Fix 3D object for printing

[Nicolinux 288]

Hi,

I have an object that looks alright in 3d but when sliced it is evident that it won't work as intended. I'd like to connect the two halves so that they stick together after printing. I have created this object in Photoshop CC (3D object extruded from text layer and exported as .stl).

How would I go about it? I don't know enough about 3D in Photoshop to do it there...

Thanks.

 

[aaronalai 2]

Did you try your Fix Horrible settings? I know if I have a small hole Extensive Stitching tries to fill it up, it may potentially try to fill that small gap between your two pieces. Even if it did though, it doesn't look like there would be a very stable mate between the two larger pieces; or maybe it just looks that way.

 

[Nicolinux 288]

I tried it. Every combination there

 

[illuminarti 18]

Can you just thicken the 2d shape before you do the extrusion (e.g., draw a stroke around the outside of the shape), so that the 4 flat surfaces don't meet at a point?

 

[Nicolinux 288]

No, sadly not. I used a shape preset called "Bend Center". It does this effect for me. If I just extrude the object it would look like the letter "A". With the shape preset, it twists and cuts it along the z-axis. I guess it's just not possible with this effect.

Another option might be to use Meshmixer to thicken the middle axis but this tool is too unprecise for such a task.

 

[mastory 44]

Tell me the diameter and height and I can make that in solidworks, export an STL and post it for you. Or email. Whatever you like.

 

[aaronalai 2]

Shoot I was just going to offer to do that!

Well plarp, anyway to make the piece work in cura, you need to make a small fillet connection between the two pieces.

 

[Nicolinux 288]

Hey guys, thanks but I don't want to cause too much trouble. I wanted to print the word "Tanja" and this was just the letter "A". So there are a bunch of others...

 

[aaronalai 2]

I'm not exactly sure how you did your piece Nicolinux, but if you extrude this shape leaving a little connected:

You should be good to go.

 

[Nicolinux 288]

I was playing around with Photoshop CC and 3d layers. I have never done this before but wanted to try it because with the latest update Photoshop adds support for 3d printing. I took a text layer and extruded it. Then used a shape preset called bend center that gave me this convoluted form. I don't want to create it by hand - it was just a test and part of a prank for my friends

So no big deal. If I'd be on a deadline for an important project, I will sure scream louder for help

Thx anyway.

Btw, Solidworks looks scary for someone who is new to CAD...

 

[aaronalai 2]

Lololol, Photoshop is like an alien to me; I can do only the very basic of things in it.

 

[Nicolinux 288]

If only brain<->brain ability-clone would already been invented... I could use a nice dose of CAD experience without investing the time to learn it

 

[jonnybischof 60]

I'll take some of that, too!

I'm barely getting around with Sketchup 8 which is really made for the less talented people like me o.O

 

[3d-magic 0]

Just like the offers above, if needed I can create your shape in Cinema4D and send you the .STL file. :-)

 

[Nicolinux 288]

Alright guys. I can't cope with so much generosity. There are 4 .stl files. Each represents a letter. I'd be glad if it would be possible to fix or rebuild them so they can each print in one piece. Here is the download link:

 

• https://www.dropbox.com/s/dh5isdxgfavb5gx/tanja_stl_orig.zip
  

 

Many thanks,

Stefan

 

[chopmeister 0]

I've taken a look at those STLs of yours. My advice - forget about 3d in photoshop. The topology of the models is beyond horrible, which tells me that either photoshop has lousy triangulation, or a lousy STL export filter. And my bet is on the first one.

I suggest you use... well.. anything else? :mrgreen:

In the meantime here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/jmjocfco7rw4y77/fix.zip

It's quick and dirty mind you, not really accurate or anything, but should be printable. Let me know if it helped.

 

[3d-magic 0]

Wow, you can clearly see Photoshop is not a 3D program and definately not usable!

I've added a wireframe render of the original and the fix of chopmeister. Left is Photoshop, right is Cinema4D.

Just compare for yourself... :smile:

 

[Nicolinux 288]

I've taken a look at those STLs of yours. My advice - forget about 3d in photoshop. The topology of the models is beyond horrible, which tells me that either photoshop has lousy triangulation, or a lousy STL export filter. And my bet is on the first one.

I suggest you use... well.. anything else? :mrgreen:

In the meantime here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/jmjocfco7rw4y77/fix.zip

It's quick and dirty mind you, not really accurate or anything, but should be printable. Let me know if it helped.

 

Many thanks chopmeister! They are perfect for my needs.

And you are right, I won't use PS for 3d printing. But to their defense - it was their first version. There is more to come for sure. There is however some appeal to creating nice 2d shapes in photoshop and extruding it in crazy ways. I don't know enough about other tools. So far I have used Autodesk Fusion 360 and OpenSCAD. Right now I am working my way through DesignSpark Mechanical (windows only, bah!).

 

[Nicolinux 288]

Wow, you can clearly see Photoshop is not a 3D program and definately not usable!

I've added a wireframe render of the original and the fix of chopmeister. Left is Photoshop, right is Cinema4D.

Just compare for yourself... :smile:

 

Wow this looks scary. But isn't it "fixable" somehow? Didn't try to run this thorugh netfabb basic, or meshmixer but maybe there is a chance to clean those models (if one really needs to).

 

[chopmeister 0]

Wow this looks scary. But isn't it "fixable" somehow? Didn't try to run this thorugh netfabb basic, or meshmixer but maybe there is a chance to clean those models (if one really needs to).

 

No, there isn't. Because it's not just the topology that's totally messed up, but the edges have many jagged polygons and such. Nothing can help with that unfortunately. Although it must be added that the topology on my models is so clean because they were modeled and edited by hand, so I had complete control over how it will look in the end.

 

[aaronalai 2]

Awesome work chopmeister! I downloaded the files provided by Nicolinux and noticed the same thing, there were like serrations on the edges? I wonder what PS is doing to compute the stl files. I was wondering how you made them so clean without simply re-making them, but your explanation has cleared things up. I was trying to extrude little cylinders at the joints, which sort of worked but the topology was just so screwy.

 

[chopmeister 0]

Hehe, low poly modelling techniques rule for stuff like this. Besides, If you want really good topology, you always have to stick your fingers into the vertices and polygons in the end. Except if you're modelling... I don't know.. a cube? :mrgreen:

(although if it has chamfered edges... well... anything can happen...)

Luckily for most 3d printer users, topology is not something they even have to know about, let alone have it "perfect". Doesn't make a difference most of the time. But in some cases, like this one, it can be a PITA, especially for slicing and printing.

As for 3D in Photoshop in general, I think it's a horrible idea. Reminds me of Nero. You know, the program everybody used to use while it was just for burning CDs. Then suddenly they started adding "features" and it became a 1GB monster of an app suite for doing things you never really wanted to do with CDs, movies, music and who knows what else. And nobody used it anymore. (And it ended up in the special circle of hell reserved for "software bundled with a random piece of hardware".)

I'm not saying people will stop using PS because of this, of course, that would be beyond silly, but I don't see people starting to use it because of a pseudo-useful gimmick like this either. And not attracting new users while at the same time providing existing users with something that just plain sucks seems like a waste of time in my book.

But hey, it may very well be that a lot of people will think "Hey, I use PS all the time and now I can dabble in some 3d! Cool!" (but somehow I doubt that...)

 

[Nicolinux 288]

Sorry for the delay. The finished product. It printed great. Prank successful

 

[aaronalai 2]

Awesome, that looks great! I bet it looks really neat from all types of angles.

 

[chrisp 10]

Hey Nicolinux,

Have you tried Moment of Inspiration? It's cheap and very intuitive for someone who has 0 experience with cad software. It's what I use and I can design just about anything within it. Never had an issue with any prints out of this program. http://moi3d.com/