Software

3D modelling software and useful utilities to assist you with creating a 3D printable model.

Tips for Printing with a Raft

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When printing we generally try to avoid a raft as it often adds unnecessary time and cost to the print in addition to sometimes reducing the finish on the bottom of the print. With that being said there are many times where a raft is useful and will improve your overall results. Below is a short list of such cases: Tall and skinny objects that may either wobble or have trouble sticking to the platform Large flat bottomed objects that have a very strong tendency to warp or not stick Objects that you don’t want to have squished into the platform Objects that are difficult to remove from the build plate Objects with support material directly on the build plate that doesn’t stick well These objects are being rafted for a variety of reasons and it is important to be aware of some of the very basic settings on rafts … Read more

Sailfish for Replicator 2/2X

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On most of our MakerBot Replicator 2 and 2X 3D printers, we make use of different firmware than comes stock on the printers. The firmware we use is called Sailfish. It is at a glance very similar to MakerBot’s version of the printer firmware but it has several significant differences that we find improve the capabilities of the printers. Added Features The first major feature we make use of is the option to Ditto print on a dual extruder machine. This allows you to print 2 of the same single color object at the same time, which is a great way to double the production of printed items that are smaller than the width between the nozzles. A second that can be a big help is the ability to override temperatures generated on your Gcode as well as fine-tune them mid-print.Sailfish also allows you to fine-tune your print speed mid-print. … Read more

Repairing and Viewing 3D Models with netfabb Basic

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When you are creating 3D models, some programs such as Sketchup may not output a 3D model that is exactly as you would expect. When you create a 3D model using some programs, it can be fairly easy to make a simple mistake that actually creates a hole in the mesh. These holes often don’t get noticed until you actually try your 3D print and it may have you wondering what is up with your printer as it won’t be printing anything like you would expect. Holes like this and other issues like self-intersecting parts create a 3D model that is considered non-manifold. When a 3D model is non-manifold most slicers won’t be able to properly slice the file therefore the 3D model must be manually fixed or have a repair tool used on it. To manually fix the part may be very time consuming as you will have to locate … Read more

Converting a 2D Image to STL

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We have found it to be common for people to have 2D images of logos or other high contrast images that they want to 3D print. To 3D print these many people would recreate their 2D images from scratch in a 3D modelling program while maybe making use of the image as a reference. This process got to be fairly time consuming in order to accurately replicate the details and the fonts that were used. As such there have been several methods developed to convert your 2D image into a 3D model. Inkscape to OpenSCAD This is a fairly straight forward free method to convert your 2D images to STL. This process uses the two programs Inkscape and OpenSCAD as well as a plugin for Inkscape. This process has been around for a little while now and there are already some great instructions for how to do this process you … Read more

MakerBot Desktop Version 3.4

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Some of the new versions of MakerBot Desktop occasionally alter the functionality of the software for some users. Here are some links to version 3.4 for any users who are looking to roll back their software a few versions: Windows 64 Bit : http://s3.amazonaws.com/downloads-makerbot-com/makerware/MakerBot_Bundle_BETA_3.4.1.48_x64_Install.exe Windows 32 Bit : http://s3.amazonaws.com/downloads-makerbot-com/makerware/MakerBot_Bundle_BETA_3.4.1.40_x86_Install.exe Windows 8.1 64 Bit : http://s3.amazonaws.com/downloads-makerbot-com/makerware/MakerBot_Bundle_BETA_3.4.1.124_8.1_x64_Install.exe Windows 8.1 32 Bit : http://s3.amazonaws.com/downloads-makerbot-com/makerware/MakerBot_Bundle_BETA_3.4.1.94_8.1_x86_Install.exe Mac : http://s3.amazonaws.com/downloads-makerbot-com/makerware/MakerBot Bundle BETA 3.4.1.48.dmg