My 3D printing issue seems comepletely different than Harry’s (whose recent post I read through).
I created polysurfaces and meshes, making sure that the volumes are as watertight as possible. Bambu slicer mangles a 3MF export and leaves huge layer gaps in STL exports. I’ve tried all manner of STL settings, fine, crude, nothing works. STP export sucks too, slicer can’t figure it out. If I export to STP, import that into Autdesk Fusion, and export an STL file from Fusion (after spending hours cleaning up the model in there), things are less bad, but I had to do some 3DFaces and of course meshes won’t export into STP so most of the Rhino model is missing when it gets into Fusion that way. IGES, OBJ, DWG, DXF…SOL. Does anyone have any ideas about how to get the attached model to slice properly and print? Oh and by the way, if I export one of the 4 identical elements by itself and let the slicer reorient it, that works.
I’d be happy to share the 3dm file and lots of screenshots, but I don’t see options for doing that, maybe because this is my first post or something.
Anyhow, thanks for any advice/suggestions.
Hi @Frank_Revi
I think you forgot the attachment.
You can drag and drop those into the text area you’re typing the post in. You can do that in a reply.
Here’s screenshots and 3dm files. Basically I started with a geometric idea involving surfaces and did offsets etc. to create printable volumetric entities. No matter how I export and import the complete model, Bambu slicer can’t handle it; but if I export one of the 4 identical elements on its own, it looks like it will print up just fine. My questions are:
- How to get the whole model to properly slice for printing
- How to export in a way that allows different surfaces to print with different (color) filaments - even though the (simple printable) model is 3 distinct polysurfaces, it always gets treated as a monolithic unit. Note that when trying the whole model, it often gets separated into pieces (which then get screwed up on import).
Thanks for any interest, comments, suggestions.
T_element.3dm (161.0 KB)
T2.3dm (622.6 KB)
dear @Frank_Revi
to be able to 3d print you will need a closed mesh.
to get a closed mesh you will need a closed polysurface.
to convert a polysurface in a mesh, there is the _mesh command.
if you start with surfaces you need to _join them and check that the result in the properties or with _showedges.
do not mix different object-types (mesh, polysurface, SubD)
how big is the final object you want to print ?
what s the context of your approach - if you want to develop proper workflows I recommend to work through some of the tutorials found for example here
if you just want to get the project done, use _Shrinkwrap to get a closed mesh out of your data.
hope this helps - kind regards -tom
Thanks Tom, that is very helpful about needing closed polysurfaces, not mixing object types, etc. That gives me a lot to go on, including the tutporials. Much appreciated.
I’ve been into joining, trimming, and minding the gaps and edges with intersecttwosets. I wonder if I’m running into rounding errors; I have a hunch that certain vertices should be coplanar and certain intersecting entities should be coincident (I haven’t done the math to prove that), and they don’t seem to be. Also, some copies of certain entities which are manipulated in space for symmetry sometimes seem to behave differently than the originals or other copies - meshes appear instead of just surfaces. I try to always click points and enter expressions instead of calculated answers, that way to let Rhino do the math to its full accuracy.
Shrinkwap obliterated the curved surfaces entirely, not useful.
Rhino is really really good. including the support and community. Thanks very much.
For what it is worth, I recreate your geometry in Grasshopper so you can make a closed Brep easily with varying parameters
pyramid.gh (17.0 KB)
Wow, thanks so much…this will give me a chance to dig into grasshopper which I haven’t even looked at yet…
In the meantime, I’ve rebuilt the whole model from scratch.the interface between the “frame” and the curved surfaces is tricky. I was able to resolve the whole thing into a single polysurface, which turns out to be open. I can generate a mesh from that and export to 3MF or STL, but unfortunately Bambu slicer has a hard time with those too. Looks much better though, getting closer…
Anyhow thank you very much, this is most helpful and I really appreciate it.