Schogun | 13 Apr 2017 7:37 a.m. PST |
I'm considering a KS for printable Arab terrain building files. I would need to revise the STL files for 10/12mm scale then combine STL files to maximize what's printed in a single print run. What free software (Windows 7) would be best to do this? Thanks |
Bashytubits | 13 Apr 2017 7:57 a.m. PST |
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Tachikoma | 13 Apr 2017 8:51 a.m. PST |
Netfabb will do what you need, but since it was bought up by Autodesk the "free" version is now only a 30 day trial. |
SeattleGamer | 13 Apr 2017 9:09 a.m. PST |
There is a Kickstarter right now winding down, that is offering .STL files for Arabic terrain suitable for colonial, WWII or modern gaming. I suspect they will also do for adobe buildings in the wild west as well. You might want to check that out to see if what you have in mind offers something new/better/complimentary. This project offers a total of 5 1-story and 2 2-story buildings, walls with and without gates, town walls (taller and thicker) with and without gates, a mosque and a "foreign legion-type" of fortification with big towers and super thick walls. There are also several files that will have rubble (wrecked wall sections and houses). I believe he is supplying the files in 20mm scale, with instructions on how to scale them down for 15mm or up for 28mm. The buildings can be printed as four separate walls and a roof, or a single building piece, with a removable roof. link |
Schogun | 13 Apr 2017 10:28 a.m. PST |
@SeattleGamer -- that's the KS I'm looking at. I want to scale them down to 10/12mm. Being smaller, my question is (simple) software that will allow me to combine STL files so I can print multiple buildings in a single print run and maximize my printer time/use. More detail -- there are a few libraries in my area with 3D printers for public use. I have to submit a file to them first for them to review and estimate cost. Then it goes into their queue for printing and they let me know when it's done. This could take days or weeks depending on demand. I don't want to submit a single building then have to wait all over again to print a second building. I'm hoping I can combine files/buildings and maximize my job. So I'm looking for simple, and hopefully free, software that will let me do this. Thanks |
Zagloba | 13 Apr 2017 4:50 p.m. PST |
The workflow of 3-D printing goes .stl file -> slicer application -> printer. The slicer application will often let you do all of the operations you want- it will allow you to scale a part from an .stl file, rotate it, and lay out the placement on the print bed. You can do this for multiple files on one print run, so you could, for instance, scale down three different buildings and print them at the same time. The trick is that the slicer application is usually tied in some way to the 3-D printer you're using- Cura and Slic3r are two relatively generic ones that work with many printers, but XYZ and Makerbot have their own proprietary software (XYZware and MakerWare) so to a certain extent it depends of the printer you're using. Regular CAD software is also helpful, so you'll probably want to survey some of the free options out there (Tinkercad, Fusion, etc.) in case you run into issues. For example, you might want to scale one part less than the rest of a model because it would be too fragile. |
Schogun | 13 Apr 2017 6:50 p.m. PST |
The printer is a CubePro Duo from 3D Systems. They mention using TinkerCAD. |
Zagloba | 13 Apr 2017 8:12 p.m. PST |
If you go to the CubePro site you can download their software: link You'll really need to talk to someone at the library though- there are several settings that affect print quality, strength, and speed that you'll want to get some info on. You'll have to negotiate the best way to get a print your happy with without wasting machine time. |
Zagloba | 13 Apr 2017 8:14 p.m. PST |
Also, check YouTube for tutorials: YouTube link Should help you be much more informed when you talk to the library people. |
Schogun | 14 Apr 2017 4:59 a.m. PST |
Thanks, Zagloba. I'm a total noob here. I did pledge the KS, so I'll learn quickly. |
Waco Joe | 14 Apr 2017 7:49 a.m. PST |
Zagloba is on the spot. The slicer software can usually rescale uniformly across all three axis or along individual ones. You should also be able to change size either by percentage increase or decrease, or absolute length so you can the buildings can have more variety. A hint I will share is after resizing and placing your models, re-export the file as an stl file with a different name than the original. That way when you want more buildings you just load the already adjusted file and print without having to resize. Your first run should be a single of the smallest building set to lowest (roughest) resolution. Buildings do well without a lot of fine detailing so you can maximize the speed variable. Then if you want better resolution you can step it up and account for more time. Of course the smaller you reduce them the better the resolution, layer thickness you will want. I pledged the same KS so I will be happy to share what I find. I am hoping to go for even smaller scales of 6 and 3mm. |
epengr | 01 May 2017 6:12 p.m. PST |
CraftWare is the slicer for the craftBot, but the gcode it generates can be used on any printer if you tuned right. HOWEVER, it will allow you to load and scale multiple stl files to fill a printbed, and then re-save the entire arrangement back to a single stl file (so you're not actually using the slicer part of the software). This would do exactly what you're after. |