is that my mesh is a human, the fingers are thin and the toso is thick, heres an image of the base mesh with no subtools like clothes added. if I could get this base mesh solid the problem would be solved.

http://i47.tinypic.com/qz3ndi.jpg
qz3ndi.jpg540×520

the solidify script bloats some areas while leaving others ok, it works fine on a uniform mesh, but not a complex one like this.

so if anyone know how I might create a second skin inside this one? I can at least manually shrink that, though it would take forever… I would like to be able to export it as a solid object :frowning: cant find any way to do that as yet though.

Steve

10

I personally think you’re looking at the wrong thing. You shouldn’t need internal topology, I can only see this possibly causing problems when creating an stl file. The stl format only defines the surface of a 3d object, nothing to do with the thickeness of its skin. Create an object in zbrush, it isn’t solid, as with other 3d packages the object is just a series of connected faces with zero thickness.

Richard

Richard

11

so if I get rid of internal topology all together it should print as solid?