3D Printing models and parts...

Update-

Just talked to someone that the community considers and expert with the Photon and resin printing... 'glass clear' canopies are possible!

Monocure rapid clear is the best resin for that and you can print down to 0.02
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Well, I got my printer in and was able to print one of test print. I was a bit concerned at first because my first attempt failed. But after reviewing what I did, I think what happened was that I didn't clean the build plate before I printed the first print and I think it was a little too slick and the layers started pealing away. Luckily it didn't get very far before I stopped it. I wiped the plate down with some alcohol and the next print was perfect. I just printed the anycubic cube model that came loaded as it doesn't take much resin and I wanted to make sure the printer worked without having to trouble shoot the model as well. I'll try to post images of my print when I get a chance to upload them.

For my next print I need to check the model really well first. My issue was it was modeled with the units set to inches and exported in inches. Unfortunately I don't think the stock Anycubic slicing program can handle inches so it imported really really small. The conversion rate from mm to inches is 25.4, so I THINK I SHOULD be able to scale up 2540% and it hopefully will be accurately the correct scale. I don't see a way to accurately measure models in the slicer program so I want to confirm that before I hit print. I'd hate to waste expensive resin only to find out that it's slightly off scale. Til then I'm going to keep researching how to best orient models and how to get better with the slicer programing. But so far, I'm excited about the possibilities.

Thanks,
Bill
 
Well I have over 200 .stl/obj files!

The first I REALLY want to print is the Buck Rogers Starfighter. I have a couple versions, one is really nice looking and has the front landing gear. As an added bonus, when I was playing around with the file in MeshMixer to remove the canopy 'glass', I found something cool. First why remove the 'glass'? Well it's not glass and most people print and paint the glass black since it's opaque anyway. I decided to remove it and have it open like the Bandai canopies. When I used the tool to remove this area I found a full cockpit inside!

The problem is I don't know if this is a printable file. Is there anyone on here with 3D printer experience that can check the .obj file and tell me if it is a printable file?

You can PM me the obj file and I can take a look. I'm a 3d modeler going way back.
The first problem is that it's an OBJ file. OBJ files are pretty much the oldest 3d format file there is. Also the simplest. They can contain a of problems that 3d printers don't like. Overlapping polygons, unwelded vertexes etc. If you get a chance to download anything try to make sure it's a .STL file.
The STL file format is geared more towards 3d printing and will contains accurate scale information etc.
 
Well, I got my printer in and was able to print one of test print. I was a bit concerned at first because my first attempt failed. But after reviewing what I did, I think what happened was that I didn't clean the build plate before I printed the first print and I think it was a little too slick and the layers started pealing away. Luckily it didn't get very far before I stopped it. I wiped the plate down with some alcohol and the next print was perfect. I just printed the anycubic cube model that came loaded as it doesn't take much resin and I wanted to make sure the printer worked without having to trouble shoot the model as well. I'll try to post images of my print when I get a chance to upload them.

For my next print I need to check the model really well first. My issue was it was modeled with the units set to inches and exported in inches. Unfortunately I don't think the stock Anycubic slicing program can handle inches so it imported really really small. The conversion rate from mm to inches is 25.4, so I THINK I SHOULD be able to scale up 2540% and it hopefully will be accurately the correct scale. I don't see a way to accurately measure models in the slicer program so I want to confirm that before I hit print. I'd hate to waste expensive resin only to find out that it's slightly off scale. Til then I'm going to keep researching how to best orient models and how to get better with the slicer programing. But so far, I'm excited about the possibilities.

Thanks,
Bill
I'me expecting some bumps too at first. Most print issues I have been reading about are simple user errors for newbies like us. Once we learn what needs to be done I expect phenomenal prints :)
 
You can PM me the obj file and I can take a look. I'm a 3d modeler going way back.
The first problem is that it's an OBJ file. OBJ files are pretty much the oldest 3d format file there is. Also the simplest. They can contain a of problems that 3d printers don't like. Overlapping polygons, unwelded vertexes etc. If you get a chance to download anything try to make sure it's a .STL file.
The STL file format is geared more towards 3d printing and will contains accurate scale information etc.
Thanks mash! I'll PM you the file.

I'm thinking it may be a 3D rendered image and not a 3D printable file. The site has .objs and .stls but also has CG images. It would be cool if this could be printed though, I really want a cockpit but would be happy with the ship.
 
And this is why we don't trust files from the internet.....
So i download the link you sent me and it was an OBJ file with texture maps
BR_Starfighter_001.jpg
Looks great.
Same file without texture maps. most of the detials
go away but still not to bad.
BR_Starfighter_003.jpg
Ok slight problem none of these parts are welded together
BR_Starfighter_005.jpg
The orange part means it's selected,. If I hide that part I get this
BR_Starfighter_006.jpg
A lot of parts that are free floating. meaning they are attached to nothing.
There are also overlapping polygons, un-welded vertexes etc. meaning if you load it into a slicing software you will get this
BR_Starfighter_013.jpg
A giant unprintable mess
I was able to fix it somewhat by taking it into Zbrush, making a dynamesh and re projecting all the details onto it.
In layman terms I made it one solid piece and the re added the details to it.
BR_Starfighter_014.jpg
Not great But I only spent a couple of minutes on it.
I think you can do the same thing with Autodesk Mesh Mixer or Meshlab. They are both free.
 
mash3d... in that last picture is the different color supports?

This one almost sounds like more work than its worth. I liked the cockpit and I wanted to try to separate the canopy and print that separately so I could get to the cockpit for detail painting. I noticed what you said (but didn't know the right term) that when I selected items in Meshmixer to remove the canopy it was pieced together in a strange way. I guess I'll have to print one of the other files for now and try to work on this one when I get more experience. Maybe it would be easier to try to take the landing gear and cockpit off this one and just print those and fit them to one of the other files I have.
 
mash3d... in that last picture is the different color supports?

This one almost sounds like more work than its worth. I liked the cockpit and I wanted to try to separate the canopy and print that separately so I could get to the cockpit for detail painting. I noticed what you said (but didn't know the right term) that when I selected items in Meshmixer to remove the canopy it was pieced together in a strange way. I guess I'll have to print one of the other files for now and try to work on this one when I get more experience. Maybe it would be easier to try to take the landing gear and cockpit off this one and just print those and fit them to one of the other files I have.

sorry I changed the display settings in Simplify 3d trying to get it to show up better.
They landing gear should be pretty easy. You can probably just scratch build that. The canopy may be harder to get to fit to a different model.
It would be a good model to start learning on since it's pretty simple.
It's needs to be rebuilt anyway since the back end has no details to speak of.
 
Mash3d, you've found out that models built where the intent is rendering are usually entirely unsuitable for printing. What it takes to make a render object look good often isn't the same as what it takes to produce a high-quality printed object, hence the models are not typically swappable from one process to another. Parts of render objects can pass through each other or not be directly connected and still look great because only the surfaces are rendered. Also, render objects use tricks like mathematical smoothing of surfaces that would otherwise appear segmented....printing processes do not employ this virtual smoothing which can result in blocky surfaces when such objects are printed. While it's possible to convert a render model to a printable object, it can be very labor intensive to get good results, so much so that the render object is best used as reference for a printable object made from scratch.
 
Oh yeah I've known that for a while.
I just thought it would be helpful to actually show what the problem with internet models are.
It would be nice to have a site with vetted models. Even the ones on thing verse are fairly iffy.
 
The more I look at that file and the website I think it was more my fault on this one. I did a search for Starfighter stls and that came up as a 3D item, I just assumed 3D print and the site has a lot of 3D CG images for animation and other things. I don't think this was created for printing. That said, at some point when I get up to speed on things I will try to use it as a starting point to create my own file.
 
Okay first prints :)

I know this is going to sound like an excuse but it isn't. The prints look better in person, the resin I'm using right now is a bit translucent and these are right out of the printer and after the IPA and water bath, and are still wet in spots. This is also before curing. I cleaned up all the support structure area and learned that next time it's probably better to do the cleanup before throwing it under UV for curing. Once cured the resin gets hard. The Viper is already primed with white primer and drying. It's getting ready for detail painting and weathering. It is already taking on a different look than the translucent green resin. I'll have some pictures up later on after it's painted and show a side by side size comparison with my Bandai X-Wing and Moebius MK II Viper.

20180515_004833.jpg20180515_004813.jpg20180515_004903.jpg

This next one is a ship I have been wanting for a LONG time! I particularly like this print because we didn't think this was a printable file and it ended up printing just fine.Even the cockpit console and seat printed, although the flight stick doesn't look like it's in there because it was probably too thin to properly print. Again this is before curing and right after the IPA and water bath. It looks a little scuffed because I started fine sanding the support contact points. The support contact areas really aren't that bad to deal with, but it was something I didn't anticipate. It also could be the way I did the supports. These are default settings and basically I don't know what I am doing yet as far as 3D printing and using the slicing software. Once I get some experience I'll learn what to tweak for the best prints.

20180515_021725.jpg20180515_021543.jpg

Right now I have three snow speeders printing all on the same plate and printing at the same time. That print is almost done and then I'll clean them up. I haven't decided what I want to print after that. I have the Hammer Head fighter from Space Above and Beyond or I may print a launch rail for the MK I Viper since it doesn't have landing gear. Mainly I will be printing things I can't get in a kit or things that aren't in 1/72 scale. I don't know how far I will be going with 1/72 because these are tiny and I like my SciFi fighter and ships big and epic! I definitely will be printing a lot of blasters and phasers!
 
Is the Starfighter the same one you talked about a couple of days ago? Did you alter anything or print "as is"?
They all look great!
 
Same one... I figured what the hell... I imported it into the Photon slicer and it came up and looked like it was printable. I figured I'd know if it was printing if I could see it on the build plate, if not I'd abort the print.
 
For something that was supposed to be unprintable, it came out looking remarkably good. I'll be getting a cr-10s pretty soon, so this is good news that some files are printable.
This Photon slicer- is it software that came with your printer, or did you have to buy it?
 
For something that was supposed to be unprintable, it came out looking remarkably good. I'll be getting a cr-10s pretty soon, so this is good news that some files are printable.
This Photon slicer- is it software that came with your printer, or did you have to buy it?

I have a CR10s and I was using Simplify 3d to slice the model.
You can download Cura for the Ultimaker printers for free and see how it slices the same model.
Using a slicer for a SLA printer may give different results because It only needs to produce a black and white cross section of the model.
 
I have a CR10s and I was using Simplify 3d to slice the model.
You can download Cura for the Ultimaker printers for free and see how it slices the same model.
Using a slicer for a SLA printer may give different results because It only needs to produce a black and white cross section of the model.
Yeah Cura is one of the tools I downloaded. The file does show as being a mess in it and in MeshMixer so it was iffy whether it would print.

I guess that's one nice advantage of an SLA printer.
Bud each have their advantages and disadvantages. Right now I don't think there is one 'perfect' printer out there. The SLA printers are great for extreme detailed items and detailed parts, but FDM wins in spades when it comes to large size prints. Anycubic is talking about a second line of SLA printers with a bigger build volume and a 4K screen, but even at that it won't come close to what a large format FDM printer can do. I'll probably end up with a Creality at some time too.
 
Here is the Viper with the initial painting started. The white is a white primer coat and I started doing some detail painting. This is nowhere near a 'finished' version, just the start. I'll add to the detailing, put the red strips on and start weathering it. Mainly I wanted to see what it is potentially going to look like. I have to make some landing gear or a launch rail.

Here is the Viper as it came out of the vat and printer...

20180515_004813.jpg20180515_004833.jpg20180515_004903.jpg

And here it is with the painting started.

20180516_065807.jpg20180516_065820.jpg20180516_065833.jpg
 
Here is the Starfighter/Thunderfighter with the first coat or primer. The Q-Tip in the last picture is for size perspective. First picture is out of the printer and rest are first primer. 20180515_021725.jpg20180516_072428.jpg20180516_072442.jpg20180516_072743.jpg20180516_072813.jpg20180516_072849.jpg
 
This thread is more than 5 years old.

Your message may be considered spam for the following reasons:

  1. This thread hasn't been active in some time. A new post in this thread might not contribute constructively to this discussion after so long.
If you wish to reply despite these issues, check the box below before replying.
Be aware that malicious compliance may result in more severe penalties.
Back
Top